State v. Arguelles

AMENDED OPINION

DURHAM, Chief Justice:

¶ 1 This case presents the unusual situation wherein a capital defendant seeks the death penalty for his crimes. The defendant, Roberto Y. Arguelles (“Arguelles”), pled guilty to four counts of aggravated murder. During the penalty phase, Arguelles waived his right to counsel, acknowledged that he felt the death penalty was the appropriate punishment for him, and presented limited mitigating evidence. The court sentenced defendant to death. Now before us on mandatory statutory appeal, the court assistant1 claims on Arguelles’s behalf that the death…