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Post by falcon66 on Aug 10, 2006 9:40:56 GMT -5
August 07 2006
SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court upheld the convictions and death sentence Monday for serial killer Richard Ramirez whose so-called Night Stalker killing spree terrorized the Los Angeles area in the mid 1980s.Ramirez, 46, was sentenced to death in 1989 for 13 Los Angeles-area murders in 1984 and 1985. The justices unanimously denied claims that Ramirez was incompetent to stand trial, that the case should have been moved outside Los Angeles, and that all the killings should not have been handled at one trial.The court also rejected an unusual claim that Ramirez should have been denied his choice of lawyers, who were hired by his family.Defendants often argue they were not allowed to hire the attorneys they wanted, but Ramirez's appellate team said his choice led to an incompetent defense.Both trial attorneys had a combined five years of experience and a history of being held in contempt. Each was absent for long periods during Ramirez's trial.Despite warning Ramirez against retaining the two, the judge did not disqualify them."A defendant whose request to substitute counsel is granted cannot complain on appeal that the trial court should have denied the request," Justice Carlos Moreno wrote in the 106-page opinion.The justices were not weighing the effectiveness of the attorneys, which is the subject of another appeal. The justices ruled that defendants generally have the right to choose lawyers of their choice.
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