Court Opinion

ID: 9855469
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:25:30.883225+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:35:47.156513
License: Public Domain

WEBB, Judge.
The defendant concedes the aggravating factor was properly found. See State v. Melton, 307 N.C. 370, 298 S.E. 2d 673 (1983). He also concedes that determining the relative weight of the one aggravating and the three mitigating factors was within the discretion of the Court. See State v. Goforth, 59 N.C. App. 504, 297 S.E. 2d 128 (1982). The defendant contends there was evidence which was uncontradicted and manifestly credible which required findings of two additional mitigating factors. See State v. Jones, 309 N.C. 214, 306 S.E. 2d 451 (1983).
There was evidence that the defendant’s wife told him that she had moved out of their home because of an adulterous relationship that she had maintained for six months, and when the defendant expressed disbelief and urged her to return home, she had her lover confirm the liaison by telephone. The defendant contends the Court should have found from this evidence that the defendant acted under strong provocation. See G.S. 15A-1340.4 (a)(2)i. We believe that “strong provocation” as a mitigating factor is a conclusion which a court may or may not reach from uncontradicted evidence. We hold it is not a fact which the court must find under the rule of State v. Jones, supra.
There was testimony by an Alamance County law enforcement officer that while defendant was incarcerated awaiting trial he helped prevent a jailbreak by other prisoners by telling the jailer of certain developments in the jail. As a consequence the authorities discovered that several jail window bars had been sawed through and confiscated eighteen hacksaw blades. The defendant argues that although aiding in the prevention of a jailbreak is not a statutory mitigating factor it is related to the purposes of the sentencing and should have been found by the Court. We do not believe we should hold this is a mitigating factor which the Court must find if the evidence as to it is uncontradicted and credible. We do not believe we should make a rule that a sentencing judge has to anticipate mitigating factors not *778listed in G.S. 15A-1340.4 which we might think are related to the purposes of sentencing.
Affirmed.
Judge Johnson concurs.
Judge Phillips dissents.