The State of Arizona, Appellee v. Johnathan Ian Burns, Appellant

Summary

The court affirmed Burns's convictions and sentences, including the death sentence, after rejecting challenges to the continuances, jury selection, evidentiary rulings, joinder, sufficiency of the evidence, juror misconduct, prosecutorial conduct, jury coercion, aggravating circumstances, and penalty-phase procedures. The court held that joining the weapons charge with the murder-related charges was erroneous because it exposed the jury to otherwise inadmissible prior convictions, but found the error harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. The court also concluded that the evidence supported the convictions and aggravating circumstances and that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in imposing or reviewing the sentence.