Pennsylvania - 18 Aggravating CircumstancesTitle 42, Part VIII, Ch.97, Sec. 9711(a)Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
(b) Procedure in nonjury trials and guilty pleas.--If the defendant has waived a jury trial or pleaded guilty, the sentencing proceeding shall be conducted before a jury impaneled for that purpose unless waived by the defendant with the consent of the Commonwealth, in which case the trial judge shall hear the evidence and determine the penalty in the same manner as would a jury as provided in subsection (a). (c) Instructions to jury.--
The aggravating circumstances specified in subsection (d) as to which there is some evidence. The mitigating circumstances specified in subsection (e) as to which there is some evidence. Aggravating circumstances must be proved by the Commonwealth beyond a reasonable doubt; mitigating circumstances must be proved by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence. The verdict must be a sentence of death if the jury unanimously finds at least one aggravating circumstance specified in subsection (d) and no mitigating circumstance or if the jury unanimously finds one or more aggravating circumstances which outweigh any mitigating circumstances. The verdict must be a sentence of life imprisonment in all other cases. The court may, in its discretion, discharge the jury if it is of the opinion that further deliberation will not result in a unanimous agreement as to the sentence, in which case the court shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment. (d) Aggravating circumstances.--Aggravating circumstances shall be limited to the following:
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