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United States v. Johnson

Document Cited authorities 108 Cited in 11 Precedent Map Related
Vincent
Decision Date05 March 2013
Docket NumberNo. CR 01–3046–MWB.,CR 01–3046–MWB.
PartiesUNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. Angela JOHNSON, Defendant.
CourtU.S. District Court — Northern District of Iowa

915 F.Supp.2d 958

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff,

v.Angela JOHNSON, Defendant.

No. CR 01–3046–MWB.

United States District Court,

N.D. Iowa,

Central Division.

Jan. 16, 2013.

Opinion Denying Reconsideration March 5, 2013.

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Alfred E. Willett, Terpstra, Epping & Willett, Cedar Rapids, IA, Dean A. Stowers, Rosenberg, Stowers & Morse, Robert R. Rigg, Drake University Legal Clinic, Des Moines, IA, Patrick J. Berrigan, Watson & Dameron, LLP, Kansas City, MO, for Defendant.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER REGARDING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS CERTAIN STATUTORY AND NON–STATUTORY AGGRAVATING FACTORS FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S THIRD AMENDED NOTICE OF INTENT TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY

MARK W. BENNETT, District Judge.

+-----------------+
                ¦TABLE OF CONTENTS¦
                +-----------------¦
                ¦                 ¦
                +-----------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦I.   ¦INTRODUCTION                                                  ¦966    ¦
                +-----+--------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦     ¦                                                              ¦       ¦
                +-----+--------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦II.  ¦CONTEXTUAL MATTERS                                            ¦967    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦A.  ¦Scope Of The Penalty Retrial                              ¦968    ¦
                +----+----+----------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦    ¦B.  ¦Aggravating Factors                                       ¦971    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦The role of aggravating factors                       ¦971   ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Statutory aggravating factors                         ¦972   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Factors that can be considered                    ¦972   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦i.   ¦Factors alleged and noticed                 ¦972    ¦
                +----+---+---+---+-----+--------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦    ¦   ¦   ¦   ¦ii.  ¦Factors that can properly be considered     ¦973    ¦
                +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Factors that can be challenged                    ¦975   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦C.  ¦Penalties                                                 ¦976    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Penalties vacated                                     ¦976   ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Possibility of a death sentence on Count 6            ¦976   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Arguments of the parties                          ¦976   ¦
                +----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦Controlling authority                             ¦976   ¦
                +----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Analysis                                          ¦978   ¦
                +----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦d.  ¦Summary                                           ¦979   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦  ¦3.  ¦Possibility of a sentence less than life without parole on all Counts  ¦979 ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦a.  ¦Arguments of the parties                          ¦979   ¦
                +----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦b.  ¦The statutory sentencing scheme                   ¦980   ¦
                +----+----+---+----+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦c.  ¦Analysis                                          ¦981   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦  ¦i.    ¦Johnsons authority                                ¦981   ¦
                +---+---+--+--+------+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦  ¦ii.   ¦The jury's ability to consider lesser penalties   ¦981   ¦
                +---+---+--+--+------+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦  ¦iii.  ¦The jury's ability to recommend a lesser penalty  ¦983   ¦
                +---+---+--+--+------+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦  ¦  ¦iv.   ¦The jury's ability to impose a lesser penalty     ¦983   ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦d.  ¦Summary                                           ¦985   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦D.  ¦Necessity Of A Preliminary Evidentiary Showing            ¦985    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Arguments of the parties                              ¦985   ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Analysis                                              ¦986   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦      ¦                                                             ¦       ¦
                +------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦III.  ¦CHALLENGES TO STATUTORY AGGRAVATING FACTORS                  ¦989    ¦
                +------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦      ¦                                                             ¦       ¦
                +------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦IV.   ¦CHALLENGES TO THE NON–STATUTORY AGGRAVATING FACTORS        ¦990    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦A.  ¦Multiple Killings And Passage Of Time                     ¦990    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Allegations of the factors                            ¦990   ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Arguments of the parties                              ¦990   ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦3.  ¦Standards for duplicativeness                         ¦991   ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦4.  ¦Analysis                                              ¦993   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦B.  ¦Lack of remorse                                           ¦995    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦1.  ¦Allegation of the factor                                  ¦995   ¦
                +---+---+----+----------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦2.  ¦Arguments of the parties                                  ¦995   ¦
                +---+---+----+----------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦3.  ¦Authority regarding lack of remorse as a separate factor  ¦996   ¦
                +---+---+----+----------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦4.  ¦Analysis                                                  ¦999   ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦C.  ¦Uncharged Criminal Conduct                                ¦1000   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1.  ¦Allegations of the factors                            ¦1000  ¦
                +----+----+----+------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2.  ¦Duplicativeness                                       ¦1000  ¦
...

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