In Commonwealth v. VanDivner the Pennsylvania
Supreme Court overturned a death sentence due to the intellectual disability of
the defendant, reported Justia.
James VanDivner appealed the Court of Common Pleas’
denial of his petition for relief under the Post Conviction Relief Act
(“PCRA”). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reviewed this case following two
remands to the PCRA court for supplemental opinions. In response to the PCRA
court’s second supplemental opinion, Vandivner requested, and was granted,
permission to file a supplemental brief. Although also permitted to do so, the
Commonwealth did not file a brief in response.
VanDivner was convicted in the death of his fiancée,
Michelle Cable. Prior to trial, he filed a motion to preclude the Commonwealth
from seeking the death penalty, contending he was intellectually disabled and,
thus, imposition of the death penalty would constitute cruel and unusual
punishment. The trial court conducted a four-day hearing, after which it
determined that VanDivner failed to establish that he was intellectually
disabled.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded VanDivner
was intellectually disabled, and, thus, ineligible for the death penalty under
Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002). Accordingly, his death sentence was
vacated and judgment of sentence was modified to reflect the imposition of a
life sentence on his first-degree murder conviction, subject to appellant
review of his remaining guilt phase and sentencing claims.
Moreover, as this matter was now a noncapital case,
the Supreme Court transferred this appeal to the Superior Court for disposition
of these remaining claims.
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