People v. Williams

This is an automatic appeal from a judgment imposing the death penalty and two other penalties.

Defendant is a negro inmate of the California State Prison at San Quentin, California. He is serving, and was serving at the time the alleged offenses were committed, an indeterminate sentence of from one year to life for second degree *217 robbery. He was charged by indictment with three offenses, to wit; (1) murder; (2) assault by a life prisoner in violation of section 4500 of the Penal Code; (3) assault with caustic chemical in violation of section 244 of the Penal Code. Edwards, also a negro inmate of San Quentin, came to his death as a result of the effect of a combination of lye and water upon his face and neck. The lye water is alleged to have been thrown upon Edwards by defendant. Defendant waived a jury. The court, sitting without a jury, found him guilty of the three offenses as charged. The degree of murder was fixed at first degree. Defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment on the murder charge; to the death penalty for assault by a life prisoner; and to the penalty prescribed by law for assault with caustic chemical.

The second count of the indictment and the sentence…