Opinion ID: 2614001
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence of infliction of extreme pain

Text: (25) Defendant urges that the prosecution failed to produce evidence demonstrating that the five wounds claimed to have been torturous would have caused William extreme pain. We have observed: Section 190.2, subdivision (a)(18), provides a special circumstance if `[t]he murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture. For the purpose of this section torture requires proof of the infliction of extreme physical pain no matter how long its duration.' ( People v. Wade (1988) 44 Cal.3d 975, 993 [244 Cal. Rptr. 905, 750 P.2d 794], italics added; see People v. Davenport (1985) 41 Cal.3d 247, 271 [221 Cal. Rptr. 794, 710 P.2d 861].) [14] In the present case, during argument to the jury, the prosecutor relied upon the presence of the three knife injuries to the front of William's neck and the two injuries to his lower back to establish that William's murder involved torture. The forensic pathologist testified that each of these injuries, in addition to the other injuries (with the exception of the exit wound of the knife), would have caused William pain, but she did not testify expressly that William suffered extreme pain. Nonetheless, the forensic pathologist's testimony, considered with the photographs of the injuries themselves and of William's facial expression, amply support the determination that William suffered extreme pain. The jury instruction on this special circumstance referred to the infliction of extreme, cruel, physical pain, and it is clear a reasonable jury could determine that the cumulative pain caused by the successive premortem injuries, including these particular injuries, caused William to suffer extreme pain beyond the pain involved in incurring mortal wounds. (See People v. Raley, supra, 2 Cal.4th 870, 889.)