Supreme Court of California

Defendant's conviction and sentence in a death penalty case is affirmed over claims of error regarding: 1) Batson/Wheeler violation; 2) whether he was denied a right to an impartial jury because prospective jurors who were "death prone" were allowed to remain while "life prone" jurors were excused; 3) jury instruction; 4) admission of evidence; 5) a denial of discovery of certain officers' confidential personnel files; 6) a special circumstance for murder of a peace officer; 7) an escape from custody special circumstance; 8) a lying in wait special circumstance; 9) challenges to the death penalty statute; 10) a refusal to admit certain evidence; 11) a refusal to grant a continuance during the penalty phase; 12) factor (a) and racial bias; 13) international law; and 14) cumulative prejudice.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/24/2008
• Published 07/24/2008

Judges

• BAXTER, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Michael R. Snedeker and Lisa R. Short, Portland, under appointments by the Supreme Court, for Defendant and Appellant., Bill Lockyer and Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Attorneys General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Assistant Attorney General, Bruce Ortega, Ross C. Moody and Alice B. Lustre, Deputy Attorney General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.