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2006 Ohio Revised Code - 2929.03. Imposing sentence for aggravated murder.

§ 2929.03. Imposing sentence for aggravated murder.
 

(A)  If the indictment or count in the indictment charging aggravated murder does not contain one or more specifications of aggravating circumstances listed in division (A) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, then, following a verdict of guilty of the charge of aggravated murder, the trial court shall impose sentence on the offender as follows: 

(1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, the trial court shall impose one of the following sentences on the offender: 

(a) Life imprisonment without parole; 

(b) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty years of imprisonment; 

(c) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment; 

(d) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment. 

(2) If the offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that are included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information that charged the aggravated murder, the trial court shall impose upon the offender a sentence of life imprisonment without parole that shall be served pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code. 

(B)  If the indictment or count in the indictment charging aggravated murder contains one or more specifications of aggravating circumstances listed in division (A) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, the verdict shall separately state whether the accused is found guilty or not guilty of the principal charge and, if guilty of the principal charge, whether the offender was eighteen years of age or older at the time of the commission of the offense, if the matter of age was raised by the offender pursuant to section 2929.023 [2929.02.3] of the Revised Code, and whether the offender is guilty or not guilty of each specification. The jury shall be instructed on its duties in this regard. The instruction to the jury shall include an instruction that a specification shall be proved beyond a reasonable doubt in order to support a guilty verdict on the specification, but the instruction shall not mention the penalty that may be the consequence of a guilty or not guilty verdict on any charge or specification. 

(C) (1)  If the indictment or count in the indictment charging aggravated murder contains one or more specifications of aggravating circumstances listed in division (A) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, then, following a verdict of guilty of the charge but not guilty of each of the specifications, and regardless of whether the offender raised the matter of age pursuant to section 2929.023 [2929.02.3] of the Revised Code, the trial court shall impose sentence on the offender as follows: 

(a) Except as provided in division (C)(1)(b) of this section, the trial court shall impose one of the following sentences on the offender: 

(i) Life imprisonment without parole; 

(ii) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty years of imprisonment; 

(iii) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment; 

(iv) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment. 

(b) If the offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that are included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information that charged the aggravated murder, the trial court shall impose upon the offender a sentence of life imprisonment without parole that shall be served pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code. 

(2) (a) If the indictment or count in the indictment contains one or more specifications of aggravating circumstances listed in division (A) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code and if the offender is found guilty of both the charge and one or more of the specifications, the penalty to be imposed on the offender shall be one of the following: 

(i) Except as provided in division (C)(2)(a)(ii) of this section, the penalty to be imposed on the offender shall be death, life imprisonment without parole, life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment, or life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment. 

(ii) If the offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that are included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information that charged the aggravated murder, the penalty to be imposed on the offender shall be death or life imprisonment without parole that shall be served pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code. 

(b) A penalty imposed pursuant to division (C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section shall be determined pursuant to divisions (D) and (E) of this section and shall be determined by one of the following: 

(i) By the panel of three judges that tried the offender upon the offender's waiver of the right to trial by jury; 

(ii) By the trial jury and the trial judge, if the offender was tried by jury. 

(D) (1)  Death may not be imposed as a penalty for aggravated murder if the offender raised the matter of age at trial pursuant to section 2929.023 [2929.02.3] of the Revised Code and was not found at trial to have been eighteen years of age or older at the time of the commission of the offense. When death may be imposed as a penalty for aggravated murder, the court shall proceed under this division. When death may be imposed as a penalty, the court, upon the request of the defendant, shall require a pre-sentence investigation to be made and, upon the request of the defendant, shall require a mental examination to be made, and shall require reports of the investigation and of any mental examination submitted to the court, pursuant to section 2947.06 of the Revised Code. No statement made or information provided by a defendant in a mental examination or proceeding conducted pursuant to this division shall be disclosed to any person, except as provided in this division, or be used in evidence against the defendant on the issue of guilt in any retrial. A pre-sentence investigation or mental examination shall not be made except upon request of the defendant. Copies of any reports prepared under this division shall be furnished to the court, to the trial jury if the offender was tried by a jury, to the prosecutor, and to the offender or the offender's counsel for use under this division. The court, and the trial jury if the offender was tried by a jury, shall consider any report prepared pursuant to this division and furnished to it and any evidence raised at trial that is relevant to the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing or to any factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death, shall hear testimony and other evidence that is relevant to the nature and circumstances of the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing, the mitigating factors set forth in division (B) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, and any other factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death, and shall hear the statement, if any, of the offender, and the arguments, if any, of counsel for the defense and prosecution, that are relevant to the penalty that should be imposed on the offender. The defendant shall be given great latitude in the presentation of evidence of the mitigating factors set forth in division (B) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code and of any other factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death. If the offender chooses to make a statement, the offender is subject to cross-examination only if the offender consents to make the statement under oath or affirmation. 

The defendant shall have the burden of going forward with the evidence of any factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death. The prosecution shall have the burden of proving, by proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that the aggravating circumstances the defendant was found guilty of committing are sufficient to outweigh the factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death. 

(2) Upon consideration of the relevant evidence raised at trial, the testimony, other evidence, statement of the offender, arguments of counsel, and, if applicable, the reports submitted pursuant to division (D)(1) of this section, the trial jury, if the offender was tried by a jury, shall determine whether the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing are sufficient to outweigh the mitigating factors present in the case. If the trial jury unanimously finds, by proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing outweigh the mitigating factors, the trial jury shall recommend to the court that the sentence of death be imposed on the offender. Absent such a finding, the jury shall recommend that the offender be sentenced to one of the following: 

(a) Except as provided in division (D)(2)(b) of this section, to life imprisonment without parole, life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment, or life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment; 

(b) If the offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that are included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information that charged the aggravated murder, to life imprisonment without parole. 

If the trial jury recommends that the offender be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment, or life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment, the court shall impose the sentence recommended by the jury upon the offender. If the sentence is a sentence of life imprisonment without parole imposed under division (D)(2)(b) of this section, the sentence shall be served pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code. If the trial jury recommends that the sentence of death be imposed upon the offender, the court shall proceed to impose sentence pursuant to division (D)(3) of this section. 

(3) Upon consideration of the relevant evidence raised at trial, the testimony, other evidence, statement of the offender, arguments of counsel, and, if applicable, the reports submitted to the court pursuant to division (D)(1) of this section, if, after receiving pursuant to division (D)(2) of this section the trial jury's recommendation that the sentence of death be imposed, the court finds, by proof beyond a reasonable doubt, or if the panel of three judges unanimously finds, by proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing outweigh the mitigating factors, it shall impose sentence of death on the offender. Absent such a finding by the court or panel, the court or the panel shall impose one of the following sentences on the offender: 

(a) Except as provided in division (D)(3)(b) of this section, one of the following: 

(i) Life imprisonment without parole; 

(ii) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment; 

(iii) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment. 

(b) If the offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that are included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information that charged the aggravated murder, life imprisonment without parole that shall be served pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code. 

(E)  If the offender raised the matter of age at trial pursuant to section 2929.023 [2929.02.3] of the Revised Code, was convicted of aggravated murder and one or more specifications of an aggravating circumstance listed in division (A) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, and was not found at trial to have been eighteen years of age or older at the time of the commission of the offense, the court or the panel of three judges shall not impose a sentence of death on the offender. Instead, the court or panel shall impose one of the following sentences on the offender: 

(1) Except as provided in division (E)(2) of this section, one of the following: 

(a) Life imprisonment without parole; 

(b) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty-five full years of imprisonment; 

(c) Life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment. 

(2) If the offender also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that are included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information that charged the aggravated murder, life imprisonment without parole that shall be served pursuant to section 2971.03 of the Revised Code. 

(F)  The court or the panel of three judges, when it imposes sentence of death, shall state in a separate opinion its specific findings as to the existence of any of the mitigating factors set forth in division (B) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, the existence of any other mitigating factors, the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing, and the reasons why the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing were sufficient to outweigh the mitigating factors. The court or panel, when it imposes life imprisonment under division (D) of this section, shall state in a separate opinion its specific findings of which of the mitigating factors set forth in division (B) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code it found to exist, what other mitigating factors it found to exist, what aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing, and why it could not find that these aggravating circumstances were sufficient to outweigh the mitigating factors. For cases in which a sentence of death is imposed for an offense committed before January 1, 1995, the court or panel shall file the opinion required to be prepared by this division with the clerk of the appropriate court of appeals and with the clerk of the supreme court within fifteen days after the court or panel imposes sentence. For cases in which a sentence of death is imposed for an offense committed on or after January 1, 1995, the court or panel shall file the opinion required to be prepared by this division with the clerk of the supreme court within fifteen days after the court or panel imposes sentence. The judgment in a case in which a sentencing hearing is held pursuant to this section is not final until the opinion is filed. 

(G) (1)  Whenever the court or a panel of three judges imposes a sentence of death for an offense committed before January 1, 1995, the clerk of the court in which the judgment is rendered shall deliver the entire record in the case to the appellate court. 

(2) Whenever the court or a panel of three judges imposes a sentence of death for an offense committed on or after January 1, 1995, the clerk of the court in which the judgment is rendered shall deliver the entire record in the case to the supreme court. 
 

HISTORY: 134 v H 511 (Eff 1-1-74); 139 v S 1 (Eff 10-19-81); 146 v S 4 (Eff 9-21-95); 146 v S 2 (Eff 7-1-96); 146 v S 269 (Eff 7-1-96); 146 v H 180. Eff 1-1-97; 150 v H 184, § 1, eff. 3-23-05.
 

The provisions of § 3 of H.B. 184 (150 v  - ) read as follows: 

SECTION 3. Section 2929.03 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Am. Sub. H.B. 180 and Am. Sub. S.B. 269 of the 121st General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act. 

The effective date is set by section 3 of HB 180. 

See provisions, § 4 of HB 180 (146 v  - ) following RC § 2921.34. 

The provisions of §§ 3, 4 of SB 269 read as follows: 

SECTION 3. That Section 5 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the 121st General Assembly be amended to read as follows: 

"Sec. 5. The provisions of the Revised Code in existence prior to July 1, 1996, shall apply to a person upon whom a court imposed a term of imprisonment prior to that date and, notwithstanding division (B) of section 1.58 of the Revised Code, to a person upon whom a court, on or after that date and in accordance with the law in existence prior to that date, imposes a term of imprisonment for an offense that was committee prior to that date. 

The provisions of the Revised Code in existence on and after July 1, 1996, apply to a person who commits an offense on or after that date." 

SECTION 4. That existing Section 5 of Am. Sub. S.B. 2 of the 121st General Assembly is hereby repealed. 

 

Effect of Amendments

150 v H 184, effective March 23, 2005, rewrote (A)(1) and (C)(1)(a). 

 

19xx Committee Report or Comment.

1974 Committee Comment to H 511

This section specifies the procedure to be followed in determining whether the sentence for aggravated murder is to be life imprisonment or death. 

The death penalty is precluded unless the indictment contains a specification of one or more of the aggravating circumstances listed in section 2929.04. In the absence of such specifications, life imprisonment must be imposed. If the indictment specifies an aggravating circumstance, it must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and the jury must return separate verdicts on the charges and specification. If the verdict is guilty of the charges but not guilty of the specification, the penalty is life imprisonment. 

If the verdict is guilty of both the charges and the specification, the jury is discharged and the trial begins a second phase designed to determine the presence or absence of one or more mitigating circumstances. If one of the three mitigating factors listed in section 2929.04 is established by a preponderance of the evidence, the penalty is life imprisonment. If none of such factors is established, the penalty is death. The procedure is essentially the same in the first phase of an aggravated murder trial whether the case is tried by a jury or by a three-judge panel on a waiver of a jury. The burden of proof still rests on the state, the same rules of evidence apply, the specification must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and the panel's verdict must be unanimous. 

With respect to the mitigation phase of the trial, the procedure is somewhat different depending on whether the case is tried by a jury or a three-judge panel. A jury tries only the charges and specification, and the judge in a jury trial determines mitigation. If a jury is waived, the same three-judge panel tries not only the charges and specification, but also determines the presence or absence of mitigation. Also, the statute expressly provides that the panel's finding that no mitigating circumstance is established must be unanimous, or the death penalty is precluded. In other respects, the procedure for determining mitigation is similar whether the trial judge or a three-judge panel tries the issue. Mitigation must be established by a preponderance of the evidence, and the rules of evidence also apply in this phase of the trial (the requirement for a pre-sentence investigation and report, the requirement for a psychiatric examination and report, and the provision for an unsworn statement by the defendant, represent partial exceptions to the rules of evidence). 

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