According to the Supreme Court, for a statutory aggravating circumstance to withstand constitutional challenge, a state high court must adequately clarify its meaning and that meaning must be applied independently to the facts of the case.

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This statement is correct. In the case of Tuilaepa v. California, 512 U.S. 967 (1994), the Supreme Court held that a statutory aggravating circumstance must provide clear and objective standards to limit its scope and must be applied consistently to ensure that the death penalty is not imposed arbitrarily or capriciously. State high courts have a duty to clarify the meaning of the aggravating factor and ensure that it is applied properly in each case.

According to the Supreme Court, for a Statutory Aggravating Circumstance