People v. Thomas

Summary

The court affirmed the capital judgment after rejecting challenges to the denial of investigative funding, admission of other-acts and photographic evidence, admission of prior testimony, and the sufficiency and legal validity of the special-circumstance findings. It held that the trial court acted within its discretion in requiring specific showings for defense funding and in admitting evidence relevant to motive, intent, and the circumstances of the charged murder. The court further concluded that any assumed error concerning the prior-murder special circumstance or evidence related to the second murder was harmless.