Stanley v. State

JOINER, Judge.1

Anthony Lee (“Tony”) Stanley was convicted of capital murder for the intentional murder of Henry Smith by stabbing him during the course of a first-degree robbery, see § 13A-5-40(a)(2), Ala.Code 1975. During the penalty phase of Stanley’s trial, the jury, by a vote of 8 to 4, recommended that Stanley be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. After receiving a presentence-investigation report and conducting a sentencing hearing, the trial court overrode the jury’s recommendation, finding that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating…