People v. Pearson, 53 Cal. 4th 306

Pearson was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1998 first-degree murder of Penny Sigler, with multiple accompanying felonies; this automatic appeal challenged the death sentence due to an excused prospective juror over capital punishment views.
Sigler’s body was found December 29, 1998 along a freeway embankment in Long Beach with extensive blunt-force and sexual-violence injuries; DNA and other physical evidence tied Pearson and coactors to the crime.
Pearson provided multiple statements to police, including an incriminating January 7 interview after initial denial, with the state asserting ongoing cooperation; later statements varied in detail.
DNA matched Pearson’s clothing and Hardy’s DNA was found on the victim, supporting the theory of a joint attack; shoe prints and stamp records linked the crime to the involved individuals.
The trial included testimony about gang membership and family history; the defense offered options including intoxication evidence and mental health assessments; the court ultimately addressed suppression, recording, and instructional issues affecting liability and penalty.
The court remanded for a new penalty trial, vacating the death sentence and several related findings, while affirming most of the guilt-phase convictions; the opinion also overturned the personal-use weapon findings and certain torture-based theories.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the January 7 interview was reasonably contemporaneous with Miranda advisements	People argued contemporaneity supported admissibility	Pearson contended failure to readvise Miranda violated rights	Admission sustained; interview reasonably contemporaneous
Whether the failure to tape-record the entire interview violated due process	People argued no blanket tape rule required	Pearson asserted due process violation	No due process violation established
Whether Pearson personally used the stake or stick in the Sigler attack	People argued inference from conduct permissible	Pearson claimed others primarily used the stake	Insufficient evidence of personal weapon use; uphold vacatur of personal-use findings
Whether torturerelated instructions and related factors were correctly given	People argued proper statutory predicates and aiding/abetting rules	Pearson challenged misinstruction about intent to kill and major-participant standards	Instructional error on torture as predicate for first-degree murder; torture-murder special circumstance vacated; remand for proper penalty determination
Whether the death sentence was improper due to juror C.O.’s excusal for cause	People argued C.O. equivocal views supported cause removal	Pearson argued removal violated defendant’s right to impartial jury	Error to excuse C.O.; death sentence reversed; automatic reversal of penalty

People v. Mickle, 54 Cal.3d 140 (Cal. 1991) (contiguity of warnings and interrogation considered for admissibility)
People v. Smith, 40 Cal.4th 483 (Cal. 2007) (contemporaneity standard for Miranda waivers)
People v. Holt, 15 Cal.4th 619 (Cal. 1997) (due process not violated by nonrecording absent bad faith)
People v. McCoy, 25 Cal.4th 1111 (Cal. 2001) (aiding and abetting and natural‑and‑probable-consequences liability guidance)
People v. Jennings, 50 Cal.4th 616 (Cal. 2010) (analysis of intent in torture and related circumstances)