Antonio McDowell a/k/a Antonio P. McDowell a/k/a Isha a/k/a Tonio v. State of Mississippi

Summary

The court held that, after the trial court granted an unopposed request to conduct jury sentencing under Mississippi Code Section 99-19-101 and the jury considered the applicable sentencing evidence, the statute governed the entire proceeding. Because the jury could not reach a sentencing decision, the statute required the trial court to impose life imprisonment rather than conduct its own analysis and impose life without parole. The court reversed the lower courts and remanded for proceedings consistent with that ruling.