USA - California. The Court of Appeals overturned the death sentence of Hector Ayala, 49, hispanic.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned the death sentence of Hector Ayala, 49, hispanic. Ayala was sentenced to death in San Diego County on November 30, 1989 in the April 26, 1985 murders of Jose Luis Rositas, Marcos Antonio Zamora and Ernesto Dominguez Mendez in the course of a robbery. The court said the juror selection procedures, coupled with the state losing a portion of the record in the case, infringed on Mr. Ayala's rights.