Supreme Court of California

Defendant's convictions of first degree murder, sodomy, and forcible lewd act on a minor under 14, and capital sentence are affirmed, where: 1) the trial court did not err in admitting expert testimony that the victim died by drowning in association with sexual assault; 2) defendant's statements made to a witness about uncharged conduct were properly admitted as relevant statements by a party; 3) the trial court did not err in admitting evidence of defendant's statement to his girlfriend confessing that he killed the victim; 4) defendant's attacks on evidentiary sufficiency fail; 5) In light of defendant's clear and unambiguous choice to present no mitigating evidence and request the death penalty, defense counsel was not ineffective for acceding to defendant's choice; and 6) defendant's remaining challenges regarding the penalty phase fail.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/02/2014
• Published 06/02/2014

Judges

• CORRIGAN

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel