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Walton v. Arizona

United States Supreme Court

497 U.S. 639, 110 S. Ct. 3047, 111 L. Ed. 2d 511 (1990)

Facts

FACTS: Jeffrey Walton (defendant) was found guilty of first-degree murder. The trial judge conducted a separate sentencing hearing to determine whether Walton would be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. During the hearing, the state argued that the murder was committed in an especially heinous manner and the murder was committed for pecuniary gain. Walton argued that his history of substance abuse, his exposure to abuse as a child, and that his age of 20 ought to be mitigating factors. The trial judge determined that the mitigating circumstances did not outweigh the aggravating circumstances and sentenced Walton to death. Walton appealed.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning

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Concurrence (Scalia, J.)

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Dissent (Stevens, J.)

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