Benjamin Rauf, Defendant-Appellant v. State of Delaware, Plaintiff-Appellee

Summary

The Court held that Delaware's capital sentencing scheme violates the Sixth Amendment because it permits a judge, rather than a jury, to find aggravating circumstances and to make the ultimate finding that aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating circumstances. It further held that the required jury findings must be unanimous and beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the statute's interdependent procedures cannot be severed. Chief Justice Strine and Justice Holland separately explained their agreement with the Court's broader reading of the jury's role in capital sentencing.