California judge says Duncan can act as own attorney

Joseph Duncan will be allowed to act as his own attorney in a trial in which he faces the death penalty if convicted of the 1997 slaying of a 10-year-old Beaumont, Calif., boy, an Indio judge ruled Monday. Duncan can make his own decisions in sorting through more than 30,000 pages of evidence in the death of Anthony Martinez. Judge David B. Downing granted Duncan’s request, temporarily appointing his Riverside County public defenders as standby council. Duncan told the court that he does not plan to plead guilty or file motions on his own behalf while acting in his own defense. “I will sit back and let you guys run the whole show,” Duncan said. “I will ask to be allowed to remain silent.”