Olsen v. State
Supreme Court of Wyoming
67 P.3d 536 (2003)
Relevant factsFree
Olsen (defendant) robbed and shot three people to death at a bar before fleeing and later confessing; after conviction on all counts, a separate sentencing hearing under Wyoming's death-penalty statute resulted in the jury finding four aggravating circumstances, no mitigating circumstances, and recommending death, despite Olsen offering fifteen proposed mitigating factors. Olsen appealed both his convictions and the death sentence.
IssueFree
Whether imposing the death penalty requires the jury to determine, first, that the defendant is eligible for the death penalty, and second, that the aggravating circumstances substantially outweigh the mitigating circumstances.