United States v. Sampson

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WOLF, District Judge.

Defendant Gary Sampson has pled guilty to two charges of carjacking resulting in death in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119(3). After a lengthy process involving responses to a detailed questionnaire and the individual voir dire of 146 potential jurors, a jury was empaneled solely to decide whether Sampson will be sentenced to death or to life in prison without possibility of parole under the Federal Death Penalty Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3591 et seq.

In its opening statement on November 5, 2003, the government played for the jury excerpts of Sampson’s recorded…