People v. Gonzales

Opinion

CORRIGAN, J.

Defendant Ivan Joe Gonzales was convicted of murdering Genny Rojas. The jury found as a special circumstance that the murder was intentional and involved the infliction of torture. However, it was unable to reach a penalty verdict. Another jury was impaneled, and the second penalty phase trial resulted in a death verdict.

I. FACTS

A. Guilt Phase

1. Prosecution

Genny Rojas was four years old when she died in July 1995. She and her siblings had been removed from their mother’s custody in April 1994, because their mother was abusing drugs and neglecting the children. They were…