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CASE ANNOTATIONS

1. “Hard 40” sentencing instruction examined and approved. State v. Perez, 251 K. 736, 840 P.2d 1118 (1992).

2. Notice provisions of 21-4624 are mandatory; failure of state to comply therewith requires sentence be vacated. State v. Deavers, 252 K. 149, 165, 843 P.2d 695 (1992).

3. Mid-deliberation jury instruction on premeditation, relevance of manner in which unconscious victim murdered, sufficiency of evidence establishing aggravating circumstances, precedential value of death penalty cases examined. State v. Kingsley, 252 K. 761, 787, 851 P.2d 370 (1993).

4. Balancing test not required; one aggravating factor may outweigh several mitigating factors. State v. Phillips, 252 K. 937, 943, 850 P.2d 877 (1993).

5. Aggravating factors sufficient to support recommendation of mandatory 40-year sentence examined. State v. Cromwell, 253 K. 495, 498, 856 P.2d 1299 (1993).

6. Whether court’s failure to advise jury that mitigating factors must be found beyond a reasonable doubt is error examined. State v. Reed, 256 K. 547, 562, 886 P.2d 854 (1994).

7. Hard-40 sentence vacated where insufficient evidence of murder being committed in heinous, atrocious or cruel manner. State v. Cook, 259 K. 370, 396, 913 P.2d 97 (1996).

8. Cited; depraved heart second-degree murder (21-3402(b)) adequately distinguishable from reckless involuntary manslaughter (21-3404) by requiring a higher degree of recklessness; therefor not void for vagueness. State v. Robinson, 261 K. 865, 877, 934 P.2d 38 (1997).

9. “Heinous, atrocious or cruel” murder not analogous to “excessively brutal” aggravated battery; terms not related. State v. Jackson, 262 K. 119, 136, 936 P.2d 761 (1997).