People v. Hughes

Defendant appeals (by operation of Pen. Code, § 1239, subd. (b)) from judgments of death and of imprisonment imposed pursuant to jury verdicts finding him guilty of murder in the first degree, assault with a deadly weapon, and five counts of armed robbery. The jury fixed the penalty for the murder conviction at death, and the trial court denied defendant’s motions for a new trial and for reduction of the penalty to life imprisonment.

Defendant contends that his counsel’s right to question the prospective jurors on voir dire concerning their views on imposing the death penalty was unduly…