Serial Killer to Self-Represent In Third Murder Trial

Long time death row inmate, and suspected serial killer Rodney Alcala, age 66, goes on trial tomorrow for the third time in the murder of Robin Samsoe (pic) according to the Orange County Register, Alcala is expected to act as his own attorney.  The Orange County Register reports that the two previous convictions of Alcala were reversed.  In the iterim years DNA testing has linked Alcala to 4 other rapes and murders of young women.  Additionally, Alcala has a lengthy prior record of rape and assault.  He has been on death row for 30 years.

Alcala a former UCLA photography student is purported to have a genuis-level IQ, and he intends to represent himself at trial--which is why this matter is notable.   Twice previously, Alcala received the death sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of 12 year old Robin Samsoe, and the death penalty is at stake in this re-trial. 

What can we expect of "attorney" Samsoe?  Games.  Once previously, Alcala fashioned a plastic bow-tie for his prison garb, when told he would not be able to have cvilian clothes. 

Here's betting that the California courts enabled a sociopath to have fun and games, to torment the survivors of little Robin Samsoe--because the state is intent (at taxpayer's expense) upon the symbolism of death.   As we have seen, on Bad Lawyer, California so mal-administers the death penalty that in reality almost no death row inmate is ever executed! 

Already, constitutional problems have arisen in the Alcala case, although a jury is selected and the case is set to go Monday--in a colloquy with the court Alcala told the Judge that the time frame restricitions on his phone calls from prison prevented the completion of the work of expert witnesses employed by him in his defense (doubtlessly also at taxpayer expense.)

One more unitended consequence of the demagoguery of the death penalty.