Criminal Procedure keyed to Kamisar
Heath v. Alabama
Facts
Petitioner, a resident of Russel County, Alabama hired Charles Owens and Gregory Lumkin to kill his wife for the sum of $2,000. Petitioner met Owens and Lumpkin in Georgia, just over the border, and gave them the keys to his car and home. Rebecca Heath, petitioner’s wife, was kidnapped from her home and she was later found dead in Troup County, Georgia, with a gunshot wound to the head. According to the evidence, the murder took place in Georgia. In February of 1982, in Georgia, petitioner was charged with malice murder, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Later, in May of the same year, petitioner was indicted for capital murder during kidnappying. Petitioner pled Double Jeopardy arguing that his subsequent Alabama prosecution was barred because it was for the same conduct. The Alabama trial court held that Double Jeopardy did not bar the subsequent prosecution because the act became bifurcated when the state line was crossed. The Supreme Court granted ce rtiorari.
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