United States v. George L. Awkard, United States of America v. John Wright Williams, United States of America v. Clarence Hinnant, Jr., United States of America v. Paul Milton Laney, United States of America v. Richard Lafayette Thompson

597 F.2d 667 50 A.L.R.Fed. 594, 4 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 826 UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. George L. AWKARD, Appellant. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. John Wright WILLIAMS, Appellant. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Clarence HINNANT, Jr., Appellant. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Paul Milton LANEY, Appellant. UNITED STATES of America, Appellee, v. Richard Lafayette THOMPSON, Appellant. Nos. 77-2577, 77-2579, 77-2538, 77-2578 and 77-2623. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. April 23, 1979. Howard W. Gillingham, Los Angeles, Cal., Alvin S. Michaelson, Beverly Hills, Cal., for appellants Williams and Awkard. Curtis B. Rappe, Asst. U. S. Atty., Los Angeles, Cal., for the U. S. Morton H. Boren, Los Angeles, Cal., Michael D. Sobel, Beverly Hills, Cal., for appellants Hinnant and Laney. Elliott L. Aheroni, Beverly Hills, Cal., for appellant Thompson. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Before GOODWIN and TANG, Circuit Judges, and EAST * , District Judge. GOODWIN, Circuit Judge: 1 Five defendants, convicted of a prison murder, appeal. They assert, among other assignments, that the court erred in…