State v. Gallegos

916 P.2d 1056, 185 Ariz. 340, 216 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 16, 1996 Ariz. LEXIS 48
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedMay 3, 1996
DocketCR-94-0389-AP
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 916 P.2d 1056 (State v. Gallegos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gallegos, 916 P.2d 1056, 185 Ariz. 340, 216 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 16, 1996 Ariz. LEXIS 48 (Ark. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBERT J. CORCORAN, Justice

(Retired).

Michael Steven Gallegos (defendant) was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual conduct with a minor under age 15. On May 24, 1991, he was sentenced to death on the first-degree murder charge and to a presumptive consecutive sentence of 20 years on the sexual conduct charge. In State v. Gallegos (Gallegos I), we remanded for resentencing on the first-degree murder charge. 178 Ariz. 1, 23, 870 P.2d 1097, 1119, cert. denied, — U.S. -, 115 S.Ct. 330, 130 *343 L.Ed.2d 289 (1994). The trial court held a mitigation hearing on October 24, 1994, and again sentenced defendant to death. The case now returns to this court on direct appeal of the death sentence. A.R.S. § 13-4031. We affirm.

I. FACTS

The facts of this case are set forth in detail in Gallegos I. See 178 Ariz. at 6-8, 870 P.2d at 1102-04.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. Gallegos I.

In Gallegos I, we affirmed defendant’s first-degree murder conviction and his sexual conduct conviction and sentence. 178 Ariz. at 23, 870 P.2d at 1119. With regard to the death sentence, we independently reviewed the aggravating and mitigating circumstances and affirmed the trial court’s determination that the state had proved beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of two aggravating factors: (1) that defendant was an adult and the victim was under 15, A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(9), and (2) that the murder was especially heinous and depraved, A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(6). 178 Ariz. at 14-16, 870 P.2d at 1110-12. Having found that the murder was especially heinous and depraved, we did not review the trial court’s finding that the murder was also especially cruel. See State v. Fulminante, 161 Ariz. 237, 254, 778 P.2d 602, 619 (1988) (a trial court’s finding of any of the especially cruel, heinous, or depraved elements of A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(6) satisfies the statutory requirement); Gallegos I, 178 Ariz. at 15, 870 P.2d at 1112.

We also affirmed the trial court’s finding that defendant had proved one statutory mitigating circumstance by a preponderance of the evidence: defendant’s age (18) and his relative immaturity at the time of the murder, A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(5). 178 Ariz. at 16, 870 P.2d at 1112. In addition, we affirmed the trial court’s finding of two non-statutory mitigating circumstances: (1) defendant’s remorse; and (2) recommendations of leniency by the police. 178 Ariz. at 19-21, 870 P.2d at 1115-17. Finally, we concurred with the trial court that defendant faded to prove the existence of two other non-statutory mitigating circumstances: (1) lack of intent; and (2) dismissal of charges against the co-defendant. 178 Ariz. at 19-20, 870 P.2d at 1115-16.

Pertinent to the present appeal, we agreed with the trial court that defendant’s impairment by drugs and alcohol on the night of the offense was not significant and thus did not constitute a statutory mitigating factor. 178 Ariz. at 16, 870 P.2d at 1112; see also A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(1). At the original sentencing hearing, however, defendant’s impairment evidence included his history of substance abuse and his learning disability. We determined that this history of impairment, combined with defendant’s impairment “to some degree” when he committed the murder, formed a non-statutory mitigating circumstance. 178 Ariz. at 17-18, 870 P.2d at 1113-14. We therefore remanded the case to the trial court for resentencing. 178 Ariz. at 23, 870 P.2d at 1119.

B. Resentencing hearing.

Over the state’s objection, the trial court held a full resentencing hearing and allowed defendant to present any mitigation evidence that he desired.

1. Aggravating circumstances.

The trial court again found two aggravating circumstances: (1) that defendant was an adult and the victim was under 15, A.R.S. § 13—703(F) (9); and (2) that the murder was especially heinous, cruel, and depraved, A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(6). The victim’s age, although used to determine the existence of both statutory aggravating factors, was weighed once in sentencing.

2. Statutory mitigating circumstances.

The court found that defendant proved by a preponderance of the evidence that his age and relative immaturity constituted a statutory mitigating circumstance. A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(5). However, the court found that defendant failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence 3 other statutory mitigating circumstances: (1) his impairment, A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(1); (2) that he was legally accountable for the conduct of another and that *344 Ws participation in the crime was relatively minor, A.R.S. § 13—708(G)(3); and (3) that he could not reasonably have foreseen that his conduct would cause death, AR.S. § 13-703(G)(4).

3. Non-statutory mitigating circumstances.

The court found that defendant proved by a preponderance of the evidence 4 non-statutory mitigating circumstances: (1) remorse; (2) recommendations of leniency by the police; (3) history of alcohol and drug abuse; and (4) alcohol impairment. The court also found that defendant had failed to prove “disparity in the treatment of defendant and [the codefendant, George]” as a non-statutory mitigating factor.

h- Sentence.

Before resentencing defendant, the trial court considered the evidence introduced at trial, stipulated mitigation evidence from the first sentencing hearing, the mitigation evidence that defendant presented at the resen-tencing hearing, and the presentence report and attachments. The court determined that the mitigating circumstances were not sufficiently substantial to call for leniency and resentenced defendant to death.

III. ISSUES

Defendant presents 11 arguments on appeal.

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Bluebook (online)
916 P.2d 1056, 185 Ariz. 340, 216 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 16, 1996 Ariz. LEXIS 48, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gallegos-ariz-1996.