Dennis Waldon Stockton v. Commonwealth of Virginia

Summary

The Court affirmed Stockton’s convictions and death sentence for capital murder committed for hire. It rejected his constitutional challenges to the death-penalty statute and electrocution, upheld the rulings admitting his statements and evidence concerning another murder, and found the evidence sufficient to establish guilt, statutory aggravating factors, and proportionality. The Court also found no abuse of discretion in denying a venue change, refusing sequestration, denying a new trial, or imposing death after presentence review.