JUSTICE O'CONNOR delivered the opinion of the Court. Alabama law vests capital sentencing authority in the trial judge, but requires the judge to consider an advisory jury verdict. We granted certiorari to consider petitioner's argument that Alabama's capital sentencing statute is unconstitutional because it does not specify the weight the judge must give to the jury's recommendation and thus permits arbitrary imposition of the death penalty.
In The
Supreme Court of the United States
Harrisv.Alabama
Decided February 22, 1995
Justice O’Connor, Majority
CASE DETAILS
Topic: Criminal Procedure
Court vote: 8-1
* As categorized by the Washington University Law Supreme Court Database
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