People v. Parker

Summary

The court affirmed defendant’s first degree murder conviction and death sentence. It held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by declining to initiate competency proceedings, by restricting access to sealed television footage, or by admitting challenged sexually graphic evidence, photographs, expert testimony, and sperm-cell evidence. The court concluded that the challenged evidence was relevant and that its probative value was not substantially outweighed by prejudice; any assumed error concerning the tool-mark testimony was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.