Deblase v. State
Decision Date | 16 November 2018 |
Docket Number | CR-14-0482 |
Citation | 294 So.3d 154 |
Parties | John Joseph DEBLASE v. STATE of Alabama |
Court | Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals |
Alabama Supreme Court 1180393
Alicia A. D'Addario, Carla C. Crowder, and Rachel P. Judge, Montgomery; Glenn L. Davidson, Mobile; and Arthur T. Powell III, Mobile, for appellant.
Luther Strange and Steve Marshall, attys. gen., and Beth Jackson Hughes, asst. atty. gen., for appellee.
John Joseph DeBlase was convicted of three counts of capital murder in connection with the murders of his children, four-year-old Natalie Alexis DeBlase("Natalie") and three-year-old Jonathan Chase DeBlase("Chase").The murders were made capital (1) because Natalie was less than 14 years of age, see§ 13A-5-40(a)(15),Ala. Code 1975;(2) because Chase was less than 14 years of age, see§ 13A-5-40(a)(15),Ala. Code 1975; and (3) because two or more persons were murdered by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, see§ 13A-5-40(a)(10),Ala. Code 1975.By a vote of 10-2, the jury recommended that DeBlase be sentenced to death for his capital-murder convictions.The trial court followed the jury's recommendation and sentenced DeBlase to death.1
In its sentencing order, the trial court set out the facts of the crimes as follows:
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Belcher v. State
...11, 2017, by Act No. 2017-131, Ala. Acts 2017, to place the final sentencing decision in the hands of the jury." DeBlase v. State, 294 So. 3d 154, 173 n.1 (Ala. Crim. App. 2018). This amendment applies to any "defendant who is charged with capital murder after April 11, 2017...." § 13A-5-47......
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Jackson v. State
...11, 2017, by Act No. 2017-131, Ala. Acts 2017, to place the final sentencing decision in the hands of the jury." DeBlase v. State, 294 So. 3d 154, 173 (Ala. Crim. App. 2018). Section 13A-5-47.1, Ala. Code 1975, specifically provides: "Sections 13A-5-45, 13A-5-46, and 13A-5-47 shall apply to......
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Graham v. State
...So. 2d at 1252 (quoting Boyde v. California, 494 U.S. 370, 380-81, 110 S.Ct. 1190, 108 L.Ed.2d 316 (1990) )." DeBlase v. State, 294 So. 3d 154, 241–42 (Ala. Crim. App. 2018).We agree with the State that the circuit court did not commit error by failing to define the term "valuable considera......
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Jackson v. State
...11, 2017, by Act No. 2017-131, Ala. Acts 2017, to place the final sentencing decision in the hands of the jury." DeBlase v. State , 294 So.3d 154, 173 (Ala. Crim. App. 2018). Section 13A-5-47.1, Ala. Code 1975, specifically provides: "Sections 13A-5-45, 13A-5-46, and 13A-5-47 shall apply to......