People v. Mai
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After a jury-waived trial, Defendant was convicted of first degree murder. The court found true the special circumstance that the killing was intentional and that Defendant knew or should have known the victim was a peace officer engaged in the performance of duty. After a penalty jury returned a death verdict, Defendant was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence, holding (1) Defendant's counsel did not labor under a conflict of interest or provide ineffective assistance; (2) the evidence supporting the special circumstance finding that Defendant intentionally killed a police officer engaged in the performance of duty was legally sufficient; (3) a certain juror was not biased on the issue of penalty; (4) substantial evidence supported the race-neutral reasons given by the prosecutor for his excusal of African-American prospective jurors; (5) the trial procedures did not deny Defendant reliable determinations of death eligibility and of the appropriate penalty; and (6) California's death penalty statute is not unconstitutional.
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