Supreme Court of California

Conviction and death sentence for murder committed during a robbery are affirmed where: 1) defendant did not have right to be present at a bench conference; 2) defendant's counsel did not abandon him at the conference; 3) photographs of the victim were properly admitted into evidence; and 4) challenges to penalty phase procedures and instructions failed.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/24/2006
• Published 04/24/2006

Judges

• KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Michael J. Hersek, State Public Defender, under appointment by the Supreme Court, Alison Pease and Ronald F. Turner, Deputy State Public Defenders, for Defendant and Appellant., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Mary Jo Graves, Assistant Attorney General, Patrick J. Whalen and John G. McLean, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.