Court Opinion

ID: 9633554
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 11:52:21.604505+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:08:37.335394
License: Public Domain

Hamilton, J.
(concurring) — I have signed the majority opinion and concur in the result.
In doing so, however, I wish it to be noted that consideration has been accorded to the contention of petitioner as defined and expressed in Judge Hill’s dissent. As that *26contention is expressed by Judge Hill, it is reduced to the assertion that petitioner was denied due process of law because the jury was not affirmatively instructed that it could consider all of the evidence before it upon the issue of punishment.
In the instant case, I do not believe the absence of such an instruction constitutes a violation of due process of law. My reasons in so concluding are:
(1) At the trial the petitioner was accorded the widest latitude in presenting evidence of his personal, family, social, mental, and emotional background;
(2) The jury was not expressly instructed it could not consider such evidence in relation to punishment; nor was any request made of the trial judge that he affirmatively instruct the jury that it should so consider such evidence;
(3) Counsel argued such evidence to the jury upon the issue of punishment; and
(4) Human nature being what it is, and the issue being life or death, it is unrealistic to suggest that the jury did not consider all of the evidence before it in arriving at its decision.