California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Amezcua, S133660 (Cal. 2019):
The trial court was not required to instruct that certain sentencing factors (specifically, section 190.3, factors (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), and (j) that are introduced by the phrase " 'whether
Page 63
or not' ") are relevant only as potential mitigators. (People v. Mendoza (2011) 52 Cal.4th 1056, 1097.)
The California sentencing scheme does not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by denying capital defendants certain procedural safeguards afforded to noncapital defendants. (People v. Johnson, supra, 62 Cal.4th at p. 657.)
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.