Hughes v. State

Thompson, Justice.

Is it necessary for a judge to find beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of a statutory aggravating circumstance when, in a death penalty case, a defendant enters a plea of guilty and is sentenced to life without parole? The answer is “yes.”

Dudley Hughes murdered two people, execution-style, after breaking into their home. He was indicted for two counts of malice murder, six counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The state sought the death penalty and Hughes entered a plea of “not guilty.” The…