Opinion ID: 2575997
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Triple-counting Same Facts

Text: Defendant contends that the use of the same fact โ robbery of the murder victim โ (1) to qualify the murder as first degree murder, (2) to make the murder eligible for the death penalty, and (3) as an aggravating factor in deciding whether the death penalty should be imposed, was impermissible. He argues that multiple use of the same facts violates the Eighth Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. We have in the past rejected this argument ( People v. Webster (1991) 54 Cal.3d 411, 455-456, 285 Cal.Rptr. 31, 814 P.2d 1273; People v. Marshall (1990) 50 Cal.3d 907, 945-946, 269 Cal.Rptr. 269, 790 P.2d 676) and do so again here.