People v. Mroczko

Opinion

KAUS, J.

On May 22, 1978, Jay Love, an inmate at the California Men’s Colony (CMC) was found dead in his cell, asphyxiated by a metal coat hanger wrapped around his neck. Four months later, Richard Mroczko and Thomas Brindle, fellow inmates, were charged with Love’s murder. After a six-week trial in the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, during which Brindle and Mroczko were represented by the same counsel, Mroczko was convicted of first degree murder and eventually sentenced to death. Brindle was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to a term of seven years. Mroczko’s…