Gregory David Frye v. Commonwealth of Virginia

Summary

The court affirmed Frye’s convictions for capital murder and use of a firearm but vacated the death sentence and remanded for a new penalty proceeding. It held that the challenged confession and other statements were admissible, and it rejected Frye’s claims concerning prosecutorial conflict, restraints, discovery, jury selection, evidentiary rulings, and jury instructions. The death sentence was vacated because the prosecutor and trial court improperly minimized the jury’s responsibility for determining whether death was appropriate.