United States Ninth Circuit

Denial of habeas relief on defendant's California conviction and death sentence for the rape and murder of a fifteen-year-old girl is affirmed over claims of error regarding: 1) ineffective assistance of counsel; 2) whether lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment; and 3) a state trial court's failure to declare a mistrial after four jurors overheard comments regarding the case.

Appellate Information

• Argued 06/14/2007
• Decided 09/19/2007
• Published 09/19/2007

Judges

• Before:  HAWKINS, SIDNEY R. THOMAS, and CARLOS T. BEA, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Jan B. Norman, Los Angeles, CA, for the petitioner-appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Barry J.T. Carlton, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, San Diego, CA, for the respondent-appellee.