Justice O’Connor, For the Court
| Topic: Criminal Procedure* | Court vote: 8–1 | |
Click any Justice for detail Joining O'Connor opinion:  Justice BREYER  Justice GINSBURG  Justice KENNEDY  Chief Justice REHNQUIST  Justice SCALIA  Justice SOUTER  Justice THOMAS | ||
| Citation: 513 U.S. 504 | Docket: 93–7659 | Audio: Listen to this case's oral arguments at Oyez |
* As categorized by the Washington University Law Supreme Court Database
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Opinion
JUSTICE O'CONNOR delivered the opinion of the Court. Alabama law vests capital sentencing authority in the trial judge, but requires the judge to consider an advisory jury verdict. We granted certiorari to consider petitioner's argument that Alabama's capital sentencing statute is unconstitutional because it does not specify the weight the judge must give to the jury's recommendation and thus permits arbitrary imposition of the death penalty.
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