State v. Sanders

The defendant in this appeal presents fifteen questions for review arising out of the guilt and the penalty phases of his trial. Among these questions are serious challenges to the adequacy and accuracy of Judge Thornburg’s instructions to the jury in the penalty phase of the defendant’s trial on the aggravating circumstances, mitigating circumstances and other elements that the jury must find before it can sentence the defendant to death.

In support of his contentions, defendant has reproduced specific portions of the trial judge’s instructions to the jury during the penalty phase of the…