Opinion ID: 2614001
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Failure separately to determine penalty for each murder

Text: (42) In reliance upon the due process clause and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment contained in the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as their counterparts in the California Constitution (Cal. Const., art. I, §§ 7, 15, and 17), defendant contends the trial court erred by instructing the jury to render a single verdict, either of life imprisonment without possibility of parole or death, with reference to both victims, rather than instructing the jury to render a separate verdict as to each victim. Defendant also maintains that the court erred in delivering to the jury only two forms, one for each possible penalty, rather than four forms reflecting the two possible penalties as to each victim. Initially, we observe that, in the event error occurred, it was invited by defense counsel. (See People v. Wader, supra, 5 Cal.4th 610, 657-658; People v. Cooper (1991) 53 Cal.3d 771, 831 [281 Cal. Rptr. 90, 809 P.2d 865]; People v. Gallego, supra, 52 Cal.3d 115, 202). When the court was in the process of preparing the verdict forms, defense counsel requested that the court present only two verdict forms to the jury; defense counsel approved the court's suggestion that each possible penalty be presented on a single form. Subsequently, the trial court handed counsel for both parties copies of these forms for approval, and later, when the court began to inquire whether both parties had read the forms, defense counsel interjected, The verdicts. Yes, they are fine. At the time the trial court provided the forms to the jury, the court, without incurring any comment from defense counsel, repeated the observation that there were only two forms for the two possible penalties. In any event, no error occurred. Although it is proper to employ separate verdict forms when there is more than one murder victim (see, e.g., People v. Sandoval, supra, 4 Cal.4th 155, 197 [separate death verdict returned as to one murder victim, separate life imprisonment without possibility of parole verdict returned as to each of three other murder victims]; People v. Beardslee, supra, 53 Cal.3d 68, 117 [separate death verdict returned as to each of two murder victims]; People v. Bittaker, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1046, 1106, 1110, fn. 34 [separate death verdict as to each of five murder victims]), no authority compels the rendering of separate penalty verdicts as to each victim. Moreover, as suggested by the defendant's contrary argument in People v. Sandoval, supra, 4 Cal.4th 155, 197, that separate penalty verdict forms should not have been provided, the use of a single verdict form encompassing the penalty for the murder of more than one victim conceivably may promote a comprehensive determination as to whether the death penalty is appropriate in a particular case, without placing undue emphasis upon the characteristics and status of the individual victims or their number. Nonetheless, defendant asserts that, in the absence of a separate verdict form pertaining to each murder victim, it is possible that, for example, only six jurors concluded defendant should receive the death penalty for William's murder, while the remaining six jurors determined defendant should receive the death penalty for Katherine's murder. As we observed earlier, in applying the provisions of section 190.3 so as to arrive at a death verdict, the jurors each must evaluate the evidence and then unanimously determine that the aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors, but there is no requirement that the jury agree upon the factors employed in reaching that decision. (See People v. Sims, supra, 5 Cal.4th 405, 462.) The murders of William and Katherine, and the circumstances attendant upon those murders, were matters appropriately considered under section 190.3, factor (a) (comprising the circumstances of the crimes). Because there is no requirement that the jury unanimously determine which aggravating factors outweigh those in mitigation, there obviously can be no requirement that the jury unanimously determine which facts within a single category of the factors described in section 190.3, such as factor (a), justify imposition of the death penalty.