Opinion ID: 1272426
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Special Circumstances Findings and the Death Penalty

Text: On January 5, 1979, Jackson was convicted on both counts of first-degree murder and both counts of burglary. Under the 1977 California death penalty statute, at least one special circumstance finding was required for a defendant to qualify for a sentence of death or life without parole. Cal.Penal Code § 190.2 (1977). The jury found two special circumstances rendering Jackson death-eligible: (1) that Ott's murder was willful, deliberate, and premeditated and was committed during the commission of a burglary (murder during the commission of a burglary), and (2) that Jackson had in this proceeding been convicted of more than one offense of murder (multiple murder). Each of these special circumstances findings required that [t]he defendant was personally present during the commission of the act or acts causing death, and with the intent to cause death physically aided or committed such act or acts causing death. Id. 190.2 (emphasis added). In the separate penalty phase of the trial, the jury returned a verdict of death for Ott's murder. Jackson received a life sentence for Curtis's murder and four-year sentences for each burglary, all to run concurrently.