People v. Boyce (59 Cal. 4th 672, 2014)

Opinion

CORRIGAN, J.

Kevin Dewayn Boyce (defendant) and Andre Willis burglarized two businesses, robbing several people inside. During the first crime, off-duty peace officer Shayne York was killed. A jury convicted defendant of first degree murder with the special circumstances of killing a peace officer in retaliation for the performance of his duties and of murder during the commission of robbery and burglary. Because the jury found the peace officer special circumstance true, it necessarily concluded defendant fired the single fatal shot. Defendant was also convicted of two counts of second degree robbery and one count of second degree burglary in connection with that incident. On all charges defendant was found to have personally used a firearm. The second incident resulted in convictions of three counts of second degree robbery, three counts of attempted second degree robbery, and one count of second degree burglary, all with personal firearm use.

Defendant was sentenced to death, and to a determinate term of 34 years four months in state prison. This appeal is automatic. We affirm in all particulars save one aspect of his determinate term. (Post, at pp. 725-730, 732.)

I. FACTS

A. Guilt Phase

1. Prosecution

Shayne York and his fiancée, Jennifer Parish, were both Los Angeles County deputy sheriffs. On August 14, 1997, they were planning a trip to Las Vegas for Jennifer’s birthday. Around 7:30 p.m., they went to the DeCut salon in Buena Park where Jennifer’s sister, Amy, had agreed to style their hair. The three were alone in the salon. All neighboring businesses were closed.

Suddenly, Willis entered the shop wielding a semiautomatic handgun. Defendant followed closely behind, also carrying a handgun. When Willis yelled, “Get the fuck on the ground, whiteys,” the three victims complied. The men demanded to know the location of the register. Amy directed them to the cash drawer, which contained about $11.

After checking the drawer, defendant became agitated and demanded to know “where is the fucking money?” Amy offered approximately $40 to Willis. York volunteered another $100. Defendant demanded York’s wallet, kicking him when he did not respond quickly enough. Meanwhile, Willis yanked Jennifer off the ground, searched her pockets, and took her watch and engagement ring.

While searching York, defendant discovered his sheriff’s badge and said, “Well, well, well. Look what we have here, a mother fucking pig.” Defendant demanded to know where York worked. York replied, “Wayside” and “East Facility.” Defendant, who previously had been incarcerated there, asked York if he “liked to treat nigger Crips like shit in jail?” York responded, “No, sir.” Defendant retorted, “No, I know you like to treat us nigger Crips like shit in jail.” York again responded, “No, sir.” Defendant demanded and received the personal identification number (PIN) for York’s automated teller machine (ATM) card.

One of the robbers said, “Fuck the whitey,” and a shot was fired. York collapsed, bleeding profusely. Someone then declared that he had always wanted to kill a cop and that he hoped this one died. Neither Jennifer nor Amy saw the gun being fired, but both women believed that defendant had shot York based on the relative positions of the robbers.

As York lay dying, Willis rummaged through Jennifer’s purse looking for her ATM card. Discovering her badge, he announced, “We’ve got another mother fucking pig in here.” He asked which of the two women was the “other fucking white pig,” and Jennifer raised her hand. Willis said, “Don’t worry, bitch. We’re not going to shoot you. You’re a fucking woman.” At his demand, Jennifer turned over her ATM card and said the PIN was written on the sleeve. The men left.

York had been shot in the head. Jennifer held him while Amy called 911. Both women spoke to the operator. York ultimately died from a single gunshot that penetrated his brain. The position of the wound was consistent with the shooter standing over York and firing as he lay facedown.

The same night, around 10:00 p.m., Edward Tharp, Sean Gillette, Mark Cook, and Christopher Pierce were having a late dinner at Lamppost Pizza in Yorba Linda. Employees Rodney Tamparong and Ernest Zuniga were preparing to close. While emptying the trash, Tamparong noticed Willis and defendant in a Ford Mustang. One said, “Hey, come over here.” Fearing they intended to rob him, Tamparong hurried back to the restaurant. Willis gave chase. Tamparong tried to close the door. Willis forced his way in and yelled, “Get on the floor, mother fuckers.”

Willis opened the back door, and defendant entered carrying a semiautomatic firearm. Willis emptied the cash register, then forced Zuniga to open the safe. In total, Willis stole $483. Meanwhile, defendant robbed the restaurant patrons at gunpoint, demanding their wallets and declaring, “Look at all the white boys that we got on the floor,” and “gotcha boys.” Defendant kicked Tharp, Pierce, and Cook, and held a gun to Gillette’s head. Tharp produced his wallet containing $80. Pierce likewise surrendered his wallet. Cook concealed his money in a pocket and maintained he had none. Gillette also said he had no wallet, but he offered a duffle bag. Defendant took nothing from Cook or Gillette.

When defendant asked if the men were cops, Cook said they were teachers. Defendant asked what he taught, and Cook replied “special ed.” Defendant responded, “I was in special ed class.” At that point, the tension lessened. Tamparong overheard defendant’s question about police officers and hid his park ranger badge under a table. When Willis demanded Tamparong’s wallet, he denied having one. Willis searched him, took nothing, and the robbers left.

At 10:40 p.m., in response to a suspect vehicle description, a Fullerton police officer stopped the Mustang. Willis drove with defendant as the sole passenger. At the detention scene, Tharp identified them as the Lamppost robbers. Tamparong identified Willis. Amy recognized Willis’s clothing and build, but could not identify his face. At a subsequent live lineup, Tharp identified Willis and defendant as the robbers, and Amy identified Willis.

A search of Willis uncovered $756 and Jennifer’s watch. Defendant carried $253 and three gloves. Hidden in the Mustang’s center console, officers found credit cards belonging to Jennifer and York. A loaded semiautomatic and a loaded revolver were hidden behind the speakers in the backseat. Under the trunk lining officers recovered Willis’s driver’s license, registration for the Mustang, York’s ATM card, and a DeCut Hair Salon business card with York’s PIN written on it. The ATM card had been used to make a $200 withdrawal from York’s account at 9:41 p.m. on August 14, 1997, at a bank located in the same mall as the Lamppost. Willis’s fingerprint was found on York’s Visa card. Despite an extensive search in several locations, Jennifer’s engagement ring was never found.

The revolver hidden in the Mustang had an expended round in the chamber in line with the barrel. Ballistics testing confirmed it was the murder weapon. Defendant’s right index fingerprint was found just above the grip. Several witnesses identified the recovered semiautomatic as similar to the one used in both robberies.

On August 15, 1997, Willis and defendant were placed together in an interview room where their conversation was covertly recorded. Willis told defendant that they were being investigated for attempted murder and robbery. He said that the police had pictures of “take out,” slang for a handgun. Defendant responded, “They found em? . . . Dang.” Willis told defendant, “We ain’t gonna say nothing, we’re gonna ride this shit out man,” and “when the mother fuckers come and talk, I’ll put it on a third person. ... I ain’t going down for no mother fucking watch coward.” Defendant asked, “Well who’s the third mother fucking person?” and “Are you going to make up a story now?” Defendant said he as well “sure ain’t doing [attempted murder] for no mother fuckin’ watch coward.” Willis replied, “I’m telling you this, I’m gonna ride it out, ok. But, in the end result in trial time (inaudible) both of us don’t need to go to hell for this shit.” Defendant replied, “Keep it down. Popo is sittin’ right there. Man, two strikes, that’s 25 anyway. We’re totally fucked.” A few minutes later, however, he observed, “Oh man, they can’t prove it ... . They can’t prove a mother fuckin’ thing. It’s my word against they mother fuckin’ word.” Defendant then asked, “how can they put this shit on somebody, though? Who the nigga supposed to attempted murder anyway? . . . Female, male, what?” Willis responded, “Some mother fuckin’ male, police.” Defendant replied, “Male police? What mother fucker that bold? I didn’t kill no police. Damn.”

On August 17, 1997, district attorney investigator Douglas Kennedy and Police Detective Ruben Gomez interviewed defendant. Defendant initially maintained his innocence. He claimed that the money he had when arrested came from gambling and selling marijuana. Kennedy told defendant that he had plenty of evidence linking defendant to the shooting of Deputy York and urged him to tell his side of the story. Defendant retorted that crooked officers had planted evidence against him.

Defendant then volunteered that if he could smoke one cigarette he would tell them exactly what had happened. Kennedy agreed to provide a cigarette when the interview concluded. Defendant stated that he had a “split personality].” He does not like his “white man’s” name of Kevin Boyce. He is Osiris, king of the underworld and lord of the dead. He said Osiris “musta had too much, um, the devil juice or as [szc] alcohol, his drugs.” He was “buzzin’ tipstin” and could not remember exactly what had happened.

He recounted the following details of the salon incident. Someone had told him that the shop would be an easy target with $7,000 on hand. Defendant asked Willis for a ride. Willis did not know of his plan and did not go inside. Defendant ordered a man and woman to the floor. He was unaware York was a deputy sheriff. Discovering there was no safe, he took money from the woman’s purse and the register. He took no jewelry. When he bumped into a chair, the gun discharged accidentally. He remembered “a pow ya” of the gun going off, and “I was like, damn.” He did not think he had shot anyone. He claimed to be carrying a nine-millimeter semiautomatic weapon. He retrieved the expended shell casing from the floor.

Willis drove defendant away. Defendant saw the Lamppost and told Willis to take him there. Again, defendant maintained that he acted alone. The restaurant was closed, but defendant said he wanted to order a pizza as a ruse to get inside. There were four customers, two women and two men. Defendant brandished the semiautomatic then ordered everyone to get on the floor and empty their pockets. Defendant took about $77 and left. No shots were fired. Defendant explained he had “[ljeamed from the last mistake. So I kept my finger off the trigger.”

2. Defense

Defense counsel conceded defendant’s participation in the Lamppost incident and his guilt on the resultant charges. He argued that Willis and an unidentified third person committed the DeCut Salon crimes, but admitted defendant’s guilt of the burglary, robberies, and first degree felony murder because he had acted as a lookout. He contested only the special circumstance allegations.

Defendant introduced evidence that Jennifer’s engagement ring was not recovered, suggesting a third party could have taken it. A handwriting expert compared the numbers written on the salon business card with known exemplars of defendant’s handwriting and opined that they did not match.

Two experts testified about the reliability of defendant’s confession. Richard Leo, a professor at University of California, Irvine, studies police interrogations. He noted techniques used in defendant’s interview that could induce a confession. The police repeatedly stated that there was strong evidence against defendant and urged him to tell his side of the story. Leo urged that even trivial inducements can cause a suspect to confess. Here, defendant offered to tell the investigators what had happened if they would give him a cigarette. After the investigators agreed, defendant confessed. Leo opined that inconsistencies between a suspect’s confession and the known facts of the crime can suggest that the confession is unreliable.

Licensed clinical psychologist Kara Cross conducted neuropsychological tests to measure defendant’s intelligence, brain processing, motor skills, sensory perception, memory, and cognition. On the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), defendant’s overall verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) score was 80, falling in the bottom 5 percent. His performance IQ of 68 is in the mentally retarded range. His full scale IQ of 69 reflects mental retardation. He scored a high of 86 on verbal comprehension.

Dr. Cross also administered the Luria Nebraska test to detect organic brain damage. Defendant had severe impairment in several areas, including rhythm and tactical function, reading, writing, and arithmetic. He was not impaired in memory, expressive and receptive speech, or motor skills. Based on these results, Dr. Cross prepared a chart showing the areas of defendant’s brain damage. Although the functioning areas compensated to some degree, defendant still demonstrated significant impairment.

Dr. Cross reviewed defendant’s school records for kindergarten through 10th grade. At age seven, defendant took the Slosson IQ test and received a score of 114, which is above average. Dr. Cross opined, however, that the test was unreliable. On the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) defendant received an IQ score of 83, below average. When he was nearly 13 years old, defendant was again tested. On the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) defendant scored a verbal IQ of 88, below average, and a performance IQ of 74, a borderline score. His Slosson IQ was 80, below average, and his PPVT IQ was 70, again borderline functioning.

In Dr. Cross’s opinion, defendant is not gravely disabled. He is capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and cause and effect. He can make decisions and communicate with others.

B. Penalty Phase

1. Prosecution

Jennifer, along with York’s brother and parents, testified about York’s life and the suffering his death had caused them.

The prosecution presented documentary evidence that defendant had been convicted of robbery in 1989 and of possession of a firearm by a felon in 1994.

Damani Gray recounted that in 1987, when he was 12 years old, defendant approached him on the street and asked if he belonged to a gang. Gray said he did not, and defendant asked if he wanted to be from the Rolling ’60’s Crips gang. After Gray said no, defendant punched him in the face repeatedly, knocking him unconscious. Defendant later told an officer that “he is going to fuck up the punk who had him arrested when he gets out of jail.”

2. Defense

In addition to Dr. Cross’s testimony in the guilt phase, defendant introduced evidence that he had brain damage, learning disabilities, and mental illness, and was burdened by a disjointed home life. By the time he was 17 years old, he had changed residences 12 times, attending 23 schools.

Around age two, defendant had a severe fever and seizures spanning several days. He did not speak again until he was five. He repeated kindergarten and first grade. Defendant’s first grade teacher in North Carolina described him as the most learning disabled student she had encountered in 30 years of teaching. Because he did not test below a 70 IQ and his mother minimized his learning disability, his special needs went largely unmet.

Defendant was hospitalized with another high fever when he was between 9 and 12 years old. One relative recalled that he was in a coma.

When defendant was 13, his family moved to California, living primarily in gang-controlled neighborhoods. His mother drank heavily. He attended some special education classes but was later removed from the program at his request. One of his cousins was an active gang member, and defendant eventually joined the Rolling ’60’s Crips gang. One aunt recalled he drank and used phencyclidine (PCP).

Psychiatrist Samuel Benson opined that defendant’s abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) and history of learning disabilities are consistent with organic brain damage. School records indicated that from age four on, defendant consistently performed three years behind grade level. However, he showed great confidence and ability in sports.

Dr. Benson diagnosed defendant based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) multiaxial system. On Axis I, defendant showed an unspecified psychosis and abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and PCP. On Axis II, defendant demonstrated schizotypal disorder, meaning that he responds to stress by demonstrating odd beliefs, magical thinking, unusual perceptions, suspiciousness, paranoid ideation, inappropriate or restricted affect, and eccentric behavior. He lacks close friends and is socially anxious. Defendant has learning disabilities secondary to organic brain disease existing since childhood. Defendant had no diagnosis on Axis III. On Axis IV, defendant experienced severe psychosocial stressors during incarceration. On Axis V, a global assessment of functioning within the past year, Dr. Benson gave defendant a rating of 40 out of 100, meaning that defendant should be hospitalized. In Dr. Benson’s opinion, defendant does not have an antisocial personality disorder. He acknowledged that defendant was capable of making choices such as deciding whether to shoot someone.

Defendant told Dr. Benson that he began hearing voices as early as age three or four. When he was 10, defendant formed a belief that he was a commander in God’s army against evil, which helped him cope with his fear of the dark. Later, after a release from juvenile hall, his mother and sister recalled that defendant hallucinated he was the Egyptian god Osiris. Dr. Benson opined that defendant’s voices and delusions helped him cope with stress. Defendant did not claim that voices had told him to commit the charged crimes.

Defendant’s family members described him as a shy but loving person. He helped care for his grandmother and great-grandmother. He was a good father to his seven-year-old daughter.

II. DISCUSSION

A. Guilt Phase Issues

1. Admissibility of 911 tape recordings

The People sought to introduce recordings of 911 calls made immediately after the salon shooting. The first call lasts approximately 48 seconds. Jennifer tells the operator, “we need an ambulance” and “[m]y husband’s been shot in the head.” Her voice is rapid and panicked. She pleads with the operator, “Hurry. Help. And please hurry,” and then asks “[a]re you coming?” At times she can be heard crying. The second call lasts approximately one minute 48 seconds. Amy says “Oh, my God.” She tells the operator that York has been shot in the back of the head “and there’s stuff coming out of his nose.” She describes the suspects as “two black men. They each have a gun” and confirms that “[t]hey took the guns with them.” She then exclaims, “Please help him,” “[w]here is the ambulance?” and “Oh, God” in a desperate and frustrated voice.

Defendant objected to admission of the 911 tapes in the guilt and penalty phases as irrelevant, unduly prejudicial, and a violation of his constitutional right to due process. The trial court overruled the objections, finding that the tapes were relevant to credibility and not unduly prejudicial. The tapes were played in the guilt phase but not in the penalty phase. The jury was instructed, however, that “[i]n determining which penalty is to be imposed on the defendant, you shall consider all the evidence which has been received during any part of the trial of this case.”

Defendant claims that the court abused its discretion in admitting evidence that he characterizes as irrelevant and unduly inflammatory. The argument fails.

We review these evidentiary rulings for abuse of discretion. (People v. Streeter (2012) 54 Cal.4th 205, 237 [142 Cal.Rptr.3d 481, 278 P.3d 754] (Streeter).) A court abuses its discretion if it acts “in an arbitrary, capricious, or patently absurd manner.” (People v. Thomas (2012) 53 Cal.4th 771, 806 [137 Cal.Rptr.3d 533, 269 P.3d 1109].)

“As a rule, the prosecution in a criminal case involving charges of murder or other violent crimes is entitled to present evidence of the circumstances attending them even if it is grim” (People v. Osband (1996) 13 Cal.4th 622, 675 [55 Cal.Rptr.2d 26, 919 P.2d 640]), and even if it “duplicate^] testimony, depict[s] uncontested facts, or triggers] an offer to stipulate” (People v. Stitely (2005) 35 Cal.4th 514, 545 [26 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 108 P.3d 182]). In People v. Roybal (1998) 19 Cal.4th 481 [79 Cal.Rptr.2d 487, 966 P.2d 521], we upheld admission of spontaneous statements of the victim’s husband to a 911 dispatcher and to an officer describing the crime scene and his wife’s body. In the 911 call he reported that his wife was covered in blood and not breathing, and that it looked as if she had been murdered. During an interview, he described finding his dead wife lying in the hallway, and explained how he entered the house. (Id. at p. 515.) We observed that the tapes were “relevant to show [the husband’s] initial reaction to the discovery of his wife’s body and dispel any suggestion that he was involved in the murder; they also described the scene of the crime.” (Id. at p. 517; accord, Streeter, supra, 54 Cal.4th at pp. 236-238 [tape of victim screaming during an ambulance ride to the hospital properly admitted as relevant to show victim’s pain and suffering at the time of actual events in a charge of torture murder].)

The trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the tapes to provide a contemporaneous account of the crime scene and information about the robbers. Although Amy and Jennifer testified in detail at trial, the court had broad discretion to admit corroborating evidence that was nearly contemporaneous with the crimes. (Streeter, supra, 54 Cal.4th at pp. 236, 238.) The tapes also assisted the jury in evaluating Amy’s and Jennifer’s credibility. The defense attempted to show that the intense trauma of the incident compromised their ability to accurately perceive the shooter’s identity. By listening to the tapes, the jury was able to evaluate firsthand the women’s demeanor in the moments following the crimes.

The court legitimately concluded that the probative value of the tapes was not substantially outweighed by undue prejudice. While the women are certainly in distress, their comments and affect are not unduly shocking, considering the nature of the crimes. “ “[Mjurder is seldom pretty, and pictures, testimony and physical evidence in such a case are always unpleasant” ’ [citation], and we rely on our trial courts to ensure that relevant, otherwise admissible evidence is not more prejudicial than probative [citation].” (People v. Gurule (2002) 28 Cal.4th 557, 624 [123 Cal.Rptr.2d 345, 51 P.3d 224] (Gurule).)

Finally, the court did not abuse its discretion by allowing the jury to consider the 911 tapes in the penalty phase. Such evidence shows “ ‘ “the direct impact of the defendant’s acts on the victims’ friends and family” ’ ” as a relevant circumstance of the crime under section 190.3, factor (a). (People v. Hawthorne (2009) 46 Cal.4th 67, 101 [92 Cal.Rptr.3d 330, 205 P.3d 245], quoting People v. Zamudio (2008) 43 Cal.4th 327, 364 [75 Cal.Rptr.3d 289, 181 P.3d 105]; accord, People v. Dykes (2009) 46 Cal.4th 731, 781 [95 Cal.Rptr.3d 78, 209 P.3d 1] (Dykes).) In Hawthorne, the trial court admitted as impact evidence a 911 tape recording of the 16-year-old victim shortly after the crimes. The victim reported two men had shot her and her mother, gave a description of her assailants, and provided her address. When a neighbor arrived and took the telephone from the victim, the victim could be heard screaming in the background. (Hawthorne, at p. 101.) In affirming, we observed that “the 911 tape clearly showed the immediate impact and harm caused by defendant’s criminal conduct toward the surviving victim and was relevant because it ‘ “could provide legitimate reasons to sway the jury to . . . impose the ultimate sanction.” ’ [Citation.]” (Id. at p. 102.) The evidence was similarly relevant here.

Defendant argues that the 911 tapes were so inflammatory as to provoke a purely irrational response from the jury, ultimately rendering the penalty trial fundamentally unfair. Not so. “[T]he trial court’s discretion to exclude evidence regarding the circumstances of the crime as unduly prejudicial is more circumscribed at the penalty phase than at the guilt phase of a capital murder trial, because the sentencer is expected to weigh the evidence subjectively.” (People v. Salcido (2008) 44 Cal.4th 93, 158 [79 Cal.Rptr.3d 54, 186 P.3d 437].) Nor was the evidence cumulative to Jennifer’s victim impact testimony at the penalty phase because “only the tape conveyed the more immediate impact of the crimes on her.” (People v. Hawthorne, supra, 46 Cal.4th at p. 103.) Finally, the risk of prejudice was slight. The jury had already found defendant guilty based in part on a proper consideration of this evidence. There is little risk that the jurors would have reacted so emotionally to their recollection of the evidence during the penalty phase that they should be instructed to disregard it. (See People v. Moon (2005) 37 Cal.4th 1, 35 [32 Cal.Rptr.3d 894, 117 P.3d 591] (Moon).) Further, at defense counsel’s request, the trial court instructed that “[s]ympathy for the family of the victim is not a matter you may consider in aggravation. Evidence, if any, of the impact of the victim’s death on family members should be disregarded unless it illuminates some positive quality of the victim’s background and character.” No abuse of discretion appears.

Because the evidence was properly admitted, we necessarily reject defendant’s constitutional claims that admission of the tape deprived him of his rights to due process, a fair trial, and a reliable and nonarbitrary penalty determination. (Streeter, supra, 54 Cal.4th at p. 238; People v. Hawthorne, supra, 46 Cal.4th at p. 103; Moon, supra, 37 Cal.4th at p. 35.)

2. Flight instruction (CALJIC No. 2.52)

The court gave CALJIC No. 2.52 explaining that flight immediately after the commission of a crime may be considered as evidence of guilt, but is not alone sufficient to support a conviction. Defendant renews his objection below that there was insufficient evidence of flight to warrant the instruction. He also argues that several aspects of the standard instruction deprived him of his constitutional rights. These claims fail.

“In general, a flight instruction ‘is proper where the evidence shows that the defendant departed the crime scene under circumstances suggesting that his movement was motivated by a consciousness of guilt.’ [Citations.] ‘ “[F]light requires neither the physical act of running nor the reaching of a far-away haven. [Citation.] Flight manifestly does require, however, a purpose to avoid being observed or arrested.” ’ [Citation.]” (People v. Bradford (1997) 14 Cal.4th 1005, 1055 [60 Cal.Rptr.2d 225, 929 P.2d 544].)

Merely being at the scene and leaving it does not necessarily reflect a consciousness of guilt. (People v. Bonilla (2007) 41 Cal.4th 313, 328 [60 Cal.Rptr.3d 209, 160 P.3d 84].) A person who does only that may be unaware that a crime has occurred, or may leave for reasons other than to avoid observation or arrest. (People v. Crandell (1988) 46 Cal.3d 833, 869 [251 Cal.Rptr. 227, 760 P.2d 423].) Such is not the case here. Defendant and his partner entered both businesses armed with guns, abused and threatened victims, stole from them and then left. They clearly knew York was in mortal jeopardy. One robber said, “I hope this one dies.” Neither man attempted to render aid or call for assistance. They hid the handguns and stolen items in their car. These factors are more than sufficient to support an inference that defendant left the scene to avoid apprehension. (See, e.g., Bonilla, at p. 329 [defendant immediately left the scene and did not attempt to aid victim or to call for assistance]; People v. Jurado (2006) 38 Cal.4th 72, 126 [41 Cal.Rptr.3d 319, 131 P.3d 400] [defendant hid the murder weapon and did not call for help from a nearby call box]; People v. Smithey (1999) 20 Cal.4th 936, 982 [86 Cal.Rptr.2d 243, 978 P.2d 1171] (Smithey) [defendant rammed his car through a closed gate and did not summon help].) Notably, the instruction told the jury that it could consider flight “if proved,” that flight is “not sufficient in itself to establish . . . guilt,” and that “[t]he weight to which this circumstance is entitled is a matter for you to decide.” There was no error.

Defendant also mounts several challenges to the standard instmction, including that it unduly favors the prosecution, is argumentative and duplicative, is inapplicable when identity is conceded, creates an improper permissive inference, and lessens the prosecution’s burden of proof. As he acknowledges, we repeatedly have rejected these claims. (See Streeter, supra, 54 Cal.4th 205, 254; People v. McWhorter (2009) 47 Cal.4th 318, 377 [97 Cal.Rptr.3d 412, 212 P.3d 692]; People v. Loker (2008) 44 Cal.4th 691, 706-707 [80 Cal.Rptr.3d 630, 188 P.3d 580]; People v. Mendoza (2000) 24 Cal.4th 130, 179-181 [99 Cal.Rptr.2d 485, 6 P.3d 150]; Smithey, supra, 20 Cal.4th at p. 983.) He offers no persuasive reason to overmle these decisions.

Accordingly, defendant’s arguments that the instruction deprived him of due process, equal protection, a fair jury trial, and a fair and reliable penalty determination also fail. (Benavides, supra, 35 Cal.4th at p. 100.)

3. Special circumstance for intentionally killing a peace officer (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(7))

Defendant claims that insufficient evidence supported the finding that he intentionally killed Deputy York in retaliation for the lawful performance of his duties. He also argues that the special circumstance allegation is unconstitutionally vague. We reject both contentions.

A jury’s true finding on a special circumstance allegation must be supported by substantial evidence. (People v. Mayfield (1997) 14 Cal.4th 668, 790-791 [60 Cal.Rptr.2d 1, 928 P.2d 485].) The whole record is reviewed “in the light most favorable to the judgment below to determine whether it discloses substantial evidence — that is, evidence which is reasonable, credible, and of solid value — such that a reasonable trier of fact could find the [special circumstance allegation true] beyond a reasonable doubt.” (People v. Johnson (1980) 26 Cal.3d 557, 578 [162 Cal.Rptr. 431, 606 P.2d 738]; see Jackson v. Virginia (1979) 443 U.S. 307, 317-320 [61 L.Ed.2d 560, 99 S.Ct. 2781].)

Section 190.2, subdivision (a)(7) defines the applicable special circumstance, in relevant part, as: “The victim was a peace officer, as defined . . . , and was intentionally killed in retaliation for the performance of his or her official duties.”

Jennifer Parish testified that the second suspect, whom the jury determined was defendant, said, “Whitey is a mother fucking pig” after discovering York’s sheriff’s badge. He asked York where he worked and whether he enjoyed treating gang members badly. Defendant responded to York’s denial: “No, I know you like to treat us nigger Crips like shit in jail.” One of the robbers said, “Fuck the whitey” just before defendant shot York in the back of the head. One of the two commented that he had always wanted to kill a cop. Although Jennifer could not identify which man made the remarks, the jury reasonably could have attributed them to defendant, whom they determined to be the shooter.

Amy recounted much the same conversation. She also heard one robber say, “Good, I hope this one dies.” Again, the jury reasonably could have attributed this comment to defendant.

Other facts support the finding. After York was shot, Willis found Jennifer’s badge, observed, “We’ve got another mother fucking pig in here,” and asked which of the two women was the officer. Having left York to die, the men went to the Lamppost, where defendant asked if any of those victims were in law enforcement.

Finally, there was additional evidence that defendant was a Crips gang member, incarcerated in 1994 at the facility where York worked. This independent evidence is consistent with defendant’s remarks to York, and reflect his motive for the murder.

This evidence supported a conclusion that defendant resented peace officers’ treatment of him and fellow gang members, and that he intentionally killed York in retaliation for his employment as an officer. It is immaterial that York may not have actually mistreated defendant and his fellow gang members. It is the “accused’s subjective intent that is crucial” to establish the peace officer killing special circumstance. (People v. Weidert (1985) 39 Cal.3d 836, 854 [218 Cal.Rptr. 57, 705 P.2d 380] [discussing special circumstance of killing a witness]; accord, People v. Jenkins (2000) 22 Cal.4th 900, 1021 [95 Cal.Rptr.2d 377, 997 P.2d 1044] (Jenkins) [applying same standard to special circumstance of killing a peace officer].) Defendant’s own statements made his intention abundantly clear.

Defendant counters that the statute’s use of the word “retaliate” requires proof he knew of specific actions by York providing a logical or temporal relationship between the officer’s performance of his duties and defendant’s motive to kill him. He cites as an example Jenkins, supra, 22 Cal.4th 900, where the special circumstance was upheld based on evidence that defendant killed a police detective who was investigating him for a robbery. (Id. at pp. 932-937, 1022.) Here, by contrast, defendant argues that the evidence shows nothing more than a “status” killing of a peace officer which, in his view, does not satisfy the statutory elements.

We reject defendant’s narrow interpretation of the statute. Section 190.2, subdivision (a)(7) is clear and unambiguous. It subjects an individual to a sentence of death or life imprisonment without parole for intentionally killing a peace officer “in retaliation for the performance of his or her official duties.” (Ibid.) Nothing in the plain language of the statute supports defendant’s view that the retaliation must be in response to an officer’s specific acts, which are known by and specifically linked to the defendant.

Indeed, imposing such a requirement would be contrary to the electorate’s intent in enacting section 190.2, subdivision (a)(7). The language at issue was part of the Briggs Initiative, enacted by the voters in November 1978 to supplant the Legislature’s 1977 death penalty statute. (Prop. 7, § 6, approved by voters, Gen. Elec. (Nov. 7, 1978); People v. Rodriguez (1986) 42 Cal.3d 730, 777 [230 Cal.Rptr. 667, 726 P.2d 113] (Rodriguez).) The analysis contained in the official voter materials states broadly that a special circumstance would apply to the “murder of any peace officer . . . with respect to the performance of such person’s duties.” (Ballot Pamp., Gen. Elec. (Nov. 7, .1978) analysis of Prop. 7 by Legis. Analyst, p. 32.) The argument in favor of the initiative likewise affirms that the death penalty would apply to the killing of certain categories of victims, including judges, prosecutors, firefighters, and the President of the United States. (Ballot Pamp., Gen. Elec., supra, argument in favor of Prop. 7, p. 34; see Arias v. Superior Court (2009) 46 Cal.4th 969, 979 [95 Cal.Rptr.3d 588, 209 P.3d 923] [considering official election materials submitted to the voters to ascertain electorate’s intent].)

Our opinion in Rodriguez, supra, 42 Cal.3d 730, also supports this view. That case involved a constitutional challenge to the statute’s provision that a special circumstance applies when the defendant intentionally kills a peace officer who was engaged in the course of the performance of his or her duties and the defendant knew or reasonably should have known such facts. (Id. at pp. 780-781.) In upholding the statute’s “ ‘reasonably should have known’ ” provision (id. at p. 779), we explained the special circumstance “gives effect to the special outrage that characteristically arises from the intentional murder of persons acting in certain official public safety capacities. Society considers such killings especially serious for several reasons. The community abhors the human cost to these especially endangered officers and their families, ‘who regularly must risk their lives in order to guard the safety of other persons and property.’ (Roberts v. Louisiana [(1977)] 431 U.S. 633, 636 [52 L.Ed.2d 637, 97 S.Ct. 1993].) Murders of this kind threaten the community at large by hindering the completion of vital public safety tasks; they evince a particular contempt for law and government, and they strike at the heart of a system of ordered liberty.” (Id. at p. 781.) It would subvert the statute’s broader purpose to require proof of retaliation based on a defendant’s knowledge of an officer’s specific actions.

Defendant’s reliance on Jenkins to support a narrower interpretation of the statute is misplaced. As noted, Jenkins was charged with murdering an off-duty police detective who had been investigating his participation in a robbery. (Jenkins, supra, 22 Cal.4th at pp. 932-937, 1022.) He urged that someone else had shot the detective. He also presented evidence to support an argument that the detective had fabricated a case against him and was therefore not engaged in the lawful performance of his duties. (Id. at pp. 938-939.) We upheld the special circumstance finding, observing that there was substantial evidence the detective was engaged in a lawful investigation and that “defendant killed [him] in retaliation for the detective’s part in the Carpenter prosecution . . . ,” (Id. at p. 1022.) Simply because those facts existed in that case does not mean they are required in every case. The legal insufficiency challenge fails.

Defendant mounts other unmeritorious constitutional attacks. First, he maintains that the special circumstance is unconstitutionally vague as applied here and fails to provide adequate notice because it is unclear whether the officer’s performance of his official duties must relate to the defendant. A penal statute violates due process requirements if it is so vague that a person of common intelligence must speculate as to its meaning. (Lanzetta v. New Jersey (1939) 306 U.S. 451, 453 [83 L.Ed. 888, 59 S.Ct. 618].) To survive such a challenge, “[the] statute must be definite enough to provide a standard of conduct for those whose activities are proscribed as well as a standard for the ascertainment of guilt by the courts called upon to apply it.” (People v. McCaughan (1957) 49 Cal.2d 409, 414 [317 P.2d 974].) “A statute will be upheld if its terms may be made reasonably certain by reference to common law [citations] or to its legislative history or purpose.” (Ibid.)

It is not difficult to understand the concept of retaliation against a peace officer for doing his duty. The word “retaliate” is commonly understood and adequately communicates the extent of the proscribed conduct. (Cf. People v. Ledesma (2006) 39 Cal.4th 641, 725 [47 Cal.Rptr.3d 326, 140 P.3d 657] [rejecting a vagueness challenge to the witness-killing special circumstance].) As defendant notes, the jury inquired whether the peace officer “ha[s] to perform a duty at the time of the crime?” The court correctly answered no. The question does not reflect confusion over the concept of retaliation. It requested clarification of the distinction between the two ways the circumstance may be satisfied. The special circumstance applies to the intentional tilling of an officer performing his duties or in retaliation for the performance of those duties. (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(7).) The facts here implicate only the second variation. The court correctly explained that an “engaged in” tilling requires that the officer be actively performing his duties, while a “retaliation” tilling does not.

Second, he argues that, because the statute is susceptible of more than one reasonable construction, it must be construed in the manner most favorable to him. But this rule of lenity does not help defendant here. It applies “ ‘only if the court can do no more than guess what the legislative body intended; there must be an egregious ambiguity and uncertainty to justify invoking the rule.’ ” (People v. Avery (2002) 27 Cal.4th 49, 58 [115 Cal.Rptr.2d 403, 38 P.3d 1]; accord, People v. Manzo (2012) 53 Cal.4th 880, 889 [138 Cal.Rptr.3d 16, 270 P.3d 711].) “In other words, ‘the rule of lenity is a tie-breaking principle, of relevance when “ ‘two reasonable interpretations of the same provision stand in relative equipoise ....’”’ [Citation.]” (Manzo, at p. 889, quoting Lexin v. Superior Court (2010) 47 Cal.4th 1050, 1102, fn. 30 [103 Cal.Rptr.3d 767, 222 P.3d 214].) There is no uncertainty here.

Finally, defendant urges that applying the special circumstance to him is an unforeseeable judicial enlargement of a criminal statute in violation of due process. (People v. Blakeley (2000) 23 Cal.4th 82, 92 [96 Cal.Rptr.2d 451, 999 P.2d 675].) He is incorrect. The plain language of the statute encompasses his conduct. Defendant cites no established rule to the contrary that would constitutionally bar application of a clear statute to his crime. (People v. Rathert (2000) 24 Cal.4th 200, 209-210 [99 Cal.Rptr.2d 779, 6 P.3d 700].)

4. Robbery-murder and burglary-murder special circumstances (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17))

Defendant challenges the robbery-murder and burglary-murder special circumstances on three grounds: sufficiency of the evidence, improper instruction, and unconstitutionality. The claims are unavailing.

a. Sufficiency of the evidence

“The felony-murder special circumstance applies to a murder committed while the defendant was engaged in, or was an accomplice in the commission of, the attempted commission of, or the immediate flight after committing or attempting to commit, various enumerated felonies . . . [citation]. A strict causal or temporal relationship between the felony and the murder is not required; what is required is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intended to commit the felony at the time he killed the victim and that the killing and the felony were part of one continuous transaction.” (People v. Coffman and Marlow (2004) 34 Cal.4th 1, 87 [17 Cal.Rptr.3d 710, 96 P.3d 30] (Coffman).)

Defendant argues that the special circumstance findings cannot stand because there was no evidence the burglary and robbery were independent of the murder. Invoking our holding in People v. Green (1980) 27 Cal.3d 1 [164 Cal.Rptr. 1, 609 P.2d 468] (Green) he reasons that the evidence showed he killed York in retaliation for being a peace officer and not to advance either felony.

He misapprehends the rule. In Green, the defendant took his wife to a remote location, forced her to undress, then killed her in revenge for her infidelity. He was convicted of first degree murder with a robbery-felony-murder special circumstance based on the taking of the victim’s clothing. (Green, supra, 27 Cal.3d at pp. 11-16.) We set aside the special circumstance, reasoning that it was arbitrary and capricious to impose a death judgment when the defendant intends to commit a murder and only incidentally commits one of the specified felonies while doing so. (Id. at p. 61.) Stated another way, “where the defendant’s intent is to kill, and the related offense is only incidental to the murder, the murder cannot be said to have been committed in the commission of the related offense.” (People v. Williams (1988) 44 Cal.3d 883, 927 [245 Cal.Rptr. 336, 751 P.2d 395]; accord, People v. Marshall (1997) 15 Cal.4th 1, 41 [61 Cal.Rptr.2d 84, 931 P.2d 262] (Marshall) [overturning robbery-murder special circumstance based on evidence that defendant took a letter from the victim as a token of the rape and killing].)

Here, there was compelling evidence that defendant and Willis entered the salon intending to commit a felony inside and that defendant shot York “while . . . engaged in” (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)) the commission of burglary and robbery. The two men, armed with guns, barged into the establishment and ordered all three victims to the floor. They took money and valuables from the victims and the store cash register. Defendant shot York after looking through his wallet; he and Willis then continued taking property from Jennifer and Amy. They left a mortally injured York bleeding on the floor as they escaped with the loot. Defendant admitted to police that he went to the salon believing there was $7,000 in a safe and that it would be an “easy place to hit.” There was no evidence that defendant simply entered the salon to kill York. (See People v. Seaton (2001) 26 Cal.4th 598, 646 [110 Cal.Rptr.2d 441, 28 P.3d 175] [the burglary-murder special circumstance does not apply to a burglary committed for the sole purpose of killing the victim].) This jury could rationally conclude that defendant had the “independent felonious purpose” to commit burglary and robbery (People v. Abilez (2007) 41 Cal.4th 472, 511 [61 Cal.Rptr.3d 526, 161 P.3d 58] (Abilez)), and that these felonies and the murder were part of a continuous transaction (Coffman, supra, 34 Cal.4th at p. 88).

Defendant cites People v. Bonin (1989) 47 Cal.3d 808 [254 Cal.Rptr. 298, 765 P.2d 460] for the proposition that he must commit “the act resulting in death in order to advance an independent felonious purpose” {id. at p. 850), namely burglary or robbery. He misreads our precedent. Green’s requirement means only that “he must not perpetrate the underlying felony as ‘merely incidental to the murder.’ [Citation.]” (People v. Davis (1995) 10 Cal.4th 463, 519, fn. 17 [41 Cal.Rptr.2d 826, 896 P.2d 119], quoting Green, supra, 27 Cal.3d at p. 61; accord, People v. Raley (1992) 2 Cal.4th 870, 903 [8 Cal.Rptr.2d 678, 830 P.2d 712].) “The only intent required to find the felony-murder-robbery special circumstance allegation true is the intent to commit the robbery before or during the killing.” (People v. Huggins (2006) 38 Cal.4th 175, 215 [41 Cal.Rptr.3d 593, 131 P.3d 995].) “[T]here is no requirement that the prosecution prove an additional or different element that the killing be committed to ‘advance’ the felony.” (Dykes, supra, 46 Cal.4th at pp. 760-761.)

The facts surrounding defendant’s entry into the salon demonstrate that his primary motivation was robbery and burglary, crimes with an “ ‘independent purpose.’ ” (People v. Carpenter (1997) 15 Cal.4th 312, 387 [63 Cal.Rptr.2d 1, 935 P.2d 708].) This independent purpose was not negated by the fact that defendant subsequently decided to kill York in retaliation for being a police officer. (People v. Clark (2011) 52 Cal.4th 856, 947 [131 Cal.Rptr.3d 225, 261 P.3d 243].) “[A] concurrent intent to kill and to commit an independent felony will support a felony-murder special circumstance.” (People v. Barnett (1998) 17 Cal.4th 1044, 1158 [74 Cal.Rptr.2d 121, 954 P.2d 384] (Barnett)-, accord, People v. Davis (2009) 46 Cal.4th 539, 609 [94 Cal.Rptr.3d 322, 208 P.3d 78]; Abilez, supra, 41 Cal.4th at p. 511; People v. Horning (2004) 34 Cal.4th 871, 904 [22 Cal.Rptr.3d 305, 102 P.3d 228]; People v. San Nicolas (2004) 34 Cal.4th 614, 656 [21 Cal.Rptr.3d 612, 101 P.3d 509].)

The burglary and robbery were not merely “incidental or ancillary to the murder.” (Abilez, supra, 41 Cal.4th at p. 511; accord, People v. Davis, supra, 46 Cal.4th at p. 609.) Indeed the decision to shoot York and the reason for doing so arose only after defendant entered the salon and began taking property. The evidence suffices.

b. Alleged misinstruction

As noted, the court gave CALJIC No. 8.81.17, which read: “To find that the special circumstance, referred to in these instructions as murder in the commission of robbery or burglary, is true, it must be proved: [¶] Number one, the murder was committed while a defendant was engaged in or was an accomplice in the commission or attempted commission of the robbery or burglary; and [][] Number two, the murder was committed in order to carry out or advance the commission of the crime of robbery or burglary or to facilitate the escape therefrom or to avoid detection. In other words, the special circumstance referred to in these instructions is not established if any robbery or burglary was merely incidental to the commission of the murder.”

During deliberations, the jury asked: “Re: page 53, part 2 of the jury instructions. Question: If first degree murder is committed as a consequence of or results from the intent or commission of armed robbery and/or burglary, is this sufficient to establish the special circumstance cited?” With the agreement of both counsel, the court answered: “it depends upon what the jury finds to be the facts, okay? That’s the answer. I propose to reread the jury instruction that you have just alluded to because, obviously, that states the law, all right?” The court then reread CALJIC No. 8.81.17 and repeated, “So, again, the answer to your question is it just depends upon what the jury finds to be the facts.”

Defendant argues that the court had an obligation to alleviate the jury’s confusion about the application of the special circumstances. He claims the court failed to do so and misled the jury by suggesting that it need not find defendant killed to advance an independent felonious purpose. He claims the error deprived him of due process, trial by jury, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, presentation of a complete defense, and a reliable death penalty determination. He fails to persuade.

Defendant forfeited his appellate challenge by expressly agreeing to the court’s response. The court interpreted the jury’s question as requesting guidance on how it should resolve a factual issue, and observed that the answer “depends upon what they are finding to be the facts.” It did not “want to suggest anything one way or another” about how they should make this factual assessment. Defense counsel agreed with this interpretation, and with the court’s proposed response. Indeed, defense counsel observed: “the answer to that question with respect to 8.81.[1]7 ... is right there on the instruction. [¶] •••[!]••• And it really depends on what they determine the facts to be and there are, I don’t know, any number of different ways they can interpret the facts and then have to interpret the law and how they apply to the facts.” He further commented, “[T]he question that they are asking is begging an interpretation of what the facts really mean.”

“When the trial court responds to a question from a deliberating jury with a generally correct and pertinent statement of the law, a party who believes the court’s response should be modified or clarified must make a contemporaneous request to that effect; failure to object to the trial court’s wording or to request clarification results in forfeiture of the claim on appeal.” (Dykes, supra, 46 Cal.4th at p. 802; accord, People v. Marks (2003) 31 Cal.4th 197, 237 [2 Cal.Rptr.3d 252, 72 P.3d 1222].)

In any event, it is not reasonably likely the court’s response misled the jury. (Dykes, supra, 46 Cal.4th at p. 804.) “The court is under a general obligation to ‘clear up any instructional confusion expressed by the jury,’ but ‘[wjhere ... the original instructions are themselves full and complete, the court has discretion ... to determine what additional explanations are sufficient to satisfy the jury’s request for information.’ ” (Dykes, supra, 46 Cal.4th at p. 802, quoting People v. Gonzalez (1990) 51 Cal.3d 1179, 1213 [275 Cal.Rptr. 729, 800 P.2d 1159]; see § 1138.) Here, the court reread CALJIC No. 8.81.17, which correctly stated the law. Defendant does not argue otherwise.

Defendant interprets the question to ask if the special circumstance could be based solely on a finding that defendant was “engaged in” a burglary or robbery. The court’s response, he maintains, should have been “no”; its actual response, “it depends upon what the jury finds to be the facts,” allowed the jury to return a special circumstance finding without finding that he had an independent felonious purpose. This interpretation is untenable.

The jury’s question focused on a killing that is “committed as a consequence of or results from the intent or commission of armed robbery and/or burglary.” (Italics added.) The phrasing of the question conveyed a basic understanding that the felony must be independent of the murder. By rereading CALJIC No. 8.81.17 in its entirety, the court reaffirmed that point. It emphasized that “the special circumstance referred to in these instructions is not established if any robbery or burglary was merely incidental to the commission of the murder.” (Ibid.) This instruction effectively explains that for this felony-murder special circumstance to apply, “the murder must be committed while the defendant was engaged in robbery or [burglary] (or immediate flight after commission of [those felonies]), and not the other way around, that is to say, not if the defendant intended to commit murder ‘and only incidentally committed [the robbery or burglary]’ while doing so.” (People v. Stanley (2006) 39 Cal.4th 913, 956-957 [47 Cal.Rptr.3d 420, 140 P.3d 736] (Stanley).) The court’s response thereby correctly conveyed the Green rule. The jury would have understood the court’s response in this manner.

c. Constitutional challenge

Finally, consistent with long-standing precedent, we reject defendant’s claim that the felony-murder special circumstances must be set aside because they fail to narrow the class of death-eligible defendants to a smaller subclass more deserving of death. (Stanley, supra, 39 Cal.4th at p. 968; People v. Musselwhite (1998) 17 Cal.4th 1216, 1265-1266 [74 Cal.Rptr.2d 212, 954 P.2d 475]; People v. Anderson (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1104, 1146-1147 [240 Cal.Rptr. 585, 742 P.2d 1306].)

B. Penalty Phase Issues

1. Denial of the right to self-representation

Defendant alleges that the court erroneously denied his Sixth Amendment right to self-representation at the penalty phase. (Faretta v. California (1975) 422 U.S. 806, 835-836 [45 L.Ed.2d 562, 95 S.Ct. 2525] {Faretta).) His claim fails because he did not make an unequivocal demand to proceed pro se.

The same day the jury returned its guilt phase verdicts, defendant made a motion to substitute counsel. In camera, defendant affirmed he was asking that his attorneys be relieved and that other counsel be appointed to represent him. He explained that he was satisfied with his attorneys’ performance at the guilt phase, but that he wanted them removed because they “did their job already, you know, and ain’t no need to put no defense for me for the penalty phase.”

When asked if he wanted substitute counsel, defendant said, “No.” When asked if he wanted to represent himself, defendant again said, “No,” explaining that “I just want the prosecutor to put his little — what he want to put up.” The court explained that defendant had to choose one or the other. Defendant then asked, “If I represent myself, I could just be quiet then, right?” The court confirmed that defendant could “do pretty much what you feel is appropriate to do with respect to the penalty phase of the trial.” Defendant responded, “I just want Mr. Davis and Ron Klar moved off my case. I don’t want no new lawyers, I don’t want to represent myself.” (Italics added.) The court sought clarification, asking, “You want new lawyers?” Defendant again responded, “No, I don’t want no new lawyers. I don’t want to represent myself. I just want the prosecutor to do the rest of his little job and I will go on my way.” (Italics added.)

The court asked defense counsel, “is this a Faretta hearing or Marsden?” Counsel responded, “I don’t think that’s really what it is.” He explained that defendant did not want to present any evidence in mitigation, but that counsel felt an ethical obligation to mount a defense.

The court observed that it was having difficulty determining whether defendant wished to represent himself but that “I think that’s what you are saying because you are telling me you don’t want another lawyer appointed and you want the court to relieve Mr. Klar and Mr. Davis.” The court inquired, “You basically just want to sit there during the penalty phase and let the D.A. put on his evidence without anybody asking those people any questions?” Defendant responded, “You know, your Honor, if I could have it my way, I don’t want to be here at all. I want to stay in the jail. You could notify me of the outcome.”

The court deemed defendant to have made a Faretta motion as “part and parcel of a Marsden request.” The court questioned defendant, who revealed that he had quit high school in the 10th grade, had no employment history, had never before represented himself, and had no legal knowledge. The court denied defendant pro se status, noting that the request was untimely and finding that defendant was unqualified to represent himself due to his lack of education and his mental impairment, as testified to by Dr. Cross.

“A trial court must grant a defendant’s request for self-representation if the defendant knowingly and intelligently makes an unequivocal and timely request after having been apprised of its dangers. [Citations.]” (People v. Valdez (2004) 32 Cal.4th 73, 97-98 [8 Cal.Rptr.3d 271, 82 P.3d 296] (Valdez); accord, Faretta, supra, 422 U.S. at pp. 835-836.) The right of self-representation applies to the penalty phase of a capital trial. (People v. Doolin (2009) 45 Cal.4th 390, 453 [87 Cal.Rptr.3d 209, 198 P.3d 11] (Doolin); People v. Blair (2005) 36 Cal.4th 686, 736-737 [31 Cal.Rptr.3d 485, 115 P.3d 1145] (Blair).) Erroneous denial of a proper request is reversible per se. (McKaskle v. Wiggins (1984) 465 U.S. 168, 177-178, fn. 8 [79 L.Ed.2d 122, 104 S.Ct. 944].)

“Faretta itself and later cases have made clear that the right of self-representation is not absolute, [citations].” (Edwards, supra, 554 U.S. at p. 171 [listing limitations on the right].) For example, when the self-representation motion is untimely, “self-representation no longer is a matter of right but is subject to the trial court’s discretion.” (People v. Bradford (1997) 15 Cal.4th 1229, 1365 [65 Cal.Rptr.2d 145, 939 P.2d 259].) For purposes of assessing timeliness, the guilt and penalty phases are parts of a single trial. “[A] motion made between the guilt and penalty phases is thus untimely and subject to the trial court’s discretion.” (People v. Mayfield, supra, 14 Cal.4th at p. 810; accord, Doolin, supra, 45 Cal.4th at p. 454.) Additionally, special considerations inform a request for self-representation in a capital case. By statute, “a plea of guilty to a capital felony may not be taken except in the presence of counsel, and with counsel’s consent. (§ 1018.) Even if otherwise competent to exercise the constitutional right to self-representation [citation], a defendant may not discharge his lawyer in order to enter such a plea over counsel’s objection. [Citations.]” (People v. Mai (2013) 57 Cal.4th 986, 1055 [161 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 305 P.3d 1175].)

Defendant contends that the court erred by considering his lack of education as a basis for denying the Faretta request (see Doolin, supra, 45 Cal.4th at p. 454), failing to determine whether his request was knowing and intelligent, and failing to apply the factors outlined in People v. Windham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 121, 128-129 [137 Cal.Rptr. 8, 560 P.2d 1187] to assess