Opinion ID: 1180863
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Prejudicial Effect of Excessive and/or Invalid Multiple-murder Special Circumstances

Text: (83) As noted above, the jury erroneously found, and hence considered at the penalty trial (former § 190.3, factor (a)), three multiple-murder special circumstances instead of one. We conclude, however, that the error was harmless. The jury did not consider any evidence that was not otherwise admissible and relevant to the penalty decision. It was fully aware that the multiple murders it was considering were the murders of Edwards, Slavik and Selix, and was fully aware that the multiple-murder special circumstances involved only these murders. ( Allen, supra, 42 Cal.3d at pp. 1281-1283 [improper charging and consideration of 11 witness-killing, prior-murder-conviction, and multiple-murder special circumstances instead of 3 such special circumstances harmless error].) Even assuming, as the People concede, that one of the three findings was not merely excessive but was also invalid, we still must conclude, as we did in People v. Silva (1988) ante, pages 604, 632-636 [247 Cal. Rptr. 573, 754 P.2d 1070], that the properly admitted aggravating evidence was simply overwhelming, and that on this record there is no reasonable possibility that the error affected the penalty verdicts.