The Supreme Court today affirms the death sentence in People v. Anderson for the defendant’s conviction of murder in the commission or attempted commission of robbery and burglary. During the penalty phase of the trial, the defendant told the jury, “I feel compelled to tell you two things: One is that I don’t give a shit. Give me the death penalty. If you believe I’m guilty, kill me. The second is: I’m innocent. Your verdict was wrong, and I hope you all can’t sleep with yourselves.” He followed that up by saying, “I really despise all of you.”
The court’s unanimous opinion by Justice Ming Chin finds no merit in the defendant’s numerous appellate arguments, including his claim that his trial should have been severed from his three co-defendants and that the superior court erred in not ordering a drug test for a witness whom defense counsel suspected of being under the influence at trial. The court also didn’t buy the defendant’s contention that the superior court shouldn’t have let him make his statement to the jury: “Acquiescing in defendant’s wishes did not violate his rights.”
