Supreme Court of California

A conviction and death sentence for first degree murder is affirmed over claims of error regarding: 1) a motion to sever; 2) three strikes; 3) speedy trial; 4) a motion to disqualify the trial judge; 5) an inadequate record; 6) discovery violations; 7) concession of guilt without advisements and waivers; 8) preservation of evidence; 9) juror questions; 10) prosecutorial vouching; 11) jury instructions; 12) trial court's questioning of witnesses; 13) torture murder; 14) a verdict form; 15) leading questions by the prosecutor; 16) prosecutorial misconduct; 17) cumulative error; 18) admission of evidence; 19) aggravating and mitigating circumstances; 20) denial of mistrial; 21) a Pitchess motion; 22) challenges to the state death penalty law; and 23) an automatic motion to modify.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/14/2006
• Published 08/14/2006

Judges

• KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Peter Giannini, under appointment by the Supreme Court, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Appellant., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Assistant Attorney General, Ronald S. Matthias and Aileen Bunney, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.