Sattiewhite
People v. Sattiewhite
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Kennard, J.
*453 Opinion
I. Procedural History
A jury convicted defendant Christopher James Sattiewhite of the rape (Pen. Code, § 261), 1 kidnapping (~ 207), and murder (~ 187) of Genoveva Gonzales. The jury found true the special circumstance allegations that the murder occurred during the commission of the rape and kidnapping (~ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(B), (C)), and it found that defendant personally used a firearm during the commission of the murder (~ 1203.06, 12022,5),
The jury returned a verdict of death. The trial court denied defendant’s motion for a new trial and for modification of the verdict (§ 190.4, subd. (e)), and it sentenced him to death. This appeal is automatic. (§ 1239, subd. (b).)
The judgment is affirmed in its entirety.
II. Factual Background
A. Guilt phase
1. Prosecution’s case
a. The murder of Genoveva Gonzales
Early in the morning of Sunday, January 26, 1992, two fishermen discovered the partially nude body of Genoveva Gonzales in a roadside ditch near the beach on the outskirts of the City of Oxnard. She had been shot in the head three times at close range with a .32-caliber gun. There was one set of footprints near the body and no sign of a struggle. Although…
Concurring Opinion
Liu, J.
Concurring. — I agree with the court’s rejection of defendant’s claim under Batson v. Kentucky (1986) 476 U.S. 79 [ 90 L.Ed.2d 69 , 106 S.Ct. 1712 ] (Batson) that the prosecutor’s strike of Prospective Juror P.M. was racially motivated. But I disagree with the court’s reasoning.
After defense counsel objected to the prosecutor’s strike of P.M., the trial court, at the first stage of Batson’s three-stage analysis, found that no prima facie case of discrimination had been shown. The trial court nevertheless invited the prosecutor to state his reasons for the strike. The prosecutor accepted the invitation and gave his reasons. After hearing the reasons, the trial court denied the Batson motion apparently on the basis of its initial finding that defendant had made no prima facie showing of discrimination.
Today’s opinion disposes of defendant’s claim at the first stage of the Batson inquiry, even though the prosecutor stated his actual reasons for the strike. In so doing, the court opts to hypothesize why the prosecutor would have wanted to strike P.M. (maj. opn., ante, at p. 470) when the actual reasons stated by the prosecutor are in the record before us (id. at p. 468). The court…
Opinion
Filed 6/30/
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA
THE PEOPLE, )
) Plaintiff and Respondent, ) ) S039894 v. ) )
CHRISTOPHER JAMES SATTIEWHITE, )
) Ventura County Defendant and Appellant. ) Super. Ct. No. CR 31367 ____________________________________ )
I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
A jury convicted defendant Christopher James Sattiewhite of the rape (Pen. Code, § 261),1 kidnapping (§ 207), and murder (§ 187) of Genoveva Gonzales. The jury found true the special circumstance allegations that the murder occurred during the commission of the rape and kidnapping (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(B), (C)), and it found that defendant personally used a firearm during the commission of the murder (§§ 1203.06, 12022.5).
All statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise specified.
1 The jury returned a verdict of death. The trial court denied defendant‘s motion for a new trial and for modification of the verdict (§ 190.4, subd. (e)), and it sentenced him to death. This appeal is automatic. (§ 1239, subd. (b).) The judgment is affirmed in its entirety.