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Hundreds of death penalty sentences in California could be overturned, depending on how the state Supreme Court rules on arguments it heard Wednesday.

Hundreds of death penalty sentences in California could be overturned, depending on how the state Supreme Court rules on arguments it heard Wednesday.

Print For decades, California’s highest court has left it up to individual jurors to decide whether certain circumstances increase the severity of a crime and thereby warrant the death penalty in murder cases that qualify for the ultimate punishment. On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court heard arguments on a change to that long-standing practice, which could potentially overturn hundreds of death penalty sentences in California. At issue is how juries review “aggravating” factors — such as whether a crime was gang-related or involved multiple victims. Defense lawyers in the case argue...

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments in the case of a death row inmate from Los Angeles that challenges the constitutionality of how the death penalty has been applied and could lead to the reversal of hundreds of death sentences. As part of an automatic appeal for Donte McDaniel, who has been convicted and sentenced to death for two 2004 murders, the defense is asking ...

The state Supreme Court hears a case Wednesday that could lead to reversals of hundreds...