Opinion ID: 2626390
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Death Selection

Text: The sentencing factors contained in section 190.3, particularly factor (a) (circumstances of the capital crime) and factor (b) (other violent criminal activity), are not impermissibly vague. ( Tuilaepa v. California (1994) 512 U.S. 967, 975-980, 114 S.Ct. 2630, 129 L.Ed.2d 750, affg. People v. Tuilaepa, supra, 4 Cal.4th 569, 594-595, 15 Cal.Rptr.2d 382, 842 P.2d 1142.) These factors also did not bias the jury in favor of death insofar as they allowed evidence of guilt to be used as evidence in aggravation. ( People v. Ray, supra, 13 Cal.4th 313, 358, 52 Cal.Rptr.2d 296, 914 P.2d 846.) In addition, the trial court did not err in failing to (1) delete assertedly inapplicable sentencing factors, (2) instruct as to which sentencing factors are aggravating and which are mitigating, (3) instruct that the absence of mitigation in certain statutory categories was not aggravating, and (4) instruct on the definition of mitigation. ( People v. Hughes, supra, 27 Cal.4th 287, 404, 116 Cal.Rptr.2d 401, 39 P.3d 432.) The standard instructions in CALJIC No. 8.88 (1989 rev.) adequately advised jurors on the scope of their discretion to reject death and to return an LWOP verdict. ( People v. Rodrigues, supra, 8 Cal.4th 1060, 1192, 36 Cal.Rptr.2d 235, 885 P.2d 1; People v. Duncan (1991) 53 Cal.3d 955, 978-979, 281 Cal.Rptr. 273, 810 P.2d 131.) The trial court did not prevent meaningful appellate review by failing to require a written statement of the jury's findings and reasons for imposing a death sentence. ( People v. Davenport, supra, 11 Cal.4th 1171, 1232, 47 Cal.Rptr.2d 800, 906 P.2d 1068.) No instruction on the meaning of LWOP was required. ( People v. Holt, supra, 15 Cal.4th 619, 688-689, 63 Cal. Rptr.2d 782, 937 P.2d 213.)