People v. Wilson CA2/7

INTRODUCTION

Defendant Stephen P. Wilson was convicted of attempted murder, torture, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment, willful infliction of corporal injury on a cohabitant, and criminal threats. The jury did not reach a verdict as to a seventh count, forcible rape. Wilson asserts numerous claims of error stemming from his trial, including: (1) the trial court abused its discretion in denying his request for a continuance; (2) the trial court abused its discretion in admitting a telephone statement made by Wilson, in which he told his friend that his former attorney told him he had “no defense”; (3) the trial court abused its discretion when it admitted evidence of past, uncharged incidents of domestic violence under Evidence Code section 1109; (4) the trial court abused its discretion in admitting expert testimony concerning intimate partner violence, commonly known as battered woman syndrome; (5) the prosecutor engaged in misconduct during closing argument; and (6) the trial court erred in providing the jury with a “firecracker” instruction after the jury indicated it could not reach a verdict as to some or all of the charges against…