People v. Dorado

Defendant appeals from a judgment on a verdict finding him guilty of violation of Penal Code section 4500, which provides for the automatic penalty of death. The indictment charged defendant, a 26-year-old prisoner serving a life term for sale of marijuana, with malicious assault with a deadly weapon which resulted in a fellow prisoner’s death. The court denied defendant’s motion for a new trial. Penal Code section 1239, subdivision (b), provides for an automatic appeal.

The main issue of this ease involves the admission into evidence of defendant’s confessions. For the reasons which we set…