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DURESS
A.R.S. § 13-751(G)(2) provides that it shall be a
mitigating circumstance where “[t]he defendant was under unusual and
substantial duress, although not such as to constitute a defense to
prosecution.”
History:
This circumstance was among the original circumstances in the
1973 version of the capital sentencing statute.
What Must Be Proven:
The law presumes every defendant has free will and is held
accountable for his actions. State
v. Raymond Tison II, 129
Ariz.
546, 633 P.2d 355 (1981). To rebut the presumption, the defendant must
show that someone “coerce[d] or induce[d] [him] to do something
against his free will.” State v. Brewer, 170
Ariz.
486, 826 P.2d 783 (1993). Duress has been defined as “any illegal
imprisonment, or legal imprisonment used for an illegal purpose, or
threats of bodily or other harm, or other means amounting to or
tending to coerce the will of another, and actually inducing him to do
an act contrary to his free will.”
Id.
In sum, the defendant
must persuade the court that his will was overwhelmed by threats or
provocation outside himself. Raymond
Tison II; see
State v. Wallace (Wallace II), 154
Ariz.
362, 728 P.2d 232 (1986)(no duress from evidence showing murder not
prompted by threats or provocation).
Personality Disorders Distinguished:
Duress is not proven by evidence that shows the defendant’s
personality disorders overwhelmed his will.
Brewer; State v. Castenada, 150
Ariz.
382, 724 P.2d 1 (1986) (impulse control problems do not fall within
meaning of duress).
Acting Under Fear/Orders:
A defendant often argues duress with evidence that shows he
feared his codefendant and acted under the other’s orders.
This argument usually is not successful.
However, in Mickel
Herrera, the Court found duress where the son acted immediately on
the father’s orders, and there was psychological testimony
indicating a history of physical abuse by the father.
See
State
v. Mickel Herrera, 174
Ariz.
387, 850 P.2d 100 (1993). Cf.
State v. Greenawalt, 128 Ariz. 150, 624 P.2d 478 (1981)(no duress
when defendant was armed and acted with relative freedom among
codefendants he claimed controlled him); State
v. Clabourne (Clabourne II), 194 Ariz. 379, 983 P.2d 748 (1999)(no
duress because defendant was a willing and active participant in
murder, even though codefendant was frightening sociopath who planned
the crime and influenced defendant).
Victim as Initial Aggressor: Duress
is also often argued from evidence that shows the victim was the
initial aggressor. But
duress is unlikely to be found if the defendant disarmed the victim
before killing him, or if sufficient time elapsed between the
provocation and the crime for emotions to cool.
See
State
v. Williams, 183
Ariz.
368, 904 P.2d 437 (1995); State
v. Jeffers, 135
Ariz.
404, 661 P.2d 1105 (1983).
Duress is Not Unusual Stress:
Courts have held that duress is not the same as unusual stress,
a nonstatutory circumstance. State v. Gulbrandson, 184
Ariz.
46, 906 P.2d 579 (1995).
DURESS
State v. Knapp,
114 Ariz. 531, 562 P.2d 704 (1977)
The trial court did not find duress as a mitigating
circumstance. The state argued that the defendant's fear that his wife was going to leave
him was a possible motive for the crime. The trial court found that this possible duress
was insufficient as a matter of law. The Court agreed and found that the defendant did not
meet the burden of proof on this mitigating circumstance.
State v. Ceja
(Ceja II), 115 Ariz. 413, 565 P.2d 1274 (1977)
The defendant argued duress
as a mitigating circumstance caused by marital problems, an unpromising employment future
and his wife's recent miscarriage. The Court agreed with the trial court that duress was
not sufficiently proven. Friends and neighbors testified that the defendant was nonviolent
and the defendant himself denied any involvement in the murders. There was no evidence of
marital or employment problems. In addition, there was no evidence that the miscarriage in
March affected the defendant on the day of the murders three months later.
State v. Bishop
(Bishop I), 118 Ariz. 263, 576 P.2d 122 (1978)
The defendant argued that he
was under unusual and substantial duress in that he feared the victim and killed him in
self-defense. The evidence shows otherwise. The defendant planned to kill the victim for
over a day because he wanted the defendant's car and disliked his drinking habits. The
victim was struck several times with a claw hammer. The defendant then removed the
victim's shoes, wallet and money. The victim was hog-tied and dropped into a mineshaft
where rocks were thrown on him. The crime scene was cleaned up and some of the victim's
possessions thrown away. This does not indicate signs of duress.
State v. Bishop
(Bishop II), 127 Ariz. 531, 622 P.2d 478 (1981)
The defendant argued that he
was under duress. However, the evidence is clear that the defendant was the aggressor and
was not afraid of the victim. The defendant and his accomplice were in control of the
situation at all times. See Bishop I.
State v.
Greenawalt, 128 Ariz. 150, 624 P.2d 828 (1981)
The defendant argued that
he was virtually under the control of the Tisons during the entire criminal episode. He
was shaking and nervous during the escape. The Court agreed with the prosecution that the
defendant's anxiety about getting captured or shot explained any nervousness. Furthermore,
he was armed and had a relative degree of freedom in Flagstaff. The defendant did not
prove duress as a mitigating circumstance.
State v. Ricky
Tison (Ricky Tison I), 129 Ariz. 526, 633 P.2d 335 (1981)
Tison argued
that the psychological reports establish the strong manipulative influence his father had
on him. Tison had helped his father and Randy Greenawalt break out of prison and the
murders were committed during the course of the group's flight from authorities. The Court
concluded that the psychological reports did not support Tison's claim. Although the
psychologist believed that the father applied subtle and continual influence on Tison, he
concluded that Tison had no thought disorders and became involved in the events "on
his own volition, planning it carefully, not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not
under any threat or undue persuasion and certainly not in a state of psychosis or high
mental disturbance." Further, Tison planned the escape from the beginning and
continued with his father before and after the murders, even though there were obvious
opportunities to dissociate from him.
State v.
Raymond Tison (Raymond Tison I), 129 Ariz. 546, 633 P.2d 355 (1981)
The
defendant argued that he was strongly manipulated by his father and that this constituted
duress. The psychologist did find a subtle sense of emotional manipulation on the father's
part, which may have contributed to the defendant's amoral and somewhat antisocial
development. The psychologist concluded that the defendant was not operating under any
kind of irresistible urge. The law presumes that all people possess a free will and
are held accountable for their conduct. Even with Gary Tison exerting some influence
over this defendant, the evidence does not show that the defendant's will was overwhelmed.
This is not sufficiently substantial to call for leniency.
State v. Britson,
130 Ariz. 380, 636 P.2d 628 (1981)
Although the defendant did not specifically
argue "duress" as mitigation, on appeal he argued that the crime was a classic
lover's triangle, and an emotionally unstable situation. He also argued that the victim
was in immediate control of a knife at the time of his death. He further argued that
although the jury rejected the defendant's claim of self-defense, the evidence supported a
conclusion that the victim was a violent person and before his death had violent
altercations with several men while armed with a knife. Without further discussion, the
Court stated that these contentions did not "constitute sufficiently mitigating
factors."
State v. Jeffers,
135 Ariz. 404, 661 P.2d 1105 (1983)
Although it does not appear that the
defendant specifically claimed "duress" as a mitigating circumstance, he did
argue that his stormy love-hate relationship with the victim raised a classic provocation
situation and that the crime was one induced by the heat of passion. But there was nothing
in the record to support this. Several months before the murder, Jeffers learned the
victim may have been an informant against him. One week prior to the murder, Jeffers met
with the victim and discussed the possibility she had been an informant against him. The
victim also advised him that she was now a prostitute and would charge for her favors, but
Jeffers testified that he had accepted the situation and was not angry. The Court
concluded that even if the victim's actions constituted adequate provocation, there was
sufficient time between the provocation and the crime for passions to "cool."
The Court agreed with the trial court's finding that Jeffers may have had some reason to
be provoked and was under some stress, but "nothing more."
State v. James,
141 Ariz. 141, 685 P.2d 1293 (1984)
This mitigating factor was not established. The
defendant testified that he was afraid of the codefendant and that his involvement in the
murder was a result of direct threats on his life by the codefendant. The trial court
called this testimony "blatant perjury." The Court agreed that this testimony
lacked credibility. The defendant was a willing participant in the murder.
State
v. Martinez-Villareal, 145 Ariz. 441, 702 P.2d 670 (1985)
Duress was not
supported by the evidence. The defendant claimed in his statements to the police that he
was an unwilling participant in the crimes, and was coerced by a teenager. He stated that
he acted only as a lookout and was forced to drive the victim's truck by his companion. He
indicated that someone else had gone berserk during the robbery and killed the two men on
the ranch. The jury rejected this in its verdict and the judge specifically found that the
defendant intended to kill either himself or through his companion. The defendant had told
a friend that he had killed the two men on the ranch because he was very
"macho."
State v. Rossi
(Rossi I), 146 Ariz. 359, 706 P.2d 371 (1985)
The trial court thought that
in order for duress to be a mitigating factor, it would have to rise to the level of a
defense. This is the wrong standard for determining and applying mitigating factors, so
the Court remanded the case for resentencing.
State v.
Castaneda, 150 Ariz. 382, 724 P.2d 1
(1986)
Duress was not found in this case. Duress is defined as any illegal
imprisonment, or legal imprisonment used for an illegal purpose, or threats of bodily or
other harm, or other means amounting to or tending to coerce the will of another and
actually inducing him to do an act contrary to his free will. The defendant argues
that his personality disorder and impulse control problems amounted to duress. The Court
disagreed that such a mental condition can fall within the meaning of duress.
State v. Wallace
(Wallace I), 154 Ariz. 362, 728 P.2d 232 (1986)
Wallace
argued that the trial court should have found that he murdered his girlfriend and her two
children while under "unusual and substantial duress." The basis for the duress
claim appeared to be his girlfriend's demand that he move out of their mobile home. The
Court found that Wallace's situation did not meet the definition of duress. That
definition is "any illegal imprisonment, or legal imprisonment used for an illegal
purpose, or threats of bodily or other harm, or other means amounting to or tending to
coerce the will of another, and actually inducing him to do an act contrary to his free
will." While Wallace's relationship with his girlfriend may have been strained, there
is no evidence that he murdered because of threats or provocation. As part of the duress
claim, the Court also considered Wallace's claim that the crimes were the result of
passion. The Court concluded that the murders could not be characterized as an act of
passion. Wallace told a psychiatrist that his argument with his girlfriend was relatively
mild in comparison to other arguments and that he expected her to ask him to come home
just as she had on other occasions. The psychiatrist testified that Wallace showed neither
anger nor resentment toward his girlfriend for having asked him to leave the house. The
evidence did not support the claim that the murders were an act of passion.
State v. Brewer,
170 Ariz. 486, 826 P.2d 783 (1992)
Duress is defined as any illegal imprisonment, or legal
imprisonment used for an illegal purpose, or threats of bodily or other harm, or other
means amounting to or tending to coerce the will of another, and actually inducing him to
do an act contrary to his free will. Citing Castaneda, the Court finds that the
meaning of this definition is that one person must coerce or induce another to do
something against his will. Personality disorders do not fall within the meaning of
duress. The record shows, and the Court considered, that the defendant did experience
some duress during the events leading up to the murder. This was, however, only a minimal
mitigating factor.
*State v.
Mickel Herrera, 174 Ariz. 387, 850 P.2d 100 (1993)
The Court found that
the defendant proved by a preponderance of the evidence that he committed the murder under
substantial duress because his father ordered him to shoot the victim. To satisfy the
(G)(2) statutory mitigating circumstance, the defendant must be under unusual or
substantial duress at the time of the crime. The Court has defined duress as "any
illegal imprisonment, or legal imprisonment used for an illegal purpose, or threats of
bodily or other harm, or other means amounting to or tending to coerce the will of
another, and actually inducing him to do an act contrary to his free will." Here, the
father's directions to his son, the defendant, to shoot the victim were substantial and
immediate. The defendant had little time to consider the consequences of his actions.
Further, the defendant's family background supports the contention that the defendant shot
the victim under duress from his father's orders to shoot. The defendant's father drank to
excess and was physically abusive to the defendant, his brothers and his mother. The Court
found the mitigating circumstances taken as a whole (duress, young age, dysfunctional
family background, borderline I.Q. and alcohol use at the time of the crime) required
leniency and reduced the sentence to life.
State v. Wood,
180 Ariz. 53, 881 P.2d 1158 (1994)
The Court rejected Wood's claim that he was
under unusual and substantial duress. For this mitigating circumstance to apply, one must
coerce or induce another to do something against his will. There was no evidence that Wood
was coerced in any way, and impulse control problems do not constitute duress.
The (G)(2) mitigating circumstance did not exist.
State v. Maturana,
180 Ariz. 126, 882 P.2d 933 (1994)
Duress was not proven in this case. The Court adopted
the findings of the trial court that the defendant did not prove that he was under
substantial or unusual duress. The trial court did not believe any evidence suggesting
that the defendant was acting at the direction of the younger codefendant or that the
defendant was not the person primarily responsible for the victim's death.
State v.
Aryon Williams, 183 Ariz. 368, 904 P.2d 437 (1995)
To find duress, one
person must coerce or induce another to do something against his will. The victim went to
the defendant's apartment, acted belligerently and confronted the defendant with a gun.
However, the defendant disarmed her shortly after she displayed the gun and thereafter no
longer posed a threat to him. After she was disarmed, there could not have been any
duress. Duress has not been proven nor has the victim's status as the initial
aggressor been shown to be a relevant mitigating circumstance.
State
v. Roger and Robert Murray, 184 Ariz. 9, 906 P.2d 542 (1995)
On appeal,
Roger raised the (G)(2) mitigating circumstance, arguing that he must have been doing
whatever Robert desired in committing the crimes. At the sentencing hearing, a sociologist
testified that Roger looked up to his brother Robert. The Court noted that duress involves
some means tending to coerce the will of another and inducing him to do an act contrary to
his free will. Roger failed to show how his alleged desire to please his brother amounted
to duress.
State v.
Gulbrandson, 184 Ariz. 46, 906 P.2d 579 (1995)
It was unclear from the
trial court's special verdict whether the trial judge was making a finding of duress, as a
statutory mitigating circumstance, or unusual stress, a nonstatutory mitigating
circumstance. The Court concluded that the trial court made a finding of unusual stress as
a nonstatutory mitigating circumstance. See discussion of stress.
State v. Danny
Jones, 185 Ariz. 471, 917 P.2d 200 (1996)
The only evidence of duress was the testimony of the defendant that
Frank Sperlazzo was involved in the murders.
The defendant testified that Sperlazzo was mad at victim Robert
Weaver because Robert owed him money for drugs, that Sperlazzo was at
the Gumina residence on the night of the murders, and that Sperlazzo
killed Tisha Weaver. Furthermore,
another witness told the state’s investigator that he saw Frank
Sperlazzo near the Gumina residence on the day before and the night of
the murders. This evidence
is insufficient to prove that Frank Sperlazzo was a participant in the
murders. The witness’
story that he saw Sperlazzo on the night of the murders was
discredited when it was determined that he could not possibly have
seen the Gumina residence from where he claimed to have been.
The physical evidence at trial indicated that all three victims
were attacked with the same type of blunt instrument.
This mitigating circumstance was not proven.
State v. Miller,
186 Ariz. 314, 921 P.2d 1151 (1996)
Miller argued that the trial court failed to
consider specific instances of nonstatutory mitigation, including duress, which he raised
for the first time on appeal. But the trial court said that it had considered all
statutory and nonstatutory mitigation, including mitigation that Miller did not offer.
Moreover, this alleged mitigating factor was not supported by the record.
*State v. Trostle,
191 Ariz. 4, 951 P.2d 869 (1997)
To prove "unusual and
substantial duress" under the (G)(2) mitigating circumstance, a defendant must show
that he was coerced or induced to commit the offense against his own free will. Although
Trostle expressed a general fear of being attacked if he did not go along with his
friends, there is no evidence that his codefendant or anyone else forced Trostle to
participate in the crime. The trial court correctly refused to find duress as a statutory
or nonstatutory mitigating circumstance.
State v.
Clabourne (Clabourne II), 194 Ariz. 379, 983 P.2d 748 (1999)
The
defendant claims that he was under substantial or unusual duress when he murdered the
victim. Duress means that one person must coerce or induce another to do something against
his will. The evidence shows that Langston was a frightening sociopath who planned the
crime. The fact that Langston masterminded and influenced the defendant does not in
itself prove duress. The evidence shows that the defendant was a willing and active
participant and was neither induced nor coerced to act contrary to his free will.
State v.
Hoskins, 199 Ariz. 127, 14 P.3d 997 (2000)
Duress is a mitigating circumstance when it
is unusual and substantial. The trail court found, and the Court
agreed, that there was no evidence in the record to indicate that the
defendant acted under unusual or substantial duress in committing this
murder.
State
v. Finch, 202 Ariz. 410, 46 P.3d
421 (2002)
The defendant claimed he
was under emotional duress when he committed the robberies because he
needed money for drugs. The Court affirmed the trial court’s rejection
of duress as a mitigating factor, holding that the definition of duress
involves illegal imprisonment, threats of harm, or other conduct tending
to coerce another’s will, and actually inducing him to act contrary to
his own free will.
State v. Carlson,
202 Ariz. 570, 48 P.3d 1180 (2002)
The
defendant was under unusual and substantial duress caused by money, house
and child custody worries. These concerns rose to the level of a mitigating circumstance.
State
v. (Frank Winfield) Anderson, 210 Ariz. 327, 111 P.3d 369 (2005) Jury Trial/Indep. Review
The court found no “credible” evidence that Anderson
feared 19-year-old Bobby Poyson and was coerced by him into committing
the triple murders.
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