A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal from a San Antonio man on death row who argued Bexar County jurors may have received incomplete instructions when they decided he should die for killing a convenience store owner during a 2004 robbery.
Attorneys for 33-year-old Christopher Young contended jury instructions at his 2006 trial failed to include required guidance about whether mitigating evidence presented during the trial's punishment phase could justify a life prison sentence. Attorneys also argued his trial lawyers were deficient for not spotting the instruction lapse.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed the questions should be reviewed and on Tuesday affirmed a federal district judge's decision to reject the claims.
Young was condemned for fatally shooting 55-year-old Hasmukh Patel at Patel's San Antonio store.
