Court Opinion

ID: 9569005
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:09:36.137416+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:18:31.248744
License: Public Domain

Justice Frye
concurring in the result.
I concur in the result reached by the Court in this case. However, I write separately to explain why the erroneous submission of the (f)(1) mitigating circumstance was harmless in this case and why I think the majority’s language is too broad.
In the instant case, the evidence upon which the trial court submitted the (f)(1) mitigating circumstance of no significant history of prior criminal activity consisted of defendant’s previous conviction of attempted second-degree murder and defendant’s history of drug dealing. Evidence of defendant’s conviction of attempted second-degree murder was properly admitted at the capital sentencing proceeding to establish the (e)(3) statutory aggravating circumstance that defendant had been previously convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence. Evidence of defendant’s drug dealing was properly admitted during the trial. Thus, the jury, in making its final recommendation as to sentence, would have had this evidence before it regardless of whether the (f)(1) mitigating circumstance was submitted for its consideration.
*229The trial court ex mero mo tu submitted this mitigating circumstance after the close of the evidence at the capital sentencing proceeding. Since neither the prosecutor nor the defense attorneys expected the (f)(1) mitigating circumstance to be submitted to the jury, it was not an issue during the presentation of evidence at the capital sentencing proceeding and was not emphasized by either party. Furthermore, the submission of the (f)(1) mitigating circumstance did not prompt the introduction of any new or rebuttal evidence. Thus, considering all of the circumstances of this case, I agree with the majority that, assuming error arguendo, the error was not prejudicial.
I have a problem, however, with this sentence in the majority opinion: “Absent extraordinary facts not present in this case, the erroneous submission of a mitigating circumstance is harmless.” I am not sure what is meant by this sentence. Does it mean that this Court will find the erroneous submission of a mitigating circumstance harmless beyond a reasonable doubt unless the defendant can show, for example, that the erroneous submission of the circumstance prompted the admission of rebuttal evidence not otherwise admissible at a capital sentencing proceeding? If so, this would have the effect of shifting the burden of proof on an issue with constitutional underpinnings. See State v. Wilson, 322 N.C. 117, 145, 367 S.E.2d 589, 605 (1988). This we should not do.