Opinion ID: 1228032
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prior-murder-conviction Special Circumstances

Text: (22a) Section 190.2, subdivision (a)(2), defines as a special circumstance the situation in which [t]he defendant was previously convicted of murder in the first degree or second degree. Pursuant to our reasoning in Harris, supra, 36 Cal.3d 36, two of the three prior-murder-conviction special circumstances should be set aside, and only one should have been found true. (23a) Defendant argues that even this remaining special circumstance finding should be set aside because it was not properly pleaded. Instead of alleging the prior-murder-conviction special circumstance pursuant to defendant's present first degree murder convictions under section 190.2, subdivision ( a )(2), the introductory clause of each of the three disputed pleading paragraphs erroneously alleged the special circumstance under section 190.2, subdivision ( b ), which subdivision does not support a prior murder special circumstance. This technical omission, however, does not invalidate the special circumstance finding. Defendant was clearly on notice that he was on trial for first degree murder and that his prior murder conviction was therefore being alleged as a special circumstance. Indeed, each of the challenged pleading paragraphs concluded with the express allegation that defendant was previously convicted in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Fresno, of first degree murder in violation of Penal Code section 187, within the meaning of Penal Code section 190.2 [, subdivision ] (a)(2).  (Italics added.) In any event, we would conclude that any defect in the pleading was waived by defendant's failure to object below. (§ 1012.) Accordingly, the prior-murder-conviction special circumstance was properly found true.