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Criminal

Aug. 19, 2026

California Supreme Court reverses death penalty judgment for second time

The California Supreme Court unanimously reversed Christopher Charles Lightsey's reinstated death penalty judgment, finding prosecutors could not show a retrospective hearing could reliably determine his competency to stand trial in 1994.

The California Supreme Court on Monday unanimously reversed the death penalty judgment against a Kern County man, ruling prosecutors failed to show a reliable retrospective hearing could reconstruct whether he was mentally competent to stand trial for capital murder in 1994.

The decision is the second time the high court has overturned the judgment against Christopher Charles Lightsey, convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of William Compton, along with burglary and robb...

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