McKinney v. Arizona
Argument: December 11, 2019 Petitioner Brief: James Erin McKinney Respondent Brief: Arizona Decision: TBA McKinney seeks a jury to determine if he can avoid the death penalty In 1991, at the age of 23, James McKinney and his half-brother Michael Hedlund committed two burglaries that resulted in two deaths. The state of Arizona tried McKinney and Hedlund before separate juries. Hedlund’s jury found him guilty of one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. McKinney’s jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. McKinney’s jury, however, did not specify whether it reached the verdict by finding premeditation or by finding felony murder. Premeditation vs. felony murder Premeditation requires the homicide to be willful and deliberate. With felony murder, the homicide only needs to occur in the commission of a prescribed felony—such as, arson, rape, robbery, or burglary. Premeditation reflects the basic principle that the punishment fo