United States v. Glover

43 F. Supp. 2d 1217, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5770, 1999 WL 233324
District Court, D. Kansas·Decided March 4, 1999·No. Civ.A. 98-1005901-JWL·Published·Cited by 17 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

LUNGSTRUM, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on the following motions of defendant Cody D. Glover:

Motion to Strike Specific “Aggravators” in the Government’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty (Doc. #202); Motion to Strike the Government’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty (Doc. # 201);
Motion to Strike the Constitutionally Deficient Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty (Doc. # 215);
Motion for Bill of Particulars (Doc. # 216);
Motion to Bar the Death Penalty as Racially Discriminatory (Doc. # 218); and
Motion for Second Stage Procedures (Doc. # 236).

The government has filed its responses, and Mr. Glover has filed his replies. On February 8, 1999, the court heard oral argument on the motions, and took the motions under advisement. The court is now prepared to rule.

I. Motion to Strike Specific “Aggrava-tors” in the Government’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty (Doc. #202)

On November 2, 1998, the government filed a notice of intention to seek the death penalty as to the defendant Cody Glover, thereby invoking the provisions of the Federal Death Penalty Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 3591-3596. The Federal Death Penalty Act requires the government to file a notice “setting forth the aggravating factor or factors that the government, if the defendant is convicted, proposes to prove as justifying a sentence of death.” 18 U.S.C. § 3593(a)(2). The government’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty (Doc. # 177) alleges the following aggravating factors:

STATUTORY AGGRAVATING FACTORS

1. The defendant intentionally attempted to kill more than one person, John Brewer and Christy Lewis, in a single criminal episode. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(e)(16);
2. The defendant, in the commission of the murder, knowingly created a grave risk of death to Christy Lewis in addition to the victim of the offense, John Brewer. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(5);
*1221 3.The defendant committed an offense in expectation of the receipt of something of pecuniary value. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(8).

NONSTATUTORY AGGRAVATING FACTORS

1. The defendant intentionally engaged in conduct, intending that John Brewer be killed and/or that lethal force be employed against John Brewer, which resulted in the death of John Brewer;
2. The defendant committed the murder for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest or prosecution for the robbery of the Kum & Go;
3. The defendant intentionally engaged in conduct which resulted in the death of John Brewer and serious physical and emotional injury to Christy Lewis;
4. In committing the murder, the defendant caused permanent harm to the family of John Brewer;
5. The defendant committed the murder of John Brewer after substantial premeditation to rob the Kum & Go;
6. The defendant lacks remorse for the murder of John Brewer; and/or
7. The defendant represents a continuing danger to the safety of others.

Mr. Glover seeks to strike statutory aggra-vators # 2 and 3, and all non-statutory aggravators except #2. The court will address each of these factors in turn.

A. Statutory Factors.

1. The defendant, in the commission of the murder, knoivingly created a grave risk of death to Christy Lewis in addition to the victim of the offense, John Brewer. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(5).

Mr. Glover contends that the government’s second enumerated statutory aggravating factor, that “the defendant knowingly created a grave risk of death to more than one person,” is duplicative and cumulative to the government’s first enumerated statutory aggravating factor, that “the defendant attempted to kill more than one person.” Mr. Glover asserts that submitting both statutory factors to the jury “is precisely the type of duplicative and cumulative statement that was held unconstitutional in United States v. McCullah, 76 F.3d 1087 (10th Cir.1996), cert. denied, 520 U.S. 1213, 117 S.Ct. 1699, 137 L.Ed.2d 825 (1997).” The court agrees.

In McCullah, the district court submitted both the Section 848(n)(l)(C) and (n)(l)(D) statutory aggravating factors to the jury. In holding such submission improperly duplicative, the Tenth Circuit reasoned:

The (n)(l)(D) factor requires that the defendant intentionally engages in conduct which he knows creates a grave risk of death and that such death results. 21 U.S.C. § 848(n)(l)(D). This substantially overlaps with the (n)(l)(C) factor which refers to intentional conduct intending that the victim be killed. See 21 U.S.C. § 848(n)(l)(C). Any intentional conduct aimed at producing death is by definition conduct done with knowledge of grave risk of death. While the factors are not identical per se, the (n)(l)(C) factor necessarily subsumes the (n)(l)(D) factor.

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United States v. Glover, 43 F. Supp. 2d 1217, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5770, 1999 WL 233324 (D. Kan. 1999).

43 F. Supp. 2d 1217 (United States v. Glover) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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