Tison V. Arizona Case Brief

606 Words3 Pages
CJAD 301 – Criminal Law Case Brief 1. Case Title: Tison v. Arizona 2. Citation: 481 U.S. 137 3. Year decided: 1987 4. Facts: The Petitioners are the sons of Gary Tison. Tison had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a guard whom he killed in the course of a prison escape. After spending a number of years in jail, Tison’s wife, their three sons, Tison’s brother and other relatives engineered a prison escape. The escape was executed such that no shots were fired at the prison. However, after the escape, the getaway car had a flat tire. The group elected to flag down a passing motorist and steal a car. A car occupied by John Lyons, his wife Donnelda, his two-year-old son Christopher and his 15-year-old niece, Theresa Tyson, pulled over to render aid. Tison and his former cellmate Randy Greenawalt, intentionally shot and killed all four passengers. The Petitioners, despite not personally killing anyone, were convicted of capital murder in addition to armed robbery, kidnapping and car theft. Under Arizona law, a killing occurring during the perpetration of robbery or kidnapping is capital murder and each participant in the kidnapping or robbery is legally responsible for the acts of his accomplices. The Petitioners each were sentenced to death for the four murders. 5. History: The Petitioners, Ricky and Raymond Tison (Petitioners), were sentenced by a judge to death after conviction for four murders under accomplice liability and felony-murder statutes. Neither of the Petitioners actually committed the murders himself, but rather, the deaths were caused by their co-felons, in the course of an armed robbery, kidnapping and car theft. Rule of law states the death penalty may be imposed where there exists no specific intent to kill but rather, the defendant knowingly and substantially participated in criminal activities

More about Tison V. Arizona Case Brief

Open Document