Noland v. Dixon

808 F. Supp. 485, 1992 WL 378838
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedDecember 8, 1992
DocketNo. C-C-88-217-M
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 808 F. Supp. 485 (Noland v. Dixon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Noland v. Dixon, 808 F. Supp. 485, 1992 WL 378838 (W.D.N.C. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER

McMILLAN, District Judge.

Procedural History

During the October 25, 1982 session of Superior Court for Mecklenburg County, the petitioner was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury upon Mary N. Milton; of first degree murder of Troy C. Milton; of first degree murder of Cynthia Jean Milton; of first degree burglary of the home of Troy and Mary Milton; and of first degree burglary of the home of Cynthia Milton. Upon recommendation of the jury, petitioner was sentenced to death in the first degree murder cases by the Honorable Robert W. Gaines, Judge Presiding.

The petitioner appealed his convictions to the North Carolina Supreme Court pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 15A-2000(d).

On October 2, 1984, the convictions were affirmed by the Supreme Court of North Carolina. State v. Noland, 312 N.C. 1, 320 S.E.2d 642 (1984).

A petition for Writ of Certiorari was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court.

On February 19, 1985, this petition was denied.

On June 14, 1985, The Honorable Robert M. Burroughs, Judge Presiding, sentenced petitioner to die on September 7, 1985 at 12:01 a.m. This sentence was stayed by order of the North Carolina Supreme Court on July 15, 1985.

On November 4, 1985, Petitioner filed a motion for appropriate relief pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 15A-1411, et seq.

An evidentiary hearing was held on March 10-11, 1986 before the Honorable Frank W. Snepp, Jr., Senior Resident Judge Presiding.

On September 8, 1986, the petitioner’s motion for appropriate relief was denied in its entirety and judgment was entered on September 17, 1986.

On March 17, 1987, a petition was filed before the North Carolina Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to review the opinion and judgment of the Superior Court.

On October 7, 1987, the North Carolina Supreme Court denied this petition.

On December 4, 1987, the petitioner petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a writ of certiorari to review the North Carolina Supreme Court’s order denying petition for certiorari.

On March 7, 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court denied this petition.

On March 30, 1988, the Honorable Kenneth A. Griffin, Judge Presiding, sentenced the petitioner to die on June 3, 1988.

On May 5, 1988, this court stayed the petitioner’s execution and directed that he file within ninety days a petition for writ of habeas corpus.

On August 19, 1988, the petitioner filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, stating nine claims for relief.

[487]*487The State filed its answer on October 13, 1988.

On May 7, 1990, the State filed a motion to amend its answer to the petition for writ of habeas corpus.

On July 2, 1990, petitioner filed a motion for summary judgment on his first claim for relief (that the jury instructions in the sentencing hearing unconstitutionally required jury unanimity concerning mitigating factors). The petitioner also filed a response in opposition to the State’s motion to amend its answer. On January 28, 1991, the State of North Carolina filed its response.

On October 21, 1991, the court held a hearing on the State’s motion to amend its answer and on the petitioner’s motion for summary judgment as to his first claim for relief.

On November 8, 1991, the court denied the State’s motion to amend its answer. 796 F.Supp. 1540.

On May 1, 1992, the petitioner filed a motion for partial summary judgment on his second and third claims for relief.

On May 26, 1992, the State filed its response in opposition to the petitioner’s May 1, 1992 motion for partial summary judgment.

The petition lists nine claims for relief:

1. First Claim for Relief: Instructions requiring jury unanimity in determining mitigating factors at the sentencing phase;
2. Second Claim for Relief: Ineffective assistance of counsel at sentencing hearing;
3. Third Claim for Relief: Ineffective assistance of counsel at guilt hearing;
4. Fourth Claim for Relief: Violation of Due Process rights under Wainwright v. Greenfield, 474 U.S. 284 [106 S.Ct. 634, 88 L.Ed.2d 623] (1986);
5. Fifth Claim for Relief: Erroneous jury instructions at the guilt phase;
6. Sixth Claim for Relief: Arbitrary and capricious exercise of prosecutorial discretion in seeking the death penalty;
7. Seventh Claim for Relief: Petitioner was mentally incompetent to stand trial or be sentenced to death;
8. Eighth Claim for Relief: Imposition of the death penalty in North Carolina is arbitrary and capricious:
A. Judicial arbitrariness in the imposition of the death penalty;
B. Jury arbitrariness in the imposition of the death penalty;
9. Ninth Claim for Relief: Jury instructions at sentencing phase.

In this order, the court will address only the petitioner’s motions for summary judgment on his first claim for relief and partial summary judgment on his second and third claims.

Motion for Summary Judgment on Petitioner’s First Claim for Relief

It is clear that the petitioner is entitled to summary judgment on his first claim for relief that the jury instructions during the sentencing phase required a unanimous jury verdict in determining mitigating factors. The unanimity requirement was struck down in Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367, 108 S.Ct. 1860, 100 L.Ed.2d 384 (1988), and McKoy v. North Carolina, 494 U.S. 433, 110 S.Ct. 1227, 108 L.Ed.2d 369 (1990). The petitioner is entitled to a new sentencing hearing.

In the sentencing phase of petitioner’s trial, the state court first instructed the jury that the State had the burden of proving three principles beyond a reasonable doubt:

First, that one or more aggravating circumstances existed.
Second, that the aggravating circumstance found by you are sufficient — is sufficiently substantial to call for the imposition of the death penalty.
And third, that the aggravating circumstance found by you outweigh any mitigating circumstance found by you.
If you unanimously find all three of these things, beyond a reasonable doubt, [488]*488then it would be your duty to recommend that the defendant be sentenced to death.

Tr. at 1710.

The trial court next instructed the jury that its verdict would be in the form of answers to four issues.

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808 F. Supp. 485, 1992 WL 378838, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noland-v-dixon-ncwd-1992.