People v. Pineda

Summary

The court affirmed the convictions and death sentences for defendant’s murders of Rafael Sanchez and Raul Tinajero. It held that the trial court properly excused a prospective juror whose conflicting and equivocal views substantially impaired his ability to follow capital-sentencing law, and it found no reversible evidentiary error in admitting jail-security and other-acts evidence. The court also concluded that any possible error in admitting marginal contraband evidence was harmless. Justice Liu filed a concurring opinion, but that separate writing is not included in the supplied record.