Clark V. Gore's Conviction: The Clark Case

At the time of Dena Lynn Gore’s murder, Clark was out on bond awaiting appeal for a previous conviction. Clark was also facing charges for the abduction and rape of a six-year-old girl, however, sentencing had been postponed until after the trial for Gore’s murder. In his appeal, Clark stated that the courts erred in not sentencing him for his previous conviction prior to trying him on capital felony charges. Clark argues that the sentence he would have received for the first offense would have been a mitigating factor for the jury when tasked with determining Clark’s punishment. Had the jury been made aware that the cumulative sentencing for all convictions would have been enough to keep him imprisoned for life and with no possibility of