People v. Howard

Opinion

CORRIGAN, J.

Demetrius Charles Howard was convicted of first degree murder and attempted second degree robbery.1 The jury found as a special circumstance that the murder was committed while defendant was engaged in the attempted robbery.2 It returned a verdict of death. We affirm the judgment.

I. FACTS

The facts are summarized here for background purposes. Further factual and procedural details are provided in the discussion of defendant’s claims on appeal.

A. Guilt Phase

1. Prosecution

Cedric Torrence had known defendant for about four years at the time of trial. They lived in the same area…