Smith v. State

213 So. 3d 226
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama·Decided August 29, 2003·No. CR-97-1258·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinions

On Remand from the Alabama Supreme Court

PATTERSON, Retired Appellate Judge.

The appellant, Jerry Jerome Smith, was convicted of “[mjurder wherein two or more persons are murdered by the defendant by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct,” § 13A-5-40(a)(10), Ala.Code 1975. The jury recommended, by a vote of 11 to 1, that the appellant be sentenced to death. After a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced the appellant to death.

[228]*228On August 31, 2001, after twice remanding this case for the trial court to address deficiencies and errors in its sentencing order, this Court affirmed the appellant’s conviction for capital murder and his sentence of death. Smith v. State, 213 So.3d 108, 209 (Ala.Crim.App.2000) (opinion on return to second remand). The Alabama Supreme Court granted certiorari review and, on March 14, 2003, affirmed the appellant’s conviction, but reversed the appellant’s sentence of death and remanded the case to this Court with the instruction that this case be remanded to the trial court for a new penalty-phase proceeding before a jury. Ex parte Smith, 213 So.3d 214 (Ala.2003). The Supreme Court overruled the application for rehearing on May 23, 2003.1

In accordance with the Supreme Court’s instruction, we reverse the appellant’s sentence of death and remand this case for the trial court to conduct a new sentencing hearing before a jury. The trial court should take the necessary action to ensure that the circuit clerk makes due return to this Court within 140 days from the date of this opinion, or as soon as practicable.

The foregoing opinion was prepared by Retired Appellate Judge John Patterson while serving on active duty status as a judge of this Court under the provisions of § 12-18-10(e), Ala.Code 1975.

AFFIRMED AS TO CONVICTION; REVERSED AS TO SENTENCE; AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.

McMILLAN, P.J., and COBB, BASCHAB, and WISE, JJ., concur. SHAW, J., recuses himself.

On Return to Remand

BASCHAB, Judge.

The appellant, Jerry Jerome Smith, was convicted of capital murder for murdering two or more people by one act or pursuant to one course of conduct. See § 13A-5-40 (a)(10), Ala.Code 1975. By a vote of 11-1, the jury recommended that he be sentenced to death. The trial court accepted that recommendation and sentenced him to death.

On August 31, 2001, after twice remanding this case for the trial court to correct its sentencing order, we affirmed the appellant’s conviction and sentence of death. See Smith v. State, 213 So.3d 108, 209 (Ala.Crim.App.2000) (opinion on return to second remand). On March 14, 2003, the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the appellant’s conviction, but reversed his sentence of death and remanded the case to this court with the instruction that we remand the case to the trial court for a new penalty phase proceeding, See Ex parte Smith, 213 So.3d 214 (Ala.2003).

On remand, the trial court conducted a new penalty phase proceeding. By a vote of 10-2, the jury recommended that the appellant be sentenced to death. The trial court accepted the jury’s recommendation and sentenced him to death.

After we affirmed the appellant’s conviction and sentence and after the Alabama Supreme Court granted his petition for certiorari review, the United States Supreme Court released its decision in Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304, 122 S.Ct. 2242, 153 L.Ed.2d 335 (2002). In Atkins, the Supreme Court held:

“We are not persuaded that the execution of mentally retarded criminals will [229]*229measurably advance the deterrent or the retributive purpose of the death penalty. Construing and applying the Eighth Amendment in the light of our ‘evolving standards of decency,’ we therefore conclude that such punishment is excessive and that the Constitution ‘places a substantive restriction on the State’s power to take the life’ of a mentally retarded offender. Ford, [v. Wainwright], 477 U.S. [399,] 405, 106 S.Ct. 2595, 91 L.Ed.2d 335 [ (1986) ].”

536 U.S. at 321, 122 S.Ct. at 2252.

The appellant argues that his sentence of death is unconstitutional because he is mentally retarded. When it rejected a similar argument on certiorari review, the Alabama Supreme Court explained:

“We reject Smith’s contention that in light of the holding in Atkins, we must remand this cause for the trial court to conduct a hearing to determine if he is mentally retarded and therefore not subject to the death penalty. Plain error did not occur in that regard in this case.
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“The record establishes that during the guilt phase of trial, the State and Smith presented expert testimony regarding Smith’s intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. Dr. Don Crook, a licensed professional counselor, testified as a witness for the defense. Dr. Crook interviewed Smith and administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised when Smith was 26 yeai’s old. Dr. Crook testified that Smith was ‘very cooperative, very pleasant and social.’ Dr. Crook testified that Smith was mildly mentally retarded with a full-scale IQ score of 72. (Smith’s verbal IQ score was 76; his performance IQ score was 69.) Dr. Crook further maintained that his testing indicated that Smith had an ‘adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions’ and that Smith suffered from ‘poly-substance dependence.’ The record indicates that according to the results of a Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale administered to Smith when he was 12 years old, his full-scale IQ score at that time was 66, Dr. Crook concluded that Smith read and spelled on a first-grade level, that his math skills were on a third-grade level, and that his ability to form intent was at the level of a 10- to 12-year-old. Dr. Crook further testified that Smith knew that it was against the law and wrong to shoot and kill someone and that it was against the law to sell drugs.
“Dr. Crook admitted that his conclusions did not take into consideration Smith’s articulate statement made to the police after he was arrested for the murders; the facts surrounding the murders, which indicate intentional, goal-oriented behavior; Smith’s relationship with his girlfriend; or Smith’s statements while he was in jail awaiting trial to the effect that he had committed the murders and that he would ‘get off on a plea of mental disease or defect.
“Dr. Michael D’Errico, a forensic psychologist, testified for the State. Dr. D’Errico concluded that Smith was mildly mentally deficient, Dr. D’Errico explained:
“ When I reviewed Mr. Smith’s case, I found that he was living independently at a level, probably, higher than a mentally retarded individual would be living. Therefore, I was at a loss to come up with a diagnosis of mental retardation. However, his score on the intelligence test placed him in the mild range of mental deficiency.’
“According to Dr. D’Errico, Smith was ‘street-wise’ or ‘street-smart.’
[230]

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Smith v. State, 213 So. 3d 226 (Ala. Ct. App. 2003).

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