Opinion ID: 1379313
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: excessive special-circumstance findings

Text: (31) Defendant was charged with two multiple-murder special circumstances (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(3)), one in connection with each crime. This was erroneous. ( People v. Warren, supra, 45 Cal.3d 471, 489.) We have consistently found such double counting harmless because it did not result in the jury considering any inadmissible evidence. The jury knew there was a total of two murders. ( People v. Odle (1988) 45 Cal.3d 386, 421-422 [247 Cal. Rptr. 137, 754 P.2d 184].) It is even more clearly harmless here since the jury returned a separate penalty verdict as to each murder. Each verdict form had only one multiple-murder finding attached to it. The jury imposed the death penalty only as to one of the murders. Defendant also contends the erroneous findings of the witness-killing special circumstance were prejudicial. Again, however, the jury properly considered all the evidence, including the motives for the murders. The court instructed the jury not to merely count the number of factors but to give each the weight to which it was entitled. We cannot conclude the jury could reasonably have given the inapplicable special circumstances any significant independent weight. ( People v. Benson, supra, 52 Cal.3d at p. 793; People v. Silva, supra, 45 Cal.3d at pp. 632-636.)