Opinion ID: 1442323
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Modification of Sentence Hearing

Text: The trial court, after stating its reasons, denied defendant's motion to modify the death verdict. (§ 190.4, subd. (e).) (32) Defendant first contends the court's statement of reasons failed to explain why defendant's sadly unremarkable murder of Mrs. Lyman justified the death penalty. According to defendant, in the absence of more egregious or heinous facts, the court erred in failing to reduce the sentence to life imprisonment without parole. We disagree. The trial court was not required to justify the imposition of the death penalty in this case. By reason of the burglary-murder special-circumstance finding, defendant fell within that class of persons deemed by law to merit the death penalty if aggravating circumstances outweighed mitigating ones. The court's statement of reasons outlined the relevant evidence, including defendant's probable knowledge that Mrs. Lyman was in the house when he entered it, his lack of intoxication, and his cold-blooded act of shooting her as she lay in bed. Describing defendant as the type of person who doesn't really care whether somebody else lives or dies, as long as it suits his convenience, the court concluded that if there is to be a death penalty, there is no legitimate excuse why it should not be applied to this case. Although the court could have mentioned even more aggravating facts to support its decision, including defendant's violent criminal background, on the present record we see no basis for overturning that decision. (See People v. Hernandez (1988) 47 Cal.3d 315, 373-374 [253 Cal. Rptr. 199, 763 P.2d 1289].) (33) Defendant also complains that the trial court failed affirmatively to ask defendant or his counsel for their comments prior to ruling on the motion to modify the sentence. (Counsel did express some views on defendant's reformed character after the court's announcement of its ruling.) The People observe, however, that defense counsel had ample opportunity to address the court prior to the court's ruling. The record shows that counsel, when asked, Is there any legal cause why judgment should not now be pronounced?, acknowledged that his motions for new trial and modification of sentence were before the court, and he then proceeded to argue the new trial matter (based on the substitution of the alternate juror during the penalty phase). Counsel freely elected to withhold oral argument on the modification motion. Under these circumstances, the court was not required to expressly request argument on the motion before announcing its ruling thereon.