No. 19-8192

John Bejarano v. William Gittere, Warden, et al.

Lower Court: Nevada
Docketed: 2020-04-06
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: aggravating-factors appellate-reweighing apprendi clemons-v-mississippi constitutional-rights death-penalty jury-trial reweighing sixth-amendment
Key Terms:
DueProcess Punishment HabeasCorpus Jurisdiction JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2020-06-25
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Nevada Supreme Court's reweighing of aggravating and mitigating factors to uphold a death sentence violates the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED (Capital Case) Nevada courts instruct juries that they may consider imposing a death sentence only after finding at least one statutory aggravating factor beyond a reasonable doubt and further finding that there are no mitigating circumstances sufficient to outweigh the aggravating factor or factors. If the Nevada Supreme Court later invalidates aggravating factors, it will then replicate the jury’s second step, “reweighing” the remaining aggravating factors against any mitigating evidence. That is precisely what the Nevada Supreme Court did here, resulting in a decisions re-imposing the death penalty. The Nevada Supreme Court reasoned that this procedure is allowed by Clemons v. Mississippt—a decision predating this Court’s Apprendi line of cases. The Nevada Supreme Court also held that the outweighing step was not an eligibility requirement, but rather a mechanism for the jury to retract a finding of death-eligibility. The questions presented are: 1. Should this Court overrule Clemons v. Mississippi as inconsistent with Apprendi and its progeny, to the extent that it allows an appellate court to independently reweigh aggravating factors against mitigation to uphold a death sentence? 2. Did the Nevada Supreme Court violate Mr. Bejarano’s rights by making the outweighing requirement an afterthought for the jury, used only to lessen a death sentence to life imprisonment? i

Docket Entries

2020-06-29
Petition DENIED.
2020-06-10
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/25/2020.
2020-06-04
Reply of petitioner John Bejarano filed.
2020-05-11
Motion to delay distribution of the petition for a writ certiorari until June 10, 2020, granted.
2020-05-08
Motion of petitioner to delay distribution of the petition for a writ of certiorari under Rule 15.5 from May 20, 2020 to June 10, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.
2020-05-06
Brief of respondents William Gittere, et al. in opposition filed.
2020-03-31
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due May 6, 2020)
2020-01-28
Application (19A845) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until April 3, 2020.
2020-01-24
Application (19A845) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from February 5, 2020 to April 3, 2020, submitted to Justice Kagan.

Attorneys

John Bejarano
Brad D. LevensonFederal Public Defender, District of Nevada, Petitioner
Brad D. LevensonFederal Public Defender, District of Nevada, Petitioner
William Gittere, et al.
Jennifer Patricia NobleWashoe County District Attorney, Respondent
Jennifer Patricia NobleWashoe County District Attorney, Respondent