People v. Baker

480 P.3d 49 (2021)

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People v. Baker

California Supreme Court
480 P.3d 49 (2021)

  • Written by Robert Cane, JD

Facts

A few weeks prior to her disappearance, Judy Palmer told her friend that if anything happened to her, Paul Baker (defendant) did it. Palmer’s body was found decomposing in the desert several weeks later. A jury convicted Baker of first-degree felony murder. Additionally, the jury found that two special circumstances were present, rape and burglary, and it returned a verdict of death. Baker appealed, arguing that burglary with the intent to commit rape ought to merge with felony murder and thus to be properly convicted of in this case of first-degree felony murder, the State of California (plaintiff) had to prove that Baker acted with malice aforethought rather than merely the intent to commit rape.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Cantil-Sakauye, C.J.)

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