Full opinion text
Opinion BAXTER, J. A jury convicted defendant Darren Cornelius Stanley of the first degree murder of Rudy Rubalcava (Pen. Code, § 187) (count I), the attempted murder of Mitchell Fakoury (§§ 664, 187) (count IV), and the robberies of Joseph Sieder, Joseph Coggiano, Mitchell Fakoury, Joshua Adelaja, John Cheatam, and James Dollison (§§ 211, 212.5, subd. (b)) (counts II, III, V, VI, VII, and IX). A robbery-murder special circumstance was found true (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(i)), and defendant was found to have personally used a deadly weapon (knife) in the commission of the murder, attempted murder, and six of the robberies. (§ 12022, subd. (b).) Defendant admitted allegations that he had suffered six prior felony convictions for residential burglary for which he had served a separate prison sentence. (§ 667, subd. (a).) After a penalty trial the jury returned a verdict of death. The trial court denied the automatic motion to modify penalty (§ 190.4, subd. (e)) and imposed the sentence of death. Defendant also received a 27-year aggregate prison sentence for the noncapital offenses of which he was convicted. This appeal is automatic. (§ 1239.) We affirm the convictions and judgment of death but order defendant’s determinate sentence reduced by two years. I. FACTS A. Guilt Phase 1. Prosecution evidence Defendant committed the murder, attempted murder, and six robberies of which he was convicted during a crime spree in Oakland that began on December 24, 1988, and ended with his arrest on January 12, 1989. Robbery of Joseph Sieder (Count II) On the afternoon of December 24, 1988, Joseph Sieder was robbed by defendant in the elevator of an apartment building at 725 Market Street in Oakland. Defendant entered the elevator while a second, taller Black man stood in the doorway. Defendant told Sieder, “Give me your mother-fucking money. I have a gun. Give me your money.” When Sieder refused, defendant struck him in the face with a heavy blunt object, causing him to lose consciousness. When Sieder regained consciousness he was lying on the elevator floor, bleeding profusely, with his wallet, credit cards, and $550 cash missing from his tom pants pocket. He was transported to Kaiser Hospital where his facial wounds were stitched closed. Several weeks later, Sieder attended a live lineup and identified defendant as his assailant with “90 percent” certainty. At trial, Sieder also tentatively identified a photograph of defendant’s cousin, Clifford Williams, as the second, taller Black man who stood in the elevator doorway during the attack. Sieder’s wallet and credit cards were later recovered during the execution of a search warrant, in connection with the Rubalcava murder, at defendant’s cousin Cynthia Williams’s Oakland apartment where defendant had stayed. Robbery of Joseph Coggiano (Count III) On the evening of December 27, 1988, Joseph Coggiano, a businessman, was robbed by defendant in the restroom of a service station on Castro Street in Oakland where he had stopped for gas. Two Black men entered the restroom. Coggiano testified defendant resembled the shorter of the two men, and he identified a photograph of defendant’s cousin, Clifford Williams, as resembling the taller man. Defendant punched Coggiano in the face, causing him to fall to the floor, and demanded his money. Coggiano removed everything from his pockets; approximately $35-$70 was taken by defendant as Williams stood at the door. The gas station attendant came to Coggiano’s assistance, pulling one of the men off of him. When Coggiano found himself alone in the restroom he locked himself in until the police arrived. Coggiano positively identified defendant as his assailant at a photographic lineup and again at a live lineup. Clifford Williams testified at trial that he and “Roger Hayes,” an alias defendant was using at that time, robbed Coggiano on the evening in question. Robbery and attempted murder of Mitchell Fakoury (Counts IV, V) On the afternoon of January 7, 1989, defendant robbed and repeatedly stabbed elderly Mitchell Fakoury, who survived the attack. Fakoury was sitting in the front passenger seat of his vehicle reading a newspaper while parked in front of his clothing store on 7th Street in Oakland. A man whom he identified in court as defendant approached and asked him for the time. Within seconds defendant started waving a knife around Fakoury’s neck, stating, “I’m going to kill you.” Fakoury replied, “No need for that. What do you want to kill me for?” Defendant slashed Fakoury’s neck, pushed him down flat on his back on the front seat and started tearing at his pants in an effort to get at his wallet in his rear pants pocket. At some point during the attack defendant stabbed Fakoury in the neck and stomach. After defendant fled with the wallet Fakoury got out of his vehicle and, seeing his clothes soaked in blood, realized the extent of his injuries. Fakoury identified People’s exhibit No. 2—the knife later recovered in connection with the Rubalcava stabbing murder—as “looking] pretty well like the knife” defendant used to stab him. Although he did not know “types of knives” very well, Fakoury knew defendant’s knife was a “big folding knife with a little sort of knob on it.” Two young girls saw Fakoury’s assailant drop a wallet on the ground as he ran from the scene. One summoned her mother, who looked inside the wallet and recognized Fakoury’s picture as that of a local merchant. They ran around the comer, found Fakoury lying bleeding on the pavement, attempted to stop the flow of blood from his neck with towels, and summoned police. Fakoury was mshed to Highland Hospital. Dr. Badger, the surgeon who attended to him, testified his neck wounds were three inches to four inches deep, penetrating the muscles below his jaw, cutting through many branches of the carotid artery, and severing his jugular vein in half. Fakoury also suffered stab wounds to his stomach and right flank as well as permanent facial injuries which were evident at trial. Murder of Rudy Rubalcava (Count I) On January 8, 1989, at approximately 3:45 a.m., defendant robbed and fatally stabbed Rudy Rubalcava while he was pumping gas at the Shell station on 7th and Market Streets in Oakland. The murder occurred approximately 12 hours after the robbery and attempted murder of Fakoury, and only several blocks’ distance from the scene of those earlier crimes. Four witnesses observed Rubalcava’s murder. Defendant’s brother, Isaac Stanley, and Golden Gamer and Norma Moss, both of whom knew defendant from the neighborhood, all witnessed the incident and positively identified defendant as Rubalcava’s assailant. Gas station attendant Tosha Dunson, the principal witness for the defense, testified defendant was not the man she had seen rob Rubalcava. Isaac Stanley was sitting on a bus stop bench drinking beer across the street from the Shell station and observed his brother walk over to the station and become engaged in “a tussle” with Rubalcava. Isaac observed defendant punching and swinging his arm at Rubalcava while he was down on the ground, striking the victim “at least three or four times” in the head and chest. Isaac heard Rubalcava yelling, “Help this guy is trying to rob me.” Afterwards, defendant ran into the apartment building at 1050 7th Street where Isaac had been staying, in apartment No. 307, and where defendant had spent several nights. Isaac followed defendant into the building and the two spent about 20 minutes in the apartment. Defendant’s hand was bleeding and wrapped in a bandanna; he told Isaac he had cut himself. Defendant was angry at Isaac for not helping him. Defendant changed his clothes before leaving the apartment. On cross-examination, Isaac admitted giving a somewhat different account of the incident to police when he was taken in for questioning about the murder, and several months thereafter, when he spoke with a defense investigator. Isaac claimed he had been drinking and was under the influence on both occasions. Golden Gamer worked as a maintenance man for the buildings at 1050 7th Street, where Isaac Stanley had an apartment, and 725 Market Street, where he (Gamer) shared an eighth floor apartment with Norma Moss overlooking the Shell station. Gamer knew defendant and Isaac Stanley from the neighborhood. He had seen both brothers in the lobby of his building on Market Street at various times, and had experienced “a little difficulty” with them and their cousin, Clifford Williams, in the past. Gamer knew defendant as “D,” and testified defendant has a distinct, deep “froggie” voice. He described Isaac Stanley as having a “turned eye.” At 3:45 a.m., Moss awoke Gamer after seeing two men straggling at the Shell station through their window. Gamer went to the window and witnessed defendant struggling with another man, whom he thought may have been of Chinese descent. The man was yelling, “Help, I’m being robbed,” and defendant appeared to be dragging him on the ground as he (defendant) tried to get away.' Gamer also saw Isaac Stanley sitting on a bench at the bus stop across the street. After defendant fled on foot, several persons appeared at the gas station and tried to assist Rubalcavá. Gamer testified that Moss telephoned the police anonymously to report the attack and summon an ambulance. Certain he knew the identity of Rubalcava’s assailant, Gamer also telephoned the police later that day. Moss and Gamer gave the police the addresses of the 725 Market Street and 1050 7th Street buildings as places where Rubalcava’s assailant might be found. A few days later, Gamer spoke with the Oakland police and identified a photograph of defendant as Rubalcava’s assailant. Moss testified she witnessed the attack on Rubalcava at the Shell station from her eighth floor apartment window. She initially heard loud talking and saw two men, whom she could not identify, arguing and shoving one another. One of the men started yelling for help. She saw the larger man fall to the ground; when he tried to get up she could see his pants pulled down around his thighs. Then the smaller man, whom Moss by then could make out as defendant, fled toward her apartment building. Moss called the police to report the crime. Moss also saw a man with a “wandering eye” standing at the bus stop across the street from the station throughout the altercation. He did not intervene when the victim cried out for help and did not leave until after the attack. Moss identified a photograph of Isaac Stanley as looking like this man. Several days later, upon defendant’s arrest, Moss gave a statement to Oakland police and identified defendant’s photograph as Rubalcava’s assailant. Moss also identified a photograph of defendant’s cousin, Clifford Williams, as someone she had seen together with defendant and Isaac Stanley on occasions in the past. Officer John Mendez was dispatched to the Shell station at approximately 3:45 a.m. on January 9, 1989. An ambulance was already at the scene and paramedics were attending to Rubalcava. Officer Mendez observed a bloodied folding Buck knife with its tip broken off under Rubalcava’s vehicle. Officer Thomas Viglienzone photographed and searched the crime scene for evidence and took the bloodied Buck knife (People’s exhibit No. 2) into evidence. Rubalcava was transported to the emergency room of Highland Hospital, arriving shortly after Dr. Badger completed surgery on Fakoury. Dr. Badger testified that, like Fakoury, Rubalcava suffered a deep stab wound to the right side of his neck, penetrating the muscles underneath his jaw bone and severing many branches of the carotid artery. Rubalcava also suffered a stab wound to the lower chest-abdominal area, which penetrated his diaphragm and liver, and three stab wounds to the right side of his head; two just above his right ear. Dr. Badger concluded that, given the timing and similarity of the nature and locations of the wounds to Fakoury and Rubalcava, the same person had attacked and stabbed both victims. Rubalcava lost over seven quarts of blood, underwent two surgeries, and died shortly thereafter from cardiorespiratory arrest due to his multiple stab wounds. Both Dr. Badger and Dr. Rogers, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Rubalcava, believed the knife received into evidence (People’s exhibit No. 2) could have caused Rubalcava’s fatal wounds. During the autopsy, a small piece of metal was recovered from the inner surface of Rubalcava’s skull (People’s exhibit No. 6) matching the broken tip of the blade of the knife received into evidence. Fred Stewart lived with Paula Ward and several others in apartment No. 903 at 1050 7th Street, the building in which Isaac Stanley had an apartment. When defendant and Isaac Stanley returned to the building after the incident, Stewart and Ward helped clean and bandage defendant’s hand which was bleeding “real bad.” Stewart heard defendant tell Isaac he was upset with him for not helping him while he was “fighting this crazy Mexican.” Stewart also heard defendant tell Isaac, “I got the money, I went in the pocket, that [szc] I got the money.” Two weeks earlier, Stewart had seen defendant in possession of a folding Buck knife similar to the one received into evidence, except at that time “its tip was not broken.” Three search warrants were executed in connection with the investigation of the Rubalcava murder. Credit cards and identification belonging to robbery victim Joseph Sieder were recovered from Cynthia Williams’s apartment (No. 505) at 1050 7th Street in Oakland. Bloodstained clothing and tennis shoes were among the items of evidence recovered from Isaac Stanley’s apartment (No. 307) in the same building. The testimony of a forensic serologist established that the blood on the tennis shoes was consistent with Rubalcava’s blood and inconsistent with the blood of defendant and Fakoury. Robbery of Joshua Adelaja (Count VI) On January 8, 1989, at 3:35 p.m., less than 13 hours after robbing and fatally stabbing Rubalcava, defendant robbed taxicab driver Joshua Adelaja at knifepoint. Adelaja was called to 1050 7th Street, apartment No. 903, in Oakland. He rang the bell and was told by a woman that she would be right down. As Adelaja waited in his cab in front of the building, defendant got into the rear seat, told Adelaja to wait for his “lady friend,” then grabbed Adelaja by the neck, held a knife to his throat, and stated, “Don’t shout, don’t make any noise, don’t call the police, just give me all the money.” Adelaja hesitated. When defendant told him he was going to slash his throat, Adelaja gave defendant the money from his shirt pocket. Defendant told Adelaja it was not enough money and began “shaking” down the victim’s pants. Adelaja complied and gave defendant approximately $100-$120 from his pants pocket. Defendant grabbed the money and ran. Adelaja positively identified defendant as his assailant in a photographic lineup, and again at a physical lineup, and also positively identified a knife later recovered from Isaac Stanley’s apartment (People’s exhibit No. 13) as the knife defendant held to his throat during the robbery. Robbery of John Cheatham (Count VII) On January 8, 1989, at 10:15 p.m., less than seven hours after robbing Adelaja, defendant robbed a second taxicab driver, John Cheatham, at knifepoint. Cheatham was sitting in his cab at 12th and Campbell Streets in Oakland when defendant approached and asked him for a cigarette, then a light, and then pointed a knife at his throat, stating, “Give me the money, mother fucker.” Cheatham complied and defendant fled with the money. Cheatham identified defendant as his assailant at a live lineup. Robbery of James Dollison (Count IX) On January 12, 1989, at 4:30 p.m., defendant robbed a third taxicab driver, James Dollison, at knifepoint. Dollison was dispatched to an address on 86th Avenue where he found defendant waiting at the curb. Defendant got into the cab, appeared to momentarily lie down in the backseat, then came up holding a butcher knife which he put to Dollison’s throat or chin area. Defendant demanded money, Dollison resisted, and the two struggled for control of the knife. Defendant managed to remove $20 in currency from Dollison’s rear pants pocket before Dollison gained control of the knife and “bailed out of the cab,” cutting defendant’s hand or fingers in the process. Defendant jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off in the cab. Several days later, Dollison identified defendant as his assailant at a live lineup. Later that same evening, Oakland police located defendant sitting in Dollison’s cab parked on 80th Avenue in Oakland. When one officer approached on foot, defendant drove the cab toward him, prompting the officer to jump back into his unmarked patrol car to avoid being hit. A chase ensued involving at least five police officers, which ended when defendant crashed the cab into a private residence, fled on foot, and finally fell to the ground after warning shots were fired. Defendant’s left hand was observed to be wounded and wrapped in a blood-soaked rag when he was apprehended and taken into custody. 2. Defense evidence The primary defense witness at the guilt phase was Tosha Dunson, who was working at the Shell station when Rubalcava was robbed and fatally stabbed. Dunson was asleep in the cashier’s booth when a Mexican man knocked on the window, awakening her, and paid for gas. After he paid her, Dunson put her head down and closed her eyes. She was reawakened by yelling, looked up, and saw “a Mexican man and a Black man fighting.” Dunson saw the Black man punch Rubalcava in the face, rip a wallet out of his rear pants pocket, and run across the street toward an apartment building. She saw no weapons in either man’s hands. She called 911, telling the police it was a robbery. At one point Rubalcava came up to the booth stating he had been robbed and asking her to summon help. Dunson could see that Rubalcava was bleeding heavily, had “a hole in the back of his neck,” and appeared to be in shock, with his pants tom halfway down one leg. Dunson testified at defendant’s preliminary hearing, after which she told the district attorney’s investigator that defendant was not the Black man she had seen fighting with Rubalcava that night. She believed the man she saw was darker than defendant. On rebuttal, the prosecution presented evidence that the windows of the cashier’s booth in which Dunson worked were tinted medium brown, making things outside look several shades darker. B. Penalty Phase 1. Prosecution evidence The prosecution introduced evidence of defendant’s juvenile criminal history, which included an escape attempt, as well as evidence of assaults upon correctional officers while he was incarcerated in Soledad Prison, and assaults upon sheriff’s deputies while he was housed in county jail awaiting trial for these crimes. In 1983, defendant was arrested for a series of residential burglaries in Berkeley. As he was being transported to juvenile hall, defendant managed to jump out of a Berkeley police vehicle while still in leg restraints, after twice unsuccessfully attempting to wrestle control of the steering wheel from Officer Emberton, who was driving, in an effort to run the vehicle off the freeway. Defendant rolled across the slow lane of the freeway and jumped 35 feet to the street below. When recaptured two hours later, defendant told Officer Emberton, “[Yjou’ll never take me alive, because I’ll kill you first.” Thereafter, while being treated at the hospital for injuries suffered during the escape, defendant told Officer Emberton that “it didn’t matter where he was placed because there was no jail or institution that could hold him and that he would be out in a week’s time.” Defendant added that he would kill any police officers who tried to take him into custody or prevent his escape. In January 1985, defendant pled guilty to nine counts of residential burglary committed in September and October of 1984. Although a juvenile at the time, defendant was prosecuted as an adult after being found unfit for treatment in juvenile court. He received a six-year state prison sentence. While incarcerated at Soledad State Prison, defendant got into fights with other prisoners on two occasions. On one such occasion, a warning shot had to be fired to break up the fight. While in custody at the North County Jail in Oakland awaiting trial for the instant crimes, defendant struck a sheriff’s deputy in the mouth after refusing to return to his cell; fought with two deputies who were attempting to retrieve a dinner tray from his cell, sending one to the hospital and resulting in a six-month disability leave; fought with and punched two deputies in the head after refusing to be moved from his cell to a multipurpose room; and attacked and violently kicked a deputy who had removed a list entitled “Police Pig of the Year” from his cell window. On one occasion while in custody at the Santa Rita Jail, defendant had to be restrained with Mace after punching and fighting with deputies after refusing to return to his cell. 2. Defense evidence Several of defendant’s family members testified in his behalf at the penalty phase. Defendant’s father, Otis Stanley, Sr., testified he was divorced from defendant’s mother, Dorothy Hayes, when defendant, the youngest of three brothers, was still a baby. The mother abused alcohol and neglected the children. At the age of four or five, defendant and his brothers came to live with their father and his new partner, Pearl Stanley, and her children from a prior marriage. The children of the blended family were difficult to supervise, and some got into trouble. Defendant’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and died when defendant was 16. Defendant’s maternal grandfather also died while defendant was in prison. Defendant’s uncle, Joseph Hayes, a water company maintenance worker and Reverend of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Oakland, testified defendant was required to attend church with all of his family members until his grandfather’s death in 1981, at which time the family drifted apart. Defendant was more attached to his mother than were his brothers. While she was alive, defendant “did a little breaking and entering and stealing here and there” to help support her. Reverend Hayes told his sister (defendant’s mother) not to accept money from defendant in order to discourage him from committing more crimes. Pearl Stanley testified defendant and his brothers lived with her and their father from the time defendant was four until he moved out at age 16. Defendant went to church regularly and once saved her life when her grandchild started a fire in their house. Defendant’s older brother, Isaac Stanley, testified that while their mother was alive, defendant would steal things and sell them to buy food for her. Defendant began using crack cocaine in December 1988, using it daily and consuming eight or nine “rocks” at a time. Defendant became violent when under the influence of crack cocaine, and he was under the influence of the drug on the night of the Rubalcava robbery murder. Cynthia Williams, defendant’s cousin, testified defendant was a kind person who looked after his older brother Isaac. Trenda Stanley, whom defendant met in November 1988 and again in September 1990 while she was in jail for selling rock cocaine, testified she and defendant were married while he was awaiting trial for these crimes. In her opinion, defendant was not using drugs in late 1988, nor did she believe he committed the crimes with which he was charged. On cross-examination, she denied ever having supplied drugs to defendant. The defense also presented the testimony of three expert witnesses regarding the effects of crack cocaine on behavior. Everett Gremminger, who worked for the state medical board and had worked in the Oakland Police Department narcotics detail for 20 years, testified that crack or rock cocaine is a highly potent drug which, when burned and inhaled, stimulates the brain and greatly increases the heart rate and blood pressure. Crack cocaine usage causes euphoria and impairs judgment but does not render the user dysfunctional. Most of the people Gremminger arrested who were under the influence of the drug were aware of their crimes, recollected committing them, and generally committed those crimes for the purpose of obtaining more crack cocaine. Dr. William Pierce, a qualified expert in forensic clinical psychology, was enlisted by the defense in 1990 to evaluate defendant and develop his psychological and personality profile. He met with defendant for about 12 hours and administered a battery of psychological tests. He also spoke with defendant’s family members and familiarized himself with many of the records and investigative reports in the case. Dr. Pierce believed that defendant’s mother’s neglect of him, and her “inconsistent parenting” during his developmentally formative years, created “dependency needs” in defendant. At age 13, he exhibited more “oppositional” behavior when he quit junior high school and started committing burglaries. Dr. Pierce believed defendant’s personality was characterized by an “over-idealized self-image which covers his true feelings of fear and inadequacy.” This personality profile, when combined with cocaine use, would expectedly lead to increased aggressive behavior. Defendant told Dr. Pierce that in the latter part of 1988 his crack addiction controlled him and he “just started sticking people up.” According to Dr. Pierce, defendant was unable to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or conform his behavior to the law due to his cocaine addiction. On cross-examination, Dr. Pierce confirmed that defendant had no medical history of head injuries or loss of consciousness, nor did defendant exhibit any organic neurological dysfunction or severe emotional or psychological disturbances. Dr. Samuel Benson, a qualified expert in the fields of pharmacology and psychiatry, testified crack cocaine is highly addictive, as established by laboratory experiments conducted on monkeys that were given unlimited access to the drug and consumed it in fatal quantities. Based on his interviews with defendant, Dr. Benson believed defendant was severely addicted to crack cocaine at the times he committed these crimes, and that defendant’s crime spree might be explained by his drug addiction. II. DISCUSSION A. Pretrial/Jury Selection Issues 1. Faretta motion for self-representation Defendant first contends the judgment must be reversed because he was denied his Sixth Amendment right to represent himself. (Faretta v. California (1975) 422 U.S. 806 [45 L.Ed.2d 562, 95 S.Ct. 2525] (Faretta).) We cannot agree. Defendant’s request for self-representation was properly denied because, as the record reflects, he did not fully appreciate that he would be forgoing his right to the assistance of appointed counsel if permitted to represent himself. As such, the lower court reasonably concluded his purported waiver of his right to self-representation was not fully knowing and intelligent. (Faretta, supra, 422 U.S. at p. 835.) Moreover, in light of defendant’s subsequent acceptance of several appointed counsel to represent him, both at the preliminary hearing and throughout the ensuing trial, without renewing his request for self-representation, we further conclude he must be found to have ultimately waived or abandoned his asserted right of self-representation. (People v. Dunkle (2005) 36 Cal.4th 861, 909 [32 Cal.Rptr.3d 23, 116 P.3d 494] (Dunkle).) Defendant’s conditional request for self-representation was made in the course of a renewed motion for substitution of counsel (see People v. Marsden (1970) 2 Cal.3d 118 [84 Cal.Rptr. 156, 465 P.2d 44] (Marsden)) in what was then municipal court, one year prior to his preliminary hearing, and nearly two years prior to the start of trial. In response to the court’s initial inquiries, defendant confirmed that he was making a motion for self-representation and that he wanted to proceed without a lawyer. When the court explained that self-representation in a death penalty case was “almost always unwise,” defendant responded, “Hey, I feel I can defendant [sic] myself better than this man [Attorney Lincoln Mintz] can defend me.” When the court explained to defendant that he would be up against an experienced prosecutor, and asked if he understood he would “have to play by all the rules” whether he knew the rules or not, defendant responded, “I know and I understand all the rules.” But the record reflects defendant did not know and understand all the rules. In particular, he did not fully appreciate that if his request for self-representation was granted, the court would be under no further obligation to appoint standby counsel to assist him. Defendant stated to the court, “Well, I know what I’m saying at this time, I am feeling that I would like to represent myself, and I would ask the Court, you know what I’m saying, to allow me the fact that when I do—if and when I do get in trouble, to aid me and standby aide [szc].” The court explained to defendant, “It doesn’t work that way ... It’s like doing surgery on yourself. If you cut the wrong place, nobody’s going to stop the bleeding for you. Does that make sense to you?” Defendant replied, “Yeah. You’re telling me I can represent myself, but at the. same time I can’t have standby aide [szc]?” The court responded, “That’s right,” and explained further, “I’m not going to appoint extra counsel for you. If you want to be represented by a lawyer, you may be.” Defendant responded, “6th Amendment entitles I am entitled to standby aide [ízc].” The court once again attempted to explain to defendant that such was not the law, and that if he wanted to represent himself, he would not be entitled as a matter of right to the assistance of appointed counsel. Defendant responded, “I would like to represent myself on this matter, and at due time, I will leave it open. If need be, I will seek necessary counsel.” In response to this comment, the court yet again attempted to impress upon defendant that he had no right to the appointment of “standby aide” or “necessary counsel” if he chose to represent himself: “No, Mr. Stanley. That’s not one of your choices. You either make the decision to represent yourself and you go down that road, or you get adequate and well-trained counsel. But you don’t get to decide to represent yourself and decide you’re in real trouble and ask for a lawyer.” The court then attempted to determine the extent of defendant’s knowledge and awareness of the workings of a criminal courtroom. When asked, “What kind of experience do you have in court, Mr. Stanley?,” defendant replied, “I’ve been back and through them numerous times. I know how they operate. I know how the courts operate. I still have yet to learn some of the tactical years and how the process works. But doing my time in and out of here, I have seen numerous of times I’ve got somewhat of an experience, I feel, that I can defend myself.” Upon further questioning, defendant admitted he had never sat through a trial by jury or seen a jury selected, although he insisted, “But I know how it works,” indicating, “I’ve been doing a little studying, some law books.” When asked what law books he had consulted, defendant replied, “Trial jury process, you know, in which the defendant goes in there and picks who he want, and with the assistance of counsel, he will make the right chose [szc] with the jury whoever they don’t want.” (Italics added.) The court replied, “You keep talking about the assistance of counsel. You’re talking about putting yourself in a spot where you don’t have assistance of counsel.” When the court yet again sought to impress upon defendant that he had no right to the benefit of appointed counsel or any special assistance from the court if he chose to represent himself, defendant still commented, “Yeah, I understand that. But at the same time, like I say, when in due time, if I need aid by counsel, I feel I need aid by counsel, 1 would ask the Court—to reconcile an appointment in counsel or I’d have to buy a counsel, either one.” (Italics added.) The court denied defendant’s motion for self-representation with the following findings: “Mr. Stanley’s motion to represent himself under [Faretta] is denied for the following reasons: ffl First and foremost the Court finds that Mr. Stanley is not making a knowing and intelligent waiver of his right to counsel. It seems to the Court, after extended discussion, that Mr. Stanley does not completely understand either the circumstances into which he is putting himself, nor does he understand what would be expected of him if he were to attempt to represent himself in that by his own admission he has never seen a jury trial, never seen a jury picked. The Court feels based on Mr. Stanley’s demeanor and his manner in which he’s answering the questions that his reported understanding of the law is somewhat less inclusive than that which he represents [it] to be. I further find that he does not understand completely the reality that if he finds himself in trouble, once he’s undertaken his own representation, that it is a very real possibility that the Court will not appoint counsel for him. We’ve discussed that several times, and he keeps coming back to the notion that if he finds himself in difficulty, he will petition the Court for appointment of counsel. In the Court’s judgment, the authority of [Faretta] I do not feel that Mr. Stanley is making a knowing and intelligent waiver of his rights to counsel, and the Court’s decision in this regard goes well beyond the court’s own feeling that Mr. Stanley, in electing to represent himself, will be making a mistake. The Court’s ruling is based on motion that [sic] based on Mr. Stanley’s understanding of the situation in which he finds himself, that his waiver is not knowing and intelligent.” At the conclusion of the hearing, defendant’s renewed Marsden motion for substitution of appointed counsel was also denied. Five months later, a third request for substitution of counsel was granted, and a new attorney (Walter Cannady) was appointed to represent defendant at the preliminary hearing and throughout trial. Defendant accepted the appointment of Attorney Cannady, as well as second trial counsel (Attorney Richard Hove), and never again renewed his request for self-representation under Faretta. “A criminal defendant has a right to represent himself at trial under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. (Faretta[, supra,] 422 U.S. 806 [45 L.Ed.2d 562, 95 S.Ct. 2525] . . . ; People v. Marshall (1997) 15 Cal.4th 1, 20 [61 Cal.Rptr.2d 84, 931 P.2d 262] (Marshall).) A trial court must grant a defendant’s request for self-representation if three conditions are met. First, the defendant must be mentally competent, and must make his request knowingly and intelligently, having been apprised of the dangers of self-representation. (Faretta, supra, at p. 835; People v. Gallego (1990) 52 Cal.3d 115, 161 [276 Cal.Rptr. 679, 802 P.2d 169]; People v. Bloom (1989) 48 Cal.3d 1194, 1224-1225 [259 Cal.Rptr. 669, 774 P.2d 698].) Second, he must make his request unequivocally. (Faretta, supra, at p. 835; People v. Clark (1992) 3 Cal.4th 41, 98 [10 Cal.Rptr.2d 554, 833 P.2d 561] (Clark).) Third, he must make his request within a reasonable time before trial. (Marshall, supra, at pp. 20-21; Clark, supra, at p. 98; People v. Windham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 121, 128 [137 Cal.Rptr. 8, 560 P.2d 1187].)” (People v. Welch (1999) 20 Cal.4th 701, 729 [85 Cal.Rptr.2d 203, 976 P.2d 754].) “When confronted with a request” for self-representation, “a trial court must make the defendant ‘aware of the dangers and disadvantages of self-representation, so that the record.will establish that “he knows what he is doing and his choice is made with eyes open.” ’ (Faretta, supra, 422 U.S. at p. 835.) Unlike the right to representation by counsel, ‘ “[T]he right of self-representation is waived unless defendants articulately and unmistakably demand to proceed pro se.” ’ (. . . Marshall[, supra, at p.] 21 . . . ; id. at p. 23 [‘[T]he court should draw every reasonable inference against waiver of the right to counsel’]; see Brewer v. Williams (1977) 430 U.S. 387, 391, 404 [51 L.Ed.2d 424, 97 S.Ct. 1232] [‘courts indulge in every reasonable presumption against waiver’ of the postarraignment right to counsel].) In determining on appeal whether the defendant invoked the right to self-representation, we examine the entire record de novo. (See Marshall, at pp. 24-25.)” (People v. Dent (2003) 30 Cal.4th 213, 217-218 [132 Cal.Rptr.2d 527, 65 P.3d 1286].) Here, it is undisputed that defendant’s request for self-representation was timely, having been made one year before his preliminary hearing and nearly two years before the start of trial. Nor has respondent argued that defendant was mentally incompetent to waive counsel. But we agree with the conclusion of respondent and the lower court that heard the motion—defendant’s request to represent himself was not knowingly and intelligently made in that he did not fully understand or appreciate that the court would be under no further obligation to appoint counsel for him if his Faretta motion for self-representation was granted. (Faretta, supra, 422 U.S. at p. 835.) . We have observed that “a [Faretta] motion made out of a temporary whim, or out of annoyance or frustration, is not unequivocal—even if the defendant has said he or she seeks self-representation.” (Marshall, supra, 15 Cal.4th at p. 21.) “Equivocation, which sometimes refers only to speech, is broader in the context of the Sixth Amendment, and takes into account conduct as well as other expressions of intent.” (Williams v. Bartlett (2d Cir. 1994) 44 F.3d 95, 100.) Here, defendant orally interposed his request for self-representation during a renewed Marsden motion made in municipal court one year before his preliminary hearing and nearly two years before the start of trial, out of apparent annoyance or frustration with his first appointed counsel, Attorney Mintz, who he claimed was “withholding evidence” from him during the early stages of discovery. Before granting a Faretta motion, a trial court must determine the defendant is competent to waive his right to counsel, and must obtain his or her knowing and voluntary waiver of that right. (Godinez v. Moran (1993) 509 U.S. 389, 396-101 [125 L.Ed.2d 321, 113 S.Ct. 2680]; Faretta, supra, 422 U.S. at p. 835; Marshall, supra, at p. 20.) Courts must “indulge every reasonable inference against waiver of the right to counsel.” (Marshall, supra, at p. 20.) We conclude defendant’s various comments on the record reflect his belief that he had a continuing constitutional right to the appointment and assistance of counsel even if his request for self-representation were to be granted. On this record, the lower court reasonably concluded defendant was not making a knowing and intelligent waiver of his right to counsel given his failure to fully comprehend that such a waiver would lead to a full relinquishment of that constitutional right. Moreover, once defendant’s request for self-representation was denied, he never renewed it. He made a third motion for substitution of counsel in municipal court, prior to commencement of his preliminary hearing, which was granted. Defendant accepted the substitution of appointed counsel (Cannady), who went on to represent him at the preliminary hearing and throughout trial in superior court. Defendant also subsequently accepted the appointment of second counsel, Richard Hove, who assisted Attorney Cannady in representing defendant at trial. In light of defendant’s subsequent acceptance of several appointed counsel to represent him without ever renewing his request for self-representation, we conclude he must further be found to have ultimately abandoned his desire to invoke his Faretta rights in these capital murder proceedings. (Cf. Dunkle, supra, 36 Cal.4th at p. 909, and cases cited [Faretta rights waived or abandoned by subsequent conduct after erroneous denial of Faretta motion].) 2. Severance motion Defendant next argues the trial court erred in denying his pretrial motion to sever the capital murder charge from the remaining charges. “ ‘The law prefers consolidation of charges. (People v. Ochoa (1998) 19 Cal.4th 353, 409 [79 Cal.Rptr.2d 408, 966 P.2d 442].) Where, as here, the offenses charged are of the same class, joinder is proper under section 954. (People v. Kraft (2000) 23 Cal.4th 978, 1030 [99 Cal.Rptr.2d 1, 5 P.3d 68] (Kraft); People v. Bradford (1997) 15 Cal.4th 1229, 1315 [65 Cal.Rptr.2d 145, 939 P.2d 259] (Bradford).)’ ” (People v. Manriquez (2005) 37 Cal.4th 547, 574 [36 Cal.Rptr.3d 340, 123 P.3d 614] (Manriquez).) Defendant was charged with the robbery of each victim named in the information. He threatened and resorted to violence in each instance, and used a knife in the commission of all but two of the robberies, striking those two victims (Sieder and Coggiano) with a blunt object or his fist. In one instance defendant’s knife attack nearly took the life of the victim (Fakoury); in another it proved fatal (Rubalcava). Clearly, the charged murder, attempted murder, and robberies were all offenses of the same class and were properly joined under section 954 in the first instance. Accordingly, defendant can only predicate error in the denial of severance on a clear showing of potential prejudice. (Manriquez, supra, 37 Cal.4th at p. 574; Kraft, supra, 23 Cal.4th at p. 1030; Bradford, supra, 15 Cal.4th at p. 1315.) We review the trial court’s denial of defendant’s severance motion for an abuse of discretion. (Manriquez, at p. 574, and cases cited.) Denial of severance may constitute an abuse of discretion where evidence of the crimes to be jointly tried would not be cross-admissible in separate trials. (Bradford, supra, 15 Cal.4th at p. 1315; People v. Sandoval (1992) 4 Cal.4th 155, 172-173 [14 Cal.Rptr.2d 342, 841 P.2d 862].) Here, the evidence plainly would have been cross-admissible in separate trials to prove a fact in issue, other than mere disposition to commit crimes, such as motive, identity, opportunity, intent, plan or knowledge. (Evid. Code, § 1101, subd. (b); People v. Gordon (1990) 50 Cal.3d 1223, 1240 [270 Cal.Rptr. 451, 792 P.2d 251].) There were more than sufficient common marks between the Rubalcava robbery murder and the Fakoury robbery attempted murder to suggest the same individual committed both crimes (identity) for a similar purpose (motive, intent, plan). The attacks came within 13 hours of each other and were committed within five blocks of one another. The same folding Buck knife received into evidence was alleged to have been used in each attack. Both victims’ wounds were virtually identical, their throats having been slashed almost to the same depth and at the same angle, each having also been stabbed in the lower chest or abdomen. The victims’ wounds were so distinctive, and the injuries inflicted so close in time, that the surgeon who attended to them in the emergency room of Highland Hospital concluded both men must have been attacked by the same assailant. Both victims were attacked in or near their vehicles, and each victim’s rear pants pocket was ripped from his pants in the attacker’s zeal to get at his money. Furthermore, evidence of the remaining robberies, all committed within the same three-week time period, some only hours apart from one another, and in the same general area of downtown Oakland where the Fakoury and Rubalcava attacks occurred, would have been admissible in separate trials as probative of motive, modus operandi, and intent. (Gordon, at p. 1240.) Given our finding of cross-admissibility, our inquiry could end here. (See Bradford, supra, 15 Cal.4th at p. 1317.) Nor was this a case in which certain of the joined charges were unusually likely to inflame the jury against defendant; or one in which “weaker” charges were joined with “strong charges,” causing a spillover effect that might have unfairly altered the outcome of the trial. (See Marshall, supra, 15 Cal.4th at pp. 27-28; Frank v. Superior Court (1989) 48 Cal.3d 632, 640 [257 Cal.Rptr. 550, 770 P.2d 1119].) Contrary to defendant’s argument, the evidence that pointed to him as Rubalcava’s murderer was already strong, notwithstanding the testimony of defense witness Tosha Dunson, who believed he was not the man she saw rob Rubalcava. Those percipient witnesses who personally knew defendant, including Golden Gamer and Norma Moss, who knew him from the neighborhood and their building in which he was staying, and defendant’s own brother, Isaac Stanley, all identified him as Rubalcava’s assailant. Other witnesses (Stewart and Ward) heard defendant admit complicity in Rubalcava’s robbery and murder in his conversation with his brother Isaac immediately after the attack. Nor were any of the noncapital offenses particularly inflammatory in comparison with the capital murder charge. (Frank v. Superior Court, supra, 48 Cal.3d at p. 640.) Although the facts of the Fakoury robbery and attempted murder were bmtal and violent, they were no more so than the facts of the capital murder charge itself. Finally, there is no merit to defendant’s further claim that the court had a sua sponte duty to give the jury a limiting instruction “as to what it could or could not do regarding cross-admissibility between the evidence relating to the capital and noncapital counts.” No such instruction was required. (See People v. Hawkins (1995) 10 Cal.4th 920, 942 [42 Cal.Rptr.2d 636, 897 P.2d 574] (Hawkins).) We conclude denial of the severance motion was not an abuse of discretion. 3. Batson-Wheeler error Twice during jury selection defendant claimed the prosecution was exercising its peremptory challenges to improperly excuse prospective Black jurors on the basis of race, in violation of the federal and state Constitutions. (See Batson v. Kentucky (1986) 476 U.S. 79, 84-89 [90 L.Ed.2d 69, 106 S.Ct. 1712] (Batson); People v. Wheeler (1978) 22 Cal.3d 258, 276-277 [148 Cal.Rptr. 890, 583 P.2d 748] (Wheeler).) Hearings were conducted and the motions denied. The claims were thereafter asserted as grounds for a new trial, which motion was denied as well. They are here renewed on appeal. Most recently, we summarized the law governing Batson-Wheeler motions in these terms: “Both the state and federal Constitutions prohibit the use of peremptory challenges to remove prospective jurors based solely on group bias. (Batson, supra, 476 U.S. at p. 89; Wheeler, supra, 22 Cal.3d at pp. 276-277.) Recently, ‘the United States Supreme Court reaffirmed that Batson states the procedure and standard to be employed by trial courts when challenges such as defendant’s are made. “First, the defendant must make out a prima facie case by ‘showing that the totality of the relevant facts gives rise to an inference of discriminatory purpose.’ [Citations.] Second, once the defendant has made out a prima facie case, the ‘burden shifts to the State to explain adequately the racial exclusion’ by offering permissible race-neutral justifications for the strikes. [Citations.] Third, ‘if a race-neutral explanation is tendered, the trial court must then decide . . . whether the opponent of the strike has proved purposeful racial discrimination.’ [Citation.]” ’ (People v. Cornwell (2005) 37 Cal.4th 50, 66-67 [33 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 117 P.3d 622], quoting Johnson v. California (2005) 545 U.S. 162, 168 [162 L.Ed.2d 129, 125 S.Ct. 2410, 2416], fn. omitted (Johnson).) The high court clarified that ‘a defendant satisfies the requirements of Batson's first step by producing evidence sufficient to permit the trial judge to draw an inference that discrimination has occurred.’ (Johnson, supra, at p. 170 [125 S.Ct. at p. 2417], reversing in part People v. Johnson (2003) 30 Cal.4th 1302, 1318 [1 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 71 P.3d 270] [requiring the defendant to ‘show that it is more likely than not the other party’s peremptory challenges, if unexplained, were based on impermissible group bias’].) “In determining whether the defendant ultimately has carried his burden of proving purposeful racial discrimination, ‘the trial court “must make ‘a sincere and reasoned attempt to evaluate the prosecutor’s explanation in light of the circumstances of the case as then known, his knowledge of trial techniques, and his observations of the manner in which the prosecutor has examined members of the venire and has exercised challenges for cause or peremptorily . . . .’ [Citation.]” ’ (People v. Reynoso (2003) 31 Cal.4th 903, 919 [3 Cal.Rptr.3d 769, 74 P.3d 852].) ‘[T]he trial court is not required to make specific or detailed comments for the record to justify every instance in which a prosecutor’s race-neutral reason for exercising a peremptory challenge is being accepted by the court as genuine.’ (Ibid.) Inquiry by the trial court is not even required. (Id. at p. 920.) ‘All that matters is that the prosecutor’s reason for exercising the peremptory challenge is sincere and legitimate, legitimate in the sense of being nondiscriminatory. ’ (Id. at p. 924.) A reason that makes no sense is nonetheless ‘sincere and legitimate’ as long as it does not deny equal protection. (Ibid.)" (People v. Guerra (2006) 37 Cal.4th 1067, 1100-1101 [40 Cal.Rptr.3d 118, 129 P.3d 321].) The first Batson-Wheeler motion was made after the prosecutor peremptorily excused four Black female and one Black male prospective jurors. The court quickly declared that a prima facie case had been made out, observing that the five prospective Black jurors peremptorily excused by the prosecutor were the only Blacks to have “hit the [jury] box,” and candidly stating, “[T]hat raises a suspicion in my mind, Mr. Landswick [the prosecutor], that you might be excluding blacks as a class in this case.” The court asked the prosecutor for his reasons for excusing the Black prospective jurors. It quickly became apparent, however, that the court, the prosecutor, and defense counsel were all in agreement on the matter of the prosecutor’s peremptory challenge of Black male Prospective Juror Gary L., whom all agreed had been peremptorily excused for exhibiting “hostility” toward the prosecution. The court indicated it was satisfied the challenge to Mr. L. was “a bonafide peremptory challenge,” and defense counsel signaled his agreement with the court’s conclusion. On appeal, defendant is not contesting the peremptory challenge of Gary L. as violative of Batson-Wheeler. The prosecutor then indicated that for all four of the remaining Black female prospective jurors: Carol R, Hersey D., Diane B., and Helen N., he had written down in his voir dire notes “sympathy for the defendant” as the reason for his peremptory excusal of each of them. He also indicated, with regard to Prospective Juror Helen N., that “she didn’t want to be here because she had a convention in Palm Springs.” When asked by the court how he had come to his conclusion, the prosecutor stated, “From their voir dire and when they were here before.” He further indicated, “There are several blacks that are on the panel that are not within that classification,” representing to the court that they would be “acceptable” to him. He added that all four prospective jurors “had expressed the fact that the defendant was Black and that they would have sympathy for that person and they are going to identify with the defendant.” At that point the court volunteered its observations with regard to Prospective Juror Helen N., observations relating back to the prosecutor’s earlier comment that “she didn’t want to be here because she had a convention in Palm Springs.” The court informed the prosecutor and defense counsel, “Well, first of all, Ms. [N.], there’s no problem with a peremptory challenge. I remember her saying that she had this convention and she—there was some reference to a convention, and she was very unhappy having to come back.” The court then acknowledged the prosecutor’s stated reason for excusing all four Black women, commenting, “If there is going to be an express sympathy for the defendant in this case in the guilt phase, it may be that they can’t be objective.” Defense counsel also acknowledged that the four Black female jurors peremptorily excused by the prosecutor had exhibited or expressed sympathy for defendant, although he went on to state his belief that, “most people are sympathetic and they feel sorry for Mr. Stanley being in here,” adding, “I don’t think that’s a valid excuse.” The court asked the prosecutor if he would like to respond to counsel’s suggestion that demonstrable sympathy for defendant may not be a “valid excuse.” The prosecutor responded as follows, “Yes. And the other people that I’ve excused, Catherine [R.] and Pamela [O.], Ms. [R.] was a sociologist. If you recall, she would require a lot of—She is a white woman. She would require demographics on the part of the prosecution.” The court responded, “But we are not concerned about that,” to which the prosecutor replied, “Well, now I’m commenting on [defense counsel]. What I’m saying is that I’ve excused four black women and four white women and one black man, and all of them expressed similar attitudes towards the defendant, sympathy to the defendant.” The court proceeded to deny the first Batson-Wheeler motion with the following comments, “All right. Well, the Court comes to the conclusion then in the guilt phase if there is—if there is some sympathy toward the defendant, maybe these jurors cannot be—cannot be completely impartial because then their sympathy may, in fact, affect their deliberations.” (Italics added.) The court went on, “But I want to caution you, Mr. Landswick, that if this continues you may have a real problem with this. I mean, I’m aware of the facts. Based upon your representation, some of the white jurors that you’ve excused also expressed the same feelings toward the defendant. They felt sympathetic and may not be objective in their judgment.” The court added, “I’ll deny the Wheeler motion for the time being, and then we’ll just see what happens.” We agree with respondent that the initial Batson-Wheeler motion was properly denied. The peremptory excusal of Gary L. is not contested. It is also clear that both the court and the prosecutor believed a separate race-neutral reason appeared for the peremptory excusal of Ms. Helen N., as she seemed to be expressing anxiety or concern over a conflict between her potential service on defendant’s jury and a convention in Palm Springs. Although defense counsel made no comment one way or the other about Ms. N.’s stated concerns over the conflict, those concerns were apparently shared by both the court and the prosecutor. The initial Batson-Wheeler motion therefore boiled down to a challenge to the prosecutor’s peremptory excusal of three Black female prospective jurors: Carol E, Hersey D., and Diane B. Ultimately, “[t]he trial court was obligated to evaluate ‘all the circumstances of the case’ in the step three evaluation” of whether the prosecutor’s race-neutral reason for peremptorily excusing the Black female prospective jurors was “sincere and credible,” or whether defendant instead sustained his burden of proving unlawful discriminatory intent in the exercise of the peremptory challenges. (People v. Reynoso, supra, 31 Cal.4th at p. 925; Wheeler, supra, 22 Cal.3d at p. 280.) The court’s comments summarized above reflect that the court did scrutinize the sincerity and credibility of the prosecutor’s stated reason for exercising the peremptory challenges against the Black female prospective jurors. Those comments further reflect that the court accepted as sincere the prosecutor’s proffered reason (“sympathy for the defendant”) for peremptorily excusing each of the prospective jurors in question. “Since the trial court was in the best position to observe the prospective jurors’ demeanor and the manner in which the prosecutor exercised his peremptory challenges, the implied finding, that the prosecutor’s reasons for excusing [the prospective jurors], including the demeanor-based reason, were sincere and genuine, is entitled to ‘great deference’ on appeal. (Batson, supra, 476 U.S. at p. 98, fn. 21; [People v.] Johnson [(1989)] 47 Cal.3d [1194,] 1221 [255 Cal.Rptr. 569, 767 P.2d 1047].)” (People v. Reynoso, supra, 31 Cal.4th at p. 926.) It bears emphasizing that a match in the skin color between a defendant and a prospective juror does not preclude a peremptory excusal on grounds that the juror exhibited sympathy or bias either for or against the defendant who is of the same race. What Batson and Wheeler prohibit is excusal of a juror on the basis of “group bias,” i.e., the assumption that a member of a particular group will, because of such membership, harbor particular attitudes or biases. “A party does not offend Batson or Wheeler when it excuses prospective jurors who have shown orally or in writing, or through their conduct in court, that they personally harbor biased views.” (See People v. Lewis and Oliver (2006) 39 Cal.4th 970 [47 Cal.Rptr.3d 467].) The record of the hearing on the new trial motion lends considerable support to the trial court’s conclusion that the prosecutor was sincere when offering “sympathy for the defendant” as the race-neutral reason for his peremptory excusal of the prospective jurors in question. The Hovey voir dire resulted in a three-month-long jury selection process. As of the date the peremptory challenges were exercised and the Batson-Wheeler claims raised, 10 weeks had passed since the voir dire of Carol E, six weeks since the voir dire of Hersey D., and four weeks since the voir dire of Diane B. At the hearings conducted on the day the Batson-Wheeler claims were first raised, the prosecutor had only his notes from the prior three months of jury selection to refer back to. In contrast, at the new trial motion he had the additional benefit of review of the record of the individual voir dire of each prospective juror to whom the Batson-Wheeler motions were directed. The relevant voir dire transcripts reflect that the prosecutor was using the notation “sympathy for the defendant” in his notes quite broadly, intending it as a shorthand for varying indications of bias in favor of defendant, either expressed or exhibited by the prospective jurors during their voir dire. For example, with regard to Prospective Juror Carol E, the prosecutor indicated at the hearing on the new trial motion that during her voir dire she had asked the court whether she was “expected to look for sympathy” or take into account any sympathetic feelings. He added, “When she asked that question, she was looking to the defendant.” He also pointed out that she had stated during her voir dire, “I have some reservations about the possible inequal application of the death penalty to minority people.” In response to questions regarding whether she could vote for the death penalty, the prosecutor noted she had stated, “I believe that there is always a mitigating factor.” In response to questions about her feelings regarding weighing life without the possibility of parole against the death penalty, the prosecutor noted that at one point she had stated, “I honestly can’t weigh one as being, more relevant than the other.” The prosecutor felt “that was a sympathetic evaluation to this defendant.” He also noted she had stated with regard to the death penalty, “I feel that there is and perhaps there seems to me to be a disproportionate number of blacks that are assigned that penalty.” Each of these representations made by the prosecutor at the hearing on the new trial motion is borne out by the record of Prospective Juror Carol F.’s voir dire. Yet in his notes, on which he