Court Opinion

ID: 9606679
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:51:34.85689+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:35.228719
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON, Vice Presiding Judge,
specially concurring.
I must speak to what is obviously a trying and difficult case. One of the problems with the Bench and the Bar is wanting to know what the rule is. The court and attorneys may not like the rule but they do want as much uniformity as possible. The above-named wrote an opinion that had some relevance here but must be distinguished. Wade v. State, 825 P.2d 1357 (Okl.Cr.1992). That case had more to do with the double jeopardy issue and whether or not the life without parole issue had been or could be waived. After reflection *744upon the problem, to me double jeopardy-does not even apply.
Judge Lumpkin has written a most effective Concur in Part/Dissent in Part opinion. I disagree because “death is different”. Yes, the Court has made a rush to “fairness” but the Legislature has given us no other option. Judge Lumpkin’s opinion is a brilliant survey of the law as it relates to retroactive application of punishment and a basic legal doctrine that the statute in effect at the time of the underlying offense is the one that applies at the time of the trial. In this particular case, the Legislature in its infinite wisdom, saw fit to pass a statute that gave a radical new or third possible punishment in the death case, that is, life without parole.
During our oral arguments on this and other cases, the State has conceded that with the amendment of 21 O.S. § 701.-10a(5), the Legislature has spoken in the event of a reversal. It would appear from the statute that in the event this case were reversed for any reason other than the life without parole issue, at the retrial or the resentencing portion thereof, a defendant would be entitled to the life without parole instruction even though the crime occurred prior to the time life without parole was effective. It would seem logical to me that if this was the legislative intent on 701.10a, then it should also have been that intent on 701.10. It would seem under fundamental “fairness”, it would not be proper to disallow the life without parole option in one case that occurred prior to the enactment of the statute, but due to reversal allow it in another case. The law and the application thereof should be consistent.
This case is deeply perplexing and I, quite frankly, have had a difficult and trying time, not only based upon the legal doctrines that Judge Lumpkin has so ably pointed out, but the absolute uniqueness of this situation. The Legislature, in an intervening move, passed this radically different third alternative. Obviously, it would have been far easier had they indicated that the application would be retroactive; they did not chose to do so but I cannot state that their silence means that that was not their intent. Having written Wade, I understand Judge Lumpkin’s quest. Fundamental fairness says we must adopt a new or different doctrine due to the uniqueness of the third alternative punishment. This in no way changes the fundamental doctrine that Judge Lumpkin points to. The majority is correct.