Berryman

People v. Berryman

Bad Law
1993 Cal. LEXIS 6377·25 Cal. Rptr. 2d 867·6 Cal. 4th 1048·93 Daily Journal DAR 16543·864 P.2d 40
Supreme Court of CaliforniaDecember 27, 1993S008182California21,220 words

Opinion

Opinion

Mosk, J.

This is an automatic appeal (Pen. Code, § 1239, subd. (b)) from a judgment of death under the 1978 death penalty law (id., § 190 et seq.).

On November 2, 1987, the District Attorney of Kern County filed an information against defendant Rodney Berryman in the superior court of that county.

Count I charged that on or about September 6, 1987, defendant murdered Florence Hildreth. (Pen. "Code, § 187.) It was alleged for death eligibility that he did so under the special circumstance of felony murder in the course of rape (id., § 261). (Id., § 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(iii).) It was alleged for enhancement of sentence that he personally used a deadly or dangerous weapon, viz., a knife. (Id., § 12022, subd. (b).)

Count II charged that on or about September 6, 1987, defendant raped Hildreth. (Pen. Code, former § 261, subd. (2), as amended by Stats. 1985, ch. 283, § 1, pp. 1307-1308, Pen. Code, present § 261, subd. (a)(2).) It was alleged for enhancement of sentence that he personally used a deadly or dangerous weapon, viz., a knife. (Id., § 12022, subd. (b).)

Defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the allegations.

Trial was by jury. The panel returned a verdict…

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