Washington v. Monfort

by
Christopher Monfort was charged with one count of aggravated first degree murder for the death of a law enforcement officer. He filed a notice of special sentencing proceeding ("death penalty notice"). Monfort's defense moved to strike the notice on the basis that the county prosecutor considered the facts of the crime and lacked a factual basis for making a determination under the statute. The trial court denied the defense's motion on the first basis but granted it on the second. It stated that the county prosecutor had failed to exercise discretion as required by constitutional and statutory law. The State and defense moved for discretionary review. After considering the parties' arguments, the Supreme Court reversed the trial court, holding that a county prosecutor may consider the facts of the crime when deciding whether to file a death penalty notice, and the judiciary may review only whether a prosecutor has a "reason to believe that there are not sufficient mitigating circumstances" under RCW 10.95.040(1). View "Washington v. Monfort" on Justia Law