Wainwright v. Witt

Holding that juror bias determination is a question of fact, even though "[t]he trial judge is of course applying some kind of legal standard to what he sees and hears"

Duncan v. Louisiana

Holding that trial by jury is a fundamental right

People v. Clark

Holding that because the jury was instructed to ignore the improper question, there was little risk the jury made improper inferences from defendant's silence

People v. Rogers

Holding as to equal protection and other constitutional claims, "defendant forfeited each of these claims by failing to raise them at trial"

People v. Yeoman

Holding that the trial court's error in depriving defendant of peremptory challenges was harmless because no incompetent juror sat on the panel

People v. Weaver

Holding that under California law, a reviewing court must "defer to the trial court's resolution of disputed facts, including the credibility of witnesses, if that resolution is supported by substantial evidence"

People v. Moye

Finding failure to instruct on heat of passion voluntary manslaughter harmless because among other things, "[o]nce the jury rejected defendant's claims of reasonable and imperfect self-defense, there was little if any independent evidence remaining to support his further claim that he killed in the heat of passion . . . or acted rashly or impulsively while under its influence for reasons unrelated to his perceived need for self-defense."

People v. Blair

Holding that defendant's having been found insane and confined to a mental institution fifteen years earlier “was insufficient to compel a doubt whether defendant had the mental capacity to understand the proceedings against him in the current prosecution,” and that judge misspoke when he referred to defendant as a “psychopath,” a condition involving lack of touch with reality and thus implying an inability to assist with his defense

People v. Mills

Upholding as race-neutral the prosecutor’s stated concern about a prospective juror’s belief that the prosecution in the O.J. Simpson murder trial had not proved Simpson’s guilt

People v. Parson

Holding that “[a]n intent to commit theft by a false pretense or a false promise without the intent to perform will support a burglary conviction” and finding substantial evidence to support burglary conviction when defendant entered victim's home intending to “ ‘con’ ” her out of money

Rule 8.500 - Petition for review