An Examination of Aggravating Jury Instructions in Arizona

This project consisted of a review of the jury instructions used in the aggravating phase of death penalty cases in Arizona. Originally the project was looking for deviations between the definitions used for the F(6) aggravator (especially cruel, heinous, or depraved), but when none were found the focus shifted towards competing points within the instructions. Which begs the question of which instructions are being valued more than others, and how can we ensure jurors have the competency to accurately understand all the instructions given to them.