State of Arizona v. James Clayton Johnson

Summary

The court affirmed Johnson’s convictions and death sentence after rejecting his challenges to Arizona’s capital-sentencing scheme, the aggravating-circumstance instructions and findings, the penalty-phase instructions, evidentiary rulings, jury selection, discovery orders, and alleged prosecutorial misconduct. The court held that the sentencing scheme was constitutional, the (F)(6) aggravator was adequately narrowed and supported by substantial evidence, and any errors—including the admission of prison-housing evidence and the deficient significant-impairment instruction—did not prejudice Johnson. No separate opinions were filed.