Hughes

Defendant appeals (by operation of Pen. Code, § 1239, subd. (b)) from judgments of death and of imprisonment imposed pursuant to jury verdicts finding him guilty of murder in the first degree, assault with a deadly weapon, and five counts of armed robbery. The jury fixed the penalty for the murder conviction at death, and the trial court denied defendant’s motions for a new trial and for reduction of the penalty to life imprisonment.

Defendant contends that his counsel’s right to question the prospective jurors on voir dire concerning their views on imposing the death penalty was unduly restricted; that defendant was denied his constitutional right to be represented by counsel when the trial court refused to appoint a private attorney in place of the Public Defender of Los Angeles County; and that the deputy public defender’s conduct of the defense was such that he was denied the right to competent and effective aid of counsel. We have concluded that defendant's contentions are without merit, that the record discloses no prejudicial error or unfairness to defendant at any stage of the proceedings, and hence that the judgments of conviction should be affirmed.

Defendant was…