People v. Williams

Damian Monroe Williams appeals from the judgment entered following a jury trial that resulted in his conviction of mayhem and four counts of misdemeanor assault. (Pen. Code, §§ 203, 240, 241.) We affirm.

Background

Since appellant does not dispute the sufficiency of the evidence, a short summary will suffice. On the evening of April 29, 1992, after the not guilty verdicts were made public on the case against the Los Angeles police officers who beat Rodney King, appellant engaged in a series of criminal acts. He hurled a brick at Reginald Denny, hitting him in the head, after Denny had been dragged out of his truck and beaten by several other individuals. Appellant also shattered the windshields of Alicia Maldonado Doby’s car and Takao Hirata’s Bronco while each was still inside, struck Jorge Gonzales, and spray-painted Fidel Lopez’s face.

Appellant’s defenses were mistaken identity, that he lacked the specific intent to injure or kill due to “group contagion behavior,” and that Denny was not permanently disfigured.

Issues

Appellant contends that the trial court erred when it (1) denied his expert an opportunity to conduct a physical examination of Denny, (2) denied…