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People v. Gamache (Cal. Supreme Ct. - March 18, 2010)

By Shaun Martin

It's a California Supreme Court death penalty opinion. So I don't have to tell you how it's coming out, or what the vote's going to be. That you already know.

But the one today has a twist. The California Supremes say, essentially: "I've got some good news, and I've got some bad news."

Bad news: We're unanimously affirming your conviction and death sentence. So there you go. Ditto for your three additional life sentences, and plethora of additional enhancements.

Good news: We're getting rid of one of your gun enhancements as duplicative. So you only have to be executed, spend three lives in jail, and 40 or so extra years, not 48.

Oh, yeah. More bad news. But we're also holding that the trial court gave you too little time on the gun enhancements on other counts. So maybe it's 48 -- or 53 -- additional post-death years as well. Sorry about that.

But when you die. On your death bed. You shall receive total consciousness.

So you got that going for you. Which is nice.

Full post as published by California Appellate Report on March 18, 2010 (boomark / email).