THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. GEORGE WILLIAMS, JR., Defendant and Appellant.
No. S131819
Supreme Court of California
Dec. 5, 2016
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Paul J. Spiegelman, under appointment by the Supreme Court, for Defendant and Appellant.
Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Holly D. Wilkens, Theodore M. Cropley and Scott C. Taylor, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
OPINION
CHIN, J.-A 2004 jury convicted defendant of the 1986 first degree murder of 14-year-old Rickie Ann Blake (Rickie). It found true the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a kidnapping, and murder during the commission of a rape. (
I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
A. Guilt Phase
1. Overview of Prosecution Evidence
Rickie was in the eighth grade in 1986; she was less than five feet tall and weighed 120 pounds. She lived with her parents and older sister “Bootsie” on Oleander Avenue in Chula Vista. Rickie‘s older brother, Bobby, was overseas in the armed forces. Rickie was shy and afraid of the dark; she would not answer the door for anyone she did not know. She never drank and would not
One night, around 10:00 p.m., a man named George called asking for Rickie. Bootsie‘s friend, Angela Caruso, who took the call and thought the caller sounded like an adult, told him that he should not be calling a girl Rickie‘s age, and hung up on him.
On April 10, 1986, the day before Rickie was murdered, her father picked her up from school to take her to the dentist. When they returned home that evening, Rickie complained that her teeth hurt. She had soup and ice cream for dinner and took some aspirin to relieve her tooth pain. When her parents went to bed at around 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. that night, Rickie was watching a San Diego Padres baseball game on television. Her parents’ bedroom door was closed. Bootsie and her two girlfriends returned home at around 10:30 p.m. and went outside with Rickie to talk. The girlfriends left, and Rickie and Bootsie went inside again. Rickie was talking on the phone to Henry L. and Kristin on a three-way call. Bootsie locked the front and back doors and asked Rickie to get off the phone. Rickie hung up the phone and brought it to Bootsie in her bedroom. Around 11:00 or 11:30 p.m., the phone rang. Bootsie answered, and a man named George again asked for Rickie. He was not George Bell, their neighbor. Rickie retrieved the phone to take the call and returned to her bedroom with the phone. Bootsie fell asleep.
The next morning, Mrs. Blake woke up around 5:00 a.m. and found the front door open. The lights and the television were on. Rickie‘s shoes were near the front door, and she had not slept in her bedroom. Her Cabbage Patch dolls had not been changed into their pajamas, something Rickie did every night. The Blakes called neighbors and friends and then the police. Mr. Blake drove around looking for Rickie.
That same evening, after 10:00 p.m., a motorist found Rickie‘s body on the Main Street off-ramp of Interstate 15 in San Diego County. Rickie was lying on her back; her face had been beaten. She had bruising around her left eye and cheek and slight bruising on her chin and lip. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt, black pants, and dirty socks; she was not wearing shoes. There were bloodstains on Rickie‘s sweatshirt collar, on the white tank top she wore underneath the sweatshirt, and on her bra straps. Her black pants and underpants had the odor of urine. It appeared that Rickie had not been killed where her body was found.
Angela Cardenas, Rickie‘s friend, identified a photograph of defendant, an African-American male, as a person she had seen at Skateland, a Chula Vista skating rink where Rickie sometimes roller skated and that Bootsie frequented. Bootsie also identified defendant as a person she had seen at the skating rink. In 1986, both the owner of the rink and a longtime employee identified a photo of defendant as someone who looked familiar to them. The owner did not know Rickie, but knew Bootsie. The employee did not personally know Rickie or her sister and could not identify anyone in the courtroom, but he testified that he believed he had seen a person pictured in a photo exhibit standing outside the rink. The person in the picture was Augustus Salton, a security guard for the rink, who identified a photo of defendant as a person he had seen standing or walking around outside the rink in 1986. Defendant was a good roller skater and went to the skating rink regularly.
2. The Autopsy
On April 12, 1986, Dr. John Eisele performed Rickie‘s autopsy. He found light linear marks above Rickie‘s breasts, indicating that something was pressed up against the upper area of her chest when lividity was forming. Rickie‘s tank top and bra were both pulled above her breasts, which accounted for the light linear marks. Rickie‘s left eyelid was swollen and bruised from blunt trauma, like a punch, and there was bruising in the inside lining of the eyelids of both eyes. The bruising in the right eye was consistent with trauma to the eye or squeezing of the neck that collapsed the jugular vein. The trauma to the mouth was consistent with injuries caused by a beverage bottle. On the left side of Rickie‘s neck, beneath her chin, there was some bruising and a small scrape; there was also a small linear scrape on the left side of her neck. Pressure or squeezing, rather than a blow, would have caused these neck injuries. Hemorrhaging was found on her forehead area, and the injuries indicated three separate impacts from a blow or object that could have caused unconsciousness. The blunt object was either a fist or a board. The hemorrhaging could also have resulted from her head being slammed down on a hard flat surface. The soft tissue of Rickie‘s neck showed several areas of hemorrhage, consistent with her neck being squeezed by hands, a ligature, or some other item.
Dr. Eisele observed no injuries or abnormalities in Rickie‘s genital exam. He did see spermatozoa heads on a microscopic slide from a swab taken from
Dr. Glenn Wagner had been the San Diego County Medical Examiner for 14 months at the time of defendant‘s trial. He reviewed the materials in the coroner‘s case file, including Dr. Eisele‘s autopsy findings and the investigative report. Dr. Wagner opined that Rickie‘s death occurred in the morning hours of April 11, 1986, between midnight and 9:00 a.m. He observed that Rickie‘s bra was displaced at or close to the time of her death. The injuries to her mouth, fluid he found in her lungs, and the 0.04 blood-alcohol level in the vitreous humour were consistent with her being force-fed alcohol that went into her lungs. Dr. Wagner concluded that the cause of Rickie‘s death was manual strangulation, and the bruising on her neck and face occurred before her death. He also noted that the fluid in her lungs suggested drowning as a contributing factor.
In contrast to Dr. Eisele‘s original testimony, Dr. Wagner saw an intact sperm present on a slide made from the swabs of Rickie‘s vagina, and concluded she was sexually assaulted. Dr. Wagner opined that the sexual assault occurred within 24 hours of the slide preparation. He testified that the average intact sperm could last post mortem for 23 hours, but could last longer if the victim‘s body was refrigerated. He opined that sperm with heads alone could last 96 hours after the victim‘s death, with an average lifetime of 38.4 hours. He also testified that Rickie‘s blood-alcohol level was due in part to ingestion and in part from decomposition. He noted that Rickie had still not had her first period.
3. DNA Results
Although deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing did not exist in 1986, such testing was conducted in 2002 and 2003 on Rickie‘s pants and the underpants she was wearing when found. The tests were positive for sperm and showed one donor. A reference sample from defendant was tested in March 2003 following defendant‘s arrest, several years after the DNA data bank found a match between defendant‘s DNA profile and the sperm samples from Rickie‘s
4. Defendant‘s Statements to Police
Defendant was arrested for Rickie‘s murder in Gary, Indiana, on February 11, 2003. He claimed that he did not know anything about Rickie‘s murder and that he did not know her. When asked how his sperm got into Rickie, defendant said, “I didn‘t kill her.” When asked if he had sex with her but was embarrassed to discuss it, he said no, and “I didn‘t do nothing.”
5. Uncharged Sexual Misconduct
a. 1984 molestation of daughter
In 1984, when defendant‘s daughter I. was six years old and living with defendant, her mother, a sister, and a brother, defendant molested her by rubbing lotion on her vaginal area when her mother was not at home. When I. said, “Daddy, daddy,” in an effort to get him to stop touching her, defendant left the room. He was drinking alcohol and sitting on the floor in a fetal position, rocking back and forth, when her mother returned home. I. told her mother she was not feeling well and that defendant had rubbed lotion on her and given her a piña colada to drink. I. also told medical personnel and the police what happened. I., her mother and her siblings moved to San Diego without defendant shortly after the molestation occurred. Defendant eventually pled guilty to the molestation in court.
b. Rape of V.W. and her six-year-old daughter A.C.
V.W. testified that in 1986 she lived in an apartment building across the hall from defendant‘s wife (who at this point was separated from
Dr. Marilyn Kaufhold, a pediatrician at Children‘s Hospital, testified that her examination of A.C. revealed a raised circumferential linear mark on her wrists, consistent with the use of some form of restraint. Dr. Kaufhold testified that A.C.‘s injuries were more consistent with a partial penetration of her vagina by a penis rather than by a finger.
6. Defense Evidence
Defense counsel presented a two-part defense: (1) that George Bell was the likely killer, and (2) that Rickie had consensual sex with defendant several hours before the murder, and that consensual sex was the source of defendant‘s DNA found in Rickie‘s body. In his opening statement, defense counsel told the jury that Dr. Eisele would testify that the sperm evidence showed that intercourse between defendant and Rickie took place more than two days before her death. He also said that Rickie‘s neighbor, George Bell, was the real killer. Defendant had made this claim to the police shortly after his arrest at the same time that he told police the sex he had with Rickie was consensual. Bell‘s estranged wife, Gloria Z., testified that Bell talked about Rickie‘s murder more than 50 times after they married in 1993. Bell would cry when he discussed the murder and say it was an accident. Gloria told police that Bell once told her that he would put her six feet under and that he had done it before. She also told police that Bell hated cats. She stated that
Bell also told Gloria that Rickie had a tire mark on her face, that her body was dumped on Main Street, and that Rickie‘s glasses were in the trunk of a car that was crushed at a junkyard. The car apparently belonged to a mechanic named Greg Richardson, who lived a block from Rickie‘s house. When Gloria asked Bell if he had committed Rickie‘s murder, Bell remained silent. Bell was also violent toward Gloria; he hit her once, sending her to the hospital, and raped her a couple of times. He refused to visit his stepfather‘s grave at the cemetery where Rickie was buried, but blamed Richardson for Rickie‘s murder.
Greg Richardson had worked on Bell‘s car, which leaked pink transmission fluid and black engine oil. He asked Bell directly if he killed Rickie, and Bell said nothing. Bell told Richardson in the garage that Rickie‘s death might have been an accident that occurred when someone tried to have sex with her, put their hand over her mouth, and accidently suffocated her. He also told Richardson that he was with his girlfriend, Angela “Tink” Armstrong, and had dropped her off at 9:00 p.m. on the night Rickie disappeared. He said he returned home at around 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. that night. Armstrong testified at defendant‘s trial that she was in Los Angeles for a funeral on April 10 and 11 of 1986, and that she did not see Bell when she was in town. Bell spoke to other neighbors about Rickie‘s death, saying that it was an accident or that Richardson did it.
Defense counsel‘s opening statement also claimed that Rickie had a prior relationship with a high school student named George, whom she introduced to her friend Ramy at the skating rink. Ramy testified that when the police told her that the suspect in the case was George Williams, Jr., she looked on the Internet and saw defendant‘s photograph. Apparently, defendant did not look like the boy named George to whom Rickie introduced her, because defendant was older. The parties stipulated, however, that the photograph (exhibit No. 60) was an Army photograph taken in 1974, when defendant was 19 years old. Ramy identified defendant in court as the person named George to whom Rickie introduced her at school.
Defendant presented additional support for his claim that he did not murder Rickie with the testimony of Jerry Chism, a retired criminalist. Chism compared the photograph of the right shoe print found at the murder scene with a photograph of defendant‘s right bare foot. He concluded that defendant‘s shoe did not make the shoe print at the scene. Defendant‘s feet indicated he wore a size seven or eight shoe, and the shoe print was 15 inches long. Chism believed that a size 19 shoe would have made the shoe print.
Rickie‘s mother testified that on the morning Rickie was discovered missing, she called Bell‘s home and asked whether Rickie was there. Bell gave the phone to his mother and ran to the Blakes’ house. The police were present. Bell‘s girlfriend Armstrong testified that Bell was like an older brother to Rickie. Many of the people in the neighborhood got together in the park and discussed what might have happened to Rickie. Bell never indicated to his sister that he was involved in Rickie‘s murder. He did tell her that he was sorry about what happened to Rickie and would get emotional when speaking about it.
B. Penalty Phase
1. Prosecution Evidence
a. Other sexual assaults
i. 1981 rape of Sandra S.
On November 13, 1981, defendant raped 15-year-old Sandra S., who lived with her family in Compton. She met defendant because he and her brother worked at the naval shipyard. The rape occurred after Sandra had been sitting in a van at her house with defendant, her brother, her sisters, and a couple of friends. Sandra accompanied defendant on a drive. Defendant said they were going to a store, but defendant drove instead to a deserted, dark area, forced her into the back of his van, ripped off her clothes, and raped her. Sandra ran from the van and spotted a police car. She told an officer that defendant had raped her. Defendant was apprehended after the police spotted his van. Sandra testified at defendant‘s preliminary hearing, but did not return for the trial because she wanted to put the incident behind her.
ii. 1985 rape of V.R.
V.R. joined the Navy in 1984 and met appellant on the base. On June 13, 1985, she went out with defendant and a friend for drinks. Later that evening the three were drinking and driving. After defendant dropped off the friend, he drove to a freeway overpass and told V.R. that he wanted to have sex with her. When she refused, he tied her up with his belt and some shoelaces and raped her. He then drove her back to the base. V.R. eventually reported the rape to her commanding officer and the police.
iii. Rape of A.C.
A.C. described the night of April 18, 1986, when defendant sexually assaulted her after he raped her mother. Defendant entered her bedroom,
iv. 1998 molestation of Leon F.
Leon F. was defendant‘s male cousin, who lived in Indiana. In February 1998, 14-year-old Leon was staying with his aunt, his cousin, and defendant‘s son. Leon, his cousin, and defendant‘s son went to sleep on the floor of the den. Leon woke up to find defendant behind him, pulling his hand out of the back of Leon‘s pants. Leon felt a sharp pain in his anus, and he went to the bathroom, where he felt moisture close to the site of the pain. When he returned to the den, defendant was gone. Leon told his cousin about what had occurred, and was interviewed by the police. A criminal case was filed against defendant.
b. Victim impact testimony
Bootsie testified that Rickie‘s death affected her immensely, and she had trouble trusting people and difficulty remembering Rickie, with whom she had been very close. Bootsie had one of Rickie‘s Cabbage Patch dolls at her wedding, and went to the cemetery on Rickie‘s birthday. Their mother would daydream about Rickie, and before their mother died, she said she was going to see Rickie.
William Blake, Rickie‘s father, testified that before she died, Rickie was shy but had started to become more outgoing. She played with her dolls, sang in the choir, and played soccer; she was never any trouble and was a happy member of the family. William and his wife could not bear to clean out Rickie‘s room and were sad all the time. However, William reported that he was happy and relieved when he learned that there had been an arrest in Rickie‘s murder.
2. Defense Evidence
Several members of defendant‘s family, including his mother, Lelar Drew (Lelar), testified about his childhood with a drunken and abusive father who
Defendant‘s aunt and Lelar‘s sister, Yvonne King, testified that defendant was a kind child who would help people fix things. She testified about Lelar‘s past, including the fact that her father, defendant‘s grandfather, an alcoholic, was violent when he drank and would beat his children with a belt. Defendant‘s grandfather worked in a steel mill, and his grandmother worked as a maid. They had been sharecroppers living in a shack before they moved from rural Arkansas to Gary, Indiana seeking jobs in the steel mills. They lived in poverty, and when defendant‘s grandmother died of a stroke, his grandfather became extremely abusive. He eventually moved to the South, leaving defendant‘s mother and her sister to live with their abusive Aunt Francis, who beat Lelar regularly with extension cords. At 17 years old, Lelar married defendant‘s father, who was also an alcoholic. He left them before defendant‘s birth. Yvonne also testified that when defendant‘s mother became pregnant with defendant, her Aunt Francis hit her with a cord and kicked her out of the house. After George‘s birth, Yvonne said she only saw Lelar drinking one time. Lelar and defendant moved from house to house while on welfare.
The defense proffered evidence showing that defendant suffered adjustment problems at an early age. He was referred to his school‘s psychologist at age seven after being described by a teacher as “an overactive, impulsive child with an exaggerated curiosity about sex matters, [and the teacher suspected he had] observed adult sex activity.” After tests concluded that defendant was a normal boy, the psychologist concluded that defendant was being adversely affected by his environment. He suggested that the school work with the family to help defendant adjust, but nothing in the school records indicated any meetings took place. When defendant was 10 years old, he went to live with his Uncle Earl and numerous cousins. There, he was subjected to daily beatings and witnessed the severe abuse of his favorite cousin, Sheila.
When defendant was 12 years old and living in his uncle‘s house, he was again referred to a school psychologist, who was concerned that defendant was not performing up to expectations in school and was having hostile fantasies of a sexual nature. The psychologist recommended an investigation
Defendant‘s life started to turn around after he moved back to Gary, Indiana with his mother so she could work at a job in Chicago. Defendant joined the ROTC in high school and served as the school mascot at basketball games. Defendant joined the Army before graduating high school. In the army, he became a trustworthy soldier who was described as a quick study. Erthel Bennett, defendant‘s sergeant, developed a father-son relationship with defendant, and testified that defendant became one of the Army‘s “shining stars.” He rated defendant as outstanding in attitude, initiative, and leadership, and excellent in adaptability and responsibility. He believed defendant was one of the top soldiers in the unit in all categories. Defendant received a commendation medal after a year of service in Korea, and was described by his battery commander as a “truly professional soldier in every sense of the word. [His] specific actions during the battery posture PS annual service practice led us being designated as an honor battery and firing at 98.4%.”
Defendant‘s troubles with alcohol began when he joined the Navy in 1978. Jerry Hays worked with the Navy for 38 years, both on active duty and as a civilian, and reviewed defendant‘s personnel records. He stated that defendant graduated from boot camp on November 17, 1978, and then trained to be a boiler technician. In 1979, defendant was assigned to the cruiser U.S.S. Leahy. Between 1979 and 1981, he was cited in three Navy disciplinary matters that included minor infractions for abusing alcohol and being drunk on duty. After the Navy honorably discharged him, defendant reenlisted in March 1981. In 1985, defendant received an “other than honorable discharge.”
Aaron Pratt was released from prison in June 2004, after serving a sentence for several felony convictions, including perjury. Pratt met defendant in the Navy after Pratt enlisted in 1979. According to Pratt, he and defendant were like brothers. Pratt testified that defendant was a compassionate person who loved his children, took pride in his work, and performed tasks without being asked to do so. Pratt, who drank alcohol with defendant, stated that defendant showed poor judgment when he was drunk, and his drinking got him into trouble several times in the Navy.
Marvin Rowe supervised defendant in the construction business from around 1994 or 1995 to 1997. He stated that defendant worked as a trouble
James Esten worked for the California Department of Corrections in different capacities from 1973–1992. He reviewed defendant‘s prison records spanning from 1986 to 1995, and stated that defendant would not pose a threat of future dangerousness to staff, inmates, or employees if he was sentenced to life without parole.
Deborah Franklin testified that in 1974 she had a son named Daniel with defendant, when she was 16 years old and defendant was 18. She noted that defendant was their high school mascot, dressed up in costume, and took her to games. Deborah did not tell defendant she was pregnant until after he left for the Army. Her father did not want defendant to be involved in Daniel‘s life, and defendant did not meet Daniel until Daniel was 21 years old. Daniel testified that he loved defendant.
Defendant‘s other son, who was born in 1982, testified that he loved defendant and believes he is a good person. Defendant had also established a good relationship with a daughter who was born in 1981.
3. Defense Psychological Expert Testimony
Defense expert Dr. Rahn Minagawa, stated that he served in the Navy in Spain. He explained that shore patrol and local Spanish authorities would prepare for a surge in the number of alcohol-related incidents that would occur when the service members came ashore.
Dr. Minagawa testified that when defendant is sober, he is a highly functioning worker who provides for his family. But defendant is alcohol dependent, and when he drinks, he is unable to stop. He suffered a head injury in 1981 when he was drunk and fell asleep at the wheel of a car, causing an accident in which he was ejected from the vehicle. The injury damaged the frontal lobe of his brain and left an indentation in his skull. Dr. Minagawa opined that defendant is a pedophile, and although he does not have an antisocial personality disorder, alcohol was a factor in each of his criminal offenses.
Dr. Douglas Tucker, a psychiatrist, treated sex offenders and evaluated sexually violent predators (SVPs). He specialized in treating SVPs with a history of substance abuse. He testified that childhood abuse and neglect can predispose a person to alcohol abuse and put that person at a greater risk of committing sexually violent crimes. He also stated that these same factors
Dr. Daniel Delis conducted defendant‘s neuropsychological evaluation. Defendant told him that he suffered a concussion as a child with no lingering effects, was hit with a wrench as a teenager, and was in a 1981 car accident where he lost consciousness and suffered a head injury. Dr. Delis testified that defendant‘s magnetic resonance imagery test showed no evidence of brain damage, that his IQ was in the average to below average range, and that he also had a number of cognitive strengths. After considering defendant‘s accident, his early sexual abuse by the Boys’ Club director, and his possible exposure to adult sexual activity at an early age, Dr. Delis testified that these incidents may have damaged the frontal lobe of his brain significantly enough to cause him to misbehave.
4. Prosecution Rebuttal Evidence
Dr. Mark Kalish performed a psychiatric evaluation on defendant in 1986. Defendant told him that his first sexual experience occurred when he was 10 or 11 years old, with a younger cousin. He admitted to using alcohol and said that he had been drinking before he committed most of his charged offenses. Although defendant admitted that he experienced pedophilic fantasies, he gave no indication that he had been abused, molested, or neglected during his childhood.
Clifford Merrill, a Solano County probation officer, prepared a probation report in April 1985 for the case arising from defendant‘s molestation of his daughter. Defendant had told Merrill that he had been raised by his aunt and mother, and described his childhood as happy even though he ran away three times and was placed in foster care. He said that he was not physically abused or sexually molested. He denied having unusual sexual desires or an alcohol problem, even though alcohol did play a significant role in his molestation of his daughter.
Dr. Park Dietz, a forensic psychiatrist, evaluated defendant and believed he was a sexual sadist, pedophile, and paraphiliac who would bind his victims because he had a persistent desire to see them suffer. Defendant was also an alcoholic who suffered from an antisocial personality disorder. Dr. Dietz did not believe that defendant‘s mild cognitive disorder would have affected his conduct.
II. GUILT PHASE ISSUES
A. Motion for Mistrial
Defendant contends the court erred in denying his motion for mistrial.
Three weeks before opening statements, the prosecution informed defense counsel that Dr. Glenn Wagner might testify to rebut anticipated testimony by defense expert Dr. Gabaeff concerning Dr. Eisele‘s finding that there were no intact sperm on the slides made from the swab of Rickie‘s vagina. Defense counsel anticipated Dr. Gabaeff would corroborate Dr. Eisele‘s findings that he saw only occasional sperm heads on the slides made from the victim‘s vaginal swabs, and no intact sperm. Defendant claimed this indicated Rickie had consensual sex with him 24 to 48 hours before she died, so he was not the murderer. The trial court told the prosecution that it had an obligation to provide defense counsel with discovery on the rebuttal witness. Approximately a week before opening statements, defense counsel interviewed Dr. Wagner, who stated that he saw an intact sperm on the same slide, and believed that intercourse took place closer in time to the victim‘s murder.
Defense counsel referred to Dr. Eisele‘s findings during his opening statement on September 2, 2004. Thereafter, on September 7, 2004, during the prosecution‘s case-in-chief, but outside the jury‘s presence, defense counsel told the court that he had received three new photographs in computer-readable format of the same vaginal swab slide about which Dr. Eisele had earlier testified. Dr. Eisele had taken the new photos of the swab slide that morning under different lighting conditions.
Later that same afternoon, with defendant present, but outside the jury‘s presence, Dr. Eisele told the court that he was aware that he and Dr. Wagner disagreed as to the time of the sexual intercourse between defendant and Rickie, but the difference did not change his original opinion, even though he did look at the slide again that morning and saw one intact sperm. He noted that he took the new photographs in light of that finding. The court ruled that Dr. Eisele could not testify that day so that the defense could review the new photographs and prepare its cross-examination of the witness. The court then asked Dr. Eisele to return on the Tuesday following the weekend to testify, and it told defense counsel that it would rule on the motion for mistrial “eventually.”
After the colloquy concerning the new findings, the jury reconvened, and the prosecution called an expert criminologist, Dr. Loznycky, to testify about his findings in 1986, when he examined Rickie‘s body shortly after her murder. He stated that bloodstains found on the victim‘s sweatshirt hood and collar, as well as on the collar of her tank top and the straps of her bra, were presumed to belong to her. He also noted that her black pants and underpants smelled of urine. Loznycky then testified that he had tested the slides from the vaginal swabs from Rickie‘s body for semen. When he got a positive
The next Friday, defense counsel filed a motion for an evidentiary hearing, sanctions for discovery violation, and a mistrial. At the hearing on the motion, counsel stated that additional controversy had developed over the new vaginal swab slide findings and a corresponding potential change in Dr. Eisele‘s testimony, because Dr. Loznycky‘s notes, written in 1986, indicated that he saw many intact sperm on the slides made from the victim‘s vaginal swab. The defense stated that the prosecutor had provided the notes involving the swab results only on the day of Loznycky‘s testimony.
The prosecutor told the court outside the jury‘s presence that when he originally filed the case, he sent the defense all of the lab notes and reports involving the DNA evidence. He did not send Dr. Loznycky‘s notes because he did not believe the witness “had anything to do with the DNA, based upon the report that he wrote.” The prosecutor indicated he was told originally that there was only “one plus” live sperm seen on the slides, which is the smallest number possible, and he was “in the dark” and did not know of any slide showing that there were numerous live sperm until after Sean Soriano, a criminalist and forensic biologist with the medical examiner‘s office, told him that he had seen Loznycky‘s notes indicating such evidence existed. Soriano had testified the day before that his evidentiary slides of swab samples taken from the victim‘s pants and crotch revealed many sperm heads. He stated that it was not unusual to see only sperm heads under a microscope even “10 hours or less” after intercourse because the tails are fragile and break off easily. Soriano never testified that he had seen Dr. Loznycky‘s notes, so the jury was not aware the notes existed.
Within a day of discovering that Loznycky‘s notes showed there was slide evidence of intact sperm, the prosecutor stated that his office advised defense counsel that they were seeking the slides, and turned them over to counsel within 24 hours. The prosecutor and defense agreed that due to the late discovery of the evidence, the prosecutor would not introduce Loznycky‘s notes as evidence in the trial‘s guilt phase.
Defense counsel told the court that he was not implying any bad faith in his motion. However, he argued, evidence of numerous intact sperm meant that Rickie had sex at the time of her death, and completely undermined the defense‘s second theory, that defendant‘s sex with Rickie was consensual.
The trial court surmised that the “existence of this separate set of [slides] was something of a surprise to everyone, as opposed to its disclosure being out in the open but not appreciated by everyone until the
Defense counsel responded that his motion was not about “a statutory discovery violation.” He agreed that the discovery of the additional evidence “came as a surprise to both parties.” Instead, defense counsel stated that his motion for mistrial was about “fundamental fairness” and “due process” because “the prosecution told the court before trial that he was unsure whether he would call Dr. Wagner as a rebuttal witness even though he knew before trial that Dr. Wagner could testify that he found an intact sperm on a slide.”
The prosecution replied (1) that defense counsel did know Dr. Wagner‘s position before trial commenced, (2) that the defense had sent the photographic evidence to Dr. Eisele before trial, (3) that Dr. Eisele had said he did not see an intact sperm in the photograph, and (4) that it was not until the day before Dr. Eisele was to testify and he was in the prosecutor‘s office with different lighting that he looked at the slide and saw the intact sperm. The prosecutor notified defense counsel of the finding.
The court concluded that there were two issues that the new evidence created-the discovery of Loznycky‘s notes from 1986, and the expected testimony of Drs. Eisele and Wagner.
The court then observed that it is human nature to procrastinate, and that it is the nature of a trial that things do not “crystallize until the very last minute.” The court concluded that the defense reasonably relied on the expertise of Dr. Eisele and their expert, Dr. Gabaeff. It also recognized that the new evidence was potentially devastating to the defense, but found that nothing the prosecution did was subject to discovery sanctions, because the
Dr. Eisele then testified that his recent observation of the intact sperm did not change his opinion that it was more consistent with his conclusion that the sexual intercourse took place more than 48 hours before the victim‘s death. Dr. Wagner testified that he believed the sexual assault against Rickie took place within 24 hours of the slide preparation.
2. Analysis
We recognize that a court should grant a mistrial if it “is apprised of prejudice that it judges incurable by admonition or instruction.” (People v. Collins (2010) 49 Cal.4th 175, 198 [110 Cal.Rptr.3d 384, 232 P.3d 32] (Collins).) Whether an incident is prejudicial and requires a mistrial is “by its nature a speculative matter,” and the ” ‘trial court is vested with considerable discretion in ruling on mistrial motions.’ ” (Id.) Thus, courts should grant a mistrial when defendant‘s ‘chances of receiving a fair trial have been irreparably damaged.’ ” (Id.)
Defendant claims that the late discovery of the slide evidence and Dr. Loznycky‘s notes, as well as the prosecution‘s delayed notice of Dr. Wagner‘s testimony that intercourse took place less than 24 hours from the time the vaginal swab was taken during Rickie‘s autopsy, amounts to prejudicial error and grounds for a mistrial because it inflicted damage to his defense position and undermined defense counsel‘s credibility in front of the jury. We reject the claim.
Although Loznycky‘s notes called into doubt the defense trial strategy, there was no possibility of prejudice because the jury never learned of them. Rather, the trial court determined, and counsel agreed, that the notes would not be admitted into evidence. Moreover, the court delayed Dr. Eisele‘s testimony about the new observation he made regarding the intact sperm to allow defendant additional time to prepare his cross-examination, and Dr. Eisele testified that his expert opinion was not altered by his observation of a single intact sperm. Dr. Eisele‘s recent finding may have undermined the strength of defense counsel‘s opening statement, but his changed observation was not due to prosecutorial misconduct. Rather, Dr. Eisele‘s altered opinion occurred when he saw the slide under different lighting the day before he was scheduled to testify. Dr. Wagner‘s testimony about the effect of seeing an intact sperm on the vaginal swab slide had been disclosed to the defense three
Nor, for these reasons, was the disclosure of Loznycky‘s notes, or Dr. Eisele‘s changed testimony, an example of “trial by ambush” as defendant claims. Relying on federal precedent not binding on this court, defendant contends we should treat the evidence of Dr. Loznycky‘s notes and Dr. Eisele‘s changed observation as contributing to these fundamental errors at his trial. (See, e.g., People v. Kelly (2d Cir. 1969) 420 F.2d 26 (Kelly).)
In Kelly, the trial court denied a defense request for a continuance to test cocaine that had been mixed with a seized batch of the drug in another, unrelated drug raid. The court granted the defense motion for new trial after concluding that the trial court should have granted the continuance due to the similarity between the two samples of cocaine. (Kelly, supra, 420 F.2d at p. 29.) In U.S. v. Camargo-Vergara (11th Cir. 1995) 57 F.3d 993, on which defendant also relies, the trial court denied the defendant‘s mistrial motion after a federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent testified to a statement defendant made to the agent that the prosecution had failed to disclose to the defense. The statement was inconsistent with the defense theory and opening statement that defendant wanted nothing to do with drugs. (Id. at p. 998.) The court of appeals reversed the judgment after concluding the defendant had an inadequate opportunity to prepare a defense trial strategy, and the undisclosed evidence substantially influenced the jury. (Id. at pp. 998-999.)
As the People observe, defendant‘s case is materially distinguishable from Kelly and Camargo-Vergara. Here, defendant was allowed a continuance before Dr. Eisele‘s testimony, and Dr. Eisele testified that his observation of the single intact sperm on the slide the day he was to testify did not alter his expert opinion. Additionally, Dr. Loznycky‘s notes regarding his observations about an intact sperm on the slide he viewed were not introduced into evidence, and therefore had no impact on defendant‘s trial.
Defendant‘s additional reliance on several federal cases in which undisclosed evidence was either intentionally or erroneously admitted by the prosecution during trial without notice to the defendant, or was used to impeach the defendant or a defense witness on cross-examination, does not assist his claim. In each case, the evidence the prosecution did not disclose incriminated the defendant and effectively undermined his defense. (See, e.g., U.S. v. Thomas (2d Cir. 2001) 239 F.3d 163, 168 [defendant prejudiced when undisclosed statements in prior administrative hearing were used to impeach his trial testimony]; U.S. v. Lanoue (1st Cir. 1995) 71 F.3d 966, 976-978 [defendant‘s undisclosed statement used to impeach defense witness]; U.S. v. Alvarez (1st Cir. 1993) 987 F.2d 77, 84-85 [conviction reversed for failure to disclose defendant‘s incriminating statement to customs agent admitted during trial]; U.S. v. Padrone (2d Cir. 1969) 406 F.2d 560, 561 [new trial ordered where recorded statement by defendant not disclosed but used to impeach defendant‘s testimony].) We conclude the trial court did not abuse its considerable discretion in denying defendant‘s mistrial motion. (Collins, supra, 49 Cal.4th at p. 198.)
B. Alleged Prosecutorial Misconduct
Defendant claims the prosecutor engaged in prejudicial misconduct by denigrating the defense and suggesting that defense counsel concocted the defense he presented to the jury. We disagree.
During defendant‘s tape-recorded police interview on February 11, 2003, after defendant was arrested for Rickie‘s murder, defendant claimed that he never knew a girl named Rickie Blake. When shown photographs of her, defendant stated: “I‘m sure. I never seen her before in my life.” Defendant also claimed he did not know how his sperm came to be discovered on the vaginal swab taken from Rickie. (Defendant later asserted the sex with Rickie was consensual.)
The prosecutor used defendant‘s contradictory statements in his police interview to support the People‘s case at various points during trial. His opening statement ended with the following summary: “This man raped fourteen-year-old Rickie Blake. And this man in the courtroom with us today is the man who killed fourteen-year-old Rickie Blake, and now has the nerve to say it was love, consensual sex, and George Bell did it. But actually, he didn‘t say that. He said, ‘I didn‘t do anything.’ That is his defense. He lied the first time when he spoke to the officers. Don‘t let it happen a second time.” Defendant did not object.
During his case-in-chief, again without defense objection, the prosecutor pointed out the difference between what defendant stated in the interview and his defense at trial, that he and Rickie had engaged in a consensual sexual relationship. The prosecutor began his closing argument by initially observing that the jury had been presented with three theories: one, that defendant raped and murdered Rickie, and committed sexual offenses against other victims; two, that he committed other offenses but had nothing to do with Rickie‘s murder; and, three, that he committed sexual assaults on other victims, but had consensual sex with Rickie, and that George Bell killed Rickie. Later during closing argument, and without defense objection, the prosecutor noted that the jury had heard two incompatible theories. The first was defendant‘s
“MR. WADLER (defense counsel): I would object that that is improper argument, your honor.
“THE COURT: Overruled.
“MR. DUSEK (prosecutor): He told you what his defense is, and his defense falls flat on his face.”
The prosecutor then told the jury that the case “has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and perhaps we even have gone further up the scale. His first defense fails. His second defense, stand-by defense, cannot be supported by the evidence. He‘s guilty of all charges.”
Defendant initially claims that the prosecutor committed misconduct each time he referred skeptically to defendant‘s defense, or pointed out the discrepancies in defendant‘s police interview and subsequent statements during trial.
It is error for a prosecutor to argue that defense counsel knew his client was guilty but proceeded with a sham defense. (People v. Seumanu (2015) 61 Cal.4th 1293, 1337-1338 [improper for prosecutor to assert defense “counsel presented a ‘sham’ defense“]; see People v. Hill (1998) 17 Cal.4th 800, 824-835 [finding prosecutorial misconduct when prosecutor misstated or mischaracterized evidence and attacked defense counsel‘s integrity]; People v. Bain (1971) 5 Cal.3d 839, 847 [prosecutor‘s unsupported implication that defense counsel fabricated defense is misconduct].) However, defendant‘s failure to raise an objection to a prosecutor‘s remarks and to request a curative instruction forfeits the objection. (People v. Watkins (2012) 55 Cal.4th 999, 1032 [defendant forfeits prosecutorial misconduct claims by failing to object and request an admonition].) Even if defendant had objected to the statements, we
As to the closing argument comments in which the prosecutor claimed that defendant lied and knowingly put on contradictory evidence—and to which defendant did object—we also find no error. The gist of the prosecutor‘s comments in context, like the entire closing argument, referred to the reasonable conclusion, based on the evidence, that defendant was the murderer. (People v. Edwards (2013) 57 Cal.4th 658, 740-742 [prosecutorial assertions of defendant‘s guilt based on the evidence do not amount to misconduct].)
C. Third Party Culpability Evidence
1. Proceedings Below
The defense made a pretrial motion to present evidence in support of its third party culpability evidence theory that George Bell killed Rickie. The evidence was an offer of proof that Bell lied about his whereabouts on the night Rickie disappeared, choked his girlfriend in a manner similar to the way Rickie had been choked to death, made statements about the manner in which Rickie‘s body was found, and made comments that demonstrated a consciousness of guilt. After arguments on both sides, the court allowed defendant to present his third party culpability defense, and required the prosecution to object to any evidence it believed was inadmissible.
2. Exclusion of Hearsay Statement
Defense counsel then made a motion in limine to admit FBI Agent Kelly‘s testimony regarding a hearsay statement Rickie‘s mother made to him—that Bell called her after midnight over 10 years after Rickie‘s murder to tell her, “I can‘t live this way anymore. I can‘t hurt you anymore. I need to talk to Olias” (the San Diego detective originally assigned to the murder investigation). At a hearing on the evidence‘s admissibility, the court asked defense counsel whether Green v. Georgia (1979) 442 U.S. 95 (Green) supported admitting the hearsay statement. In Green, the high court held that a violation of a defendant‘s due process rights occurs at a capital case‘s penalty trial when the court excludes hearsay testimony that is “highly relevant” to a crucial penalty phase issue, and “substantial reasons exist[] to assume its reliability.” (Id. at p. 97.)
Although Green held that due process is implicated when a trial court excludes “highly relevant” and reliable mitigating evidence on hearsay grounds (Green, supra, 442 U.S. at p. 97), that court addressed the hearsay question at the penalty, not guilt, phase, and held that its exclusion implicates due process concerns only if the evidence bears ” ‘special indicia of reliability.’ ” (People v. Eubanks (2011) 53 Cal.4th 110, 150, quoting People v. Weaver (2001) 26 Cal.4th 876, 980-981.) Our ordinary rules of evidence gave rise to no constitutional violation at the guilt phase of the trial when the court excluded inadmissible hearsay evidence of alleged third party culpability. (People v. Cudjo (1993) 6 Cal.4th 585, 610-611.)
In any event, the jury heard about Bell‘s phone call to Mrs. Blake when Bell testified. For this reason, defendant suffered no prejudice from the ruling. When the People called Bell as a prosecution rebuttal witness, he acknowledged speaking to his ex-wife Gloria, the police, and others about Rickie‘s death. He admitted telling Mrs. Blake that he could not “live like this anymore. I can‘t hurt you anymore.” He also said he asked her how to reach Detective Olias because his conversation with Richardson had raised issues for him about the murder.
Additionally, during defendant‘s closing argument, counsel addressed Bell‘s phone call to Mrs. Blake and highlighted the same statements characterizing the conversation as evidence of Bell‘s consciousness of “crushing guilt.” Thus the jury was aware of Bell‘s statements, and that it could consider them in their guilt phase deliberations.
3. Objections to Cross-examination of George Bell
In a related argument, defendant claims the court “exacerbated the prejudice from failing to admit Kelly‘s testimony about Bell‘s highly incriminating statements to Mrs. Blake” when it sustained three prosecution objections to defense counsel‘s cross-examination of Bell‘s rebuttal testimony. Defendant complains that in sustaining the objections, the court violated his Sixth Amendment right to confront the witness. We disagree.
“MR. REICHERT (defense counsel): Sir, isn‘t it true that you did call Mrs. Blake up August of 1996 at 12:20 a.m., late night/early morning?
“MR. BELL: Well, [FBI Agent Kelly‘s report about the phone call] proved to me that I did.
“MR. REICHERT: You did do it, didn‘t you, sir?
“MR. BELL: Yes.
“MR. REICHERT: And when you called up Mrs. Blake you told her, ‘I can‘t live like this anymore. I can‘t hurt you anymore,’ didn‘t you?
“MR. BELL: Yes. I don‘t remember it, but I did eventually, yes.
“MR. REICHERT: Sound like something you might have said?
“MR. BELL: No.
“MR. REICHERT: Okay. Did you tell her that you wanted to talk to [Detective] Olias after you said, ‘I can‘t live like this anymore, I can‘t hurt you anymore, I need to talk to Olias?’ ”
The prosecutor objected to the testimony on the ground that it “misstates the evidence.” The People expressed concern that because Bell had earlier stated that he asked Mrs. Blake how he could get hold of Olias before he mentioned that he could not “live like this anymore,” the jury could have interpreted the question as implying that Bell told Mrs. Blake that he wanted to talk to Olias twice, rather than once. The court sustained the objection.
Defense counsel then questioned Bell on the fact that he would only talk about Rickie‘s death when he was drunk or high on drugs.
“MR. REICHERT: Isn‘t it true that when you would get liquored up or get high on drugs, you‘d start talking about this, about what happened with Rickie Blake, isn‘t it?
“MR. REICHERT: And then you‘d decide to call Mrs. Blake at 12:30 at night 10 years after this accident?”
The prosecution objected to the last question as “asked and answered.” The court sustained the objection, apparently because defense counsel had already asked Bell about his phone call to Mrs. Blake.
The prosecution‘s third objection was made after defense counsel asked Bell, “You would because of alcohol and drugs, you would do or say things and then later not remember them?” The prosecution‘s sustained objection was that the question called “for speculation” because earlier Bell had said he could not remember the phone call to Mrs. Blake without having his memory refreshed by looking at Agent Kelly‘s report.
Defendant now claims that the trial court erred in sustaining all three objections because they deprived defendant of his ability to clarify Bell‘s testimony. The sustained objections also undermined defendant‘s “blackout line of inquiry” and ability to establish reasonable doubt that defendant killed Rickie.
We conclude that the trial court did not reversibly err by sustaining the objections. Although the Sixth Amendment to the federal Constitution provides a defendant with the right to engage in appropriate cross-examination of witnesses, the trial court retains the ability to impose reasonable limits on counsel‘s inquiry if it is repetitive or marginally relevant. (Delaware v. Van Arsdall (1986) 475 U.S. 673, 679.) Additionally, the court‘s “limitation on cross-examination . . . does not violate the confrontation clause unless a reasonable jury might have received a significantly different impression of the witness‘s credibility had the excluded cross-examination been permitted.” (People v. Quartermain (1997) 16 Cal.4th 600, 623-624; see People v. Linton (2013) 56 Cal.4th 1146, 1188 (Linton) [court ” ‘retains wide latitude in restricting cross-examination that is repetitive, prejudicial, confusing of the issues, or of marginal relevance’ “].)
Here, the trial court properly sustained the first objection because defense counsel‘s question misstated Bell‘s testimony, and erroneously assumed that Bell told Mrs. Blake twice that he wanted to talk to Detective Olias. In any event, the evidence of what Bell said to Mrs. Blake was presented, and
The court also did not err when it sustained the prosecutor‘s objection to defense counsel‘s question about Bell‘s call to Mrs. Blake “10 years” after the murder. Counsel had already questioned Bell about the call to Mrs. Blake, so the “asked and answered” objection was properly sustained.
Further, even if the court‘s ruling on the prosecutor‘s third objection to counsel‘s question regarding the effect of Bell‘s alcohol use on his ability to remember things was erroneous, any error was harmless. The omitted testimony would have highlighted Bell‘s blackouts when he was abusing alcohol or drugs; the defense theory, by contrast, depended on Bell‘s remembering his murder of Rickie, and the “crushing guilt” he felt as a result of his recollection.
Finally, there is no reasonable probability the jury would have received ” ‘a significantly different impression’ ” of Bell‘s credibility had the excluded cross-examination been permitted. (Linton, supra, 56 Cal.4th at p. 1188, quoting People v. Frye (1998) 18 Cal.4th 894, 946.)
4. Refusal to Give Requested Pinpoint Instruction
The trial court gave the jury numerous instructions, including CALJIC No. 2.03 (Consciousness of Guilt—Falsehood) and CALJIC No. 2.90 (Presumption of Innocence—Reasonable Doubt—Burden of Proof). Defendant asserts that the court erred when it refused to give his specific instructions, which were variations on the instructions given. Although we have determined that a trial court may be required in appropriate circumstances ” ‘to give a requested jury instruction that pinpoints a defense theory of the case,’ ” we have also held that the court ” ‘need not give a pinpoint instruction if it is argumentative [citation], merely duplicates other instructions [citation], or is not supported by substantial evidence [citation].’ ” (People v. Hartsch (2010) 49 Cal.4th 472, 500 (Hartsch).)
Initially, defendant requested the court give his special instruction regarding Bell‘s false alibi and failure to deny he killed Rickie when he was given a chance to do so. He asked the court to give a modified version of CALJIC No. 2.03 (Consciousness of Guilt—Falsehood) that would have told the jury that if it found Bell “made willfully false or deliberately misleading statements concerning the crime for which the defendant, George Williams is now being charged, you may consider those statements as raising a reasonable doubt as
The court also refused to give a modified version of CALJIC No. 2.71.5 (Adoptive Admission—Silence, False or Evasive Reply to Accusation), that if it “should find from the evidence that there was an occasion when George Cardenas Bell, under conditions which reasonably afforded him an opportunity to reply, failed to make a denial in the face of an accusation expressed directly to him, charging him with the crime for which the defendant is now on trial, or tending to connect him with its commission, and that he heard the accusation and understood its nature, then the circumstance of his silence on that occasion may be considered against him as indicating an admission that the accusation was true. [] If you find that this circumstance occurred you may view that evidence as raising a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant, George Williams. [][] However, its weight and significance, if any, are matters for your determination.” The court did, however give a modified form of defendant‘s requested instruction when it added the following language to CALJIC No. 2.90‘s reasonable doubt instruction:3 “You have heard evidence that George Cardenas Bell may have committed the crime or crimes for which the defendant, George Williams, has been charged. The burden is on the People to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is the person who committed the crimes with which he is charged. If after considering the evidence regarding George Cardenas Bell and all of the other evidence in this case, you have a reasonable doubt whether the defendant was the person who committed the crime or crimes, you must give the defendant the benefit of that doubt and find him not guilty.”
The court rejected as argumentative and duplicative of the instructions given defendant‘s additional proposed instructions about the effect of Bell‘s “willfully false statements” that he was with his girlfriend Tink Armstrong on the night of Rickie‘s death (Armstrong was attending a funeral in Los
We find no error in the trial court‘s refusal to give any of defendant‘s requested instructions on the grounds that they were argumentative and duplicative of the CALJIC instructions given. The CALJIC instructions the jury did hear, as well as the court‘s modified version of CALJIC No. 2.90 on reasonable doubt and consideration of Bell‘s involvement in the crime, provided “ample opportunity to impress upon the jury that evidence of another party‘s liability must be considered in weighing whether the prosecution has met its burden of proof.” (Hartsch, supra, 49 Cal.4th at p. 504.) The instructions sufficiently highlighted the fact that the jury could weigh the effect of Bell‘s lie about Armstrong and his alibi, as well as his silence when confronted with the accusation that he killed Rickie, in its determination of whether there was reasonable doubt that defendant committed Rickie‘s murder. (Ibid.)
5. Alleged Cumulative Error or Prejudice
Defendant asserts that even if his claims involving Bell were not prejudicial individually, they combined to create a prejudicial effect and require reversal. We have found no prejudicial error, and further conclude defendant‘s asserted errors were not prejudicial when considered cumulatively.
Defendant relies on DePetris v. Kuykendall (9th Cir. 2001) 239 F.3d 1057, 1062-1065, in which the court allowed a defendant charged with murdering her husband to rely on an imperfect self-defense claim, but barred her from presenting evidence of her husband‘s diary which documented his violence towards her. The Ninth Circuit held that the diary‘s exclusion, as well as excluding defendant‘s testimony about its contents, deprived defendant of her constitutional right to present a defense. (Ibid.)
We conclude no such deprivation is present here. The jury heard the evidence about Bell‘s phone call and his statements to Mrs. Blake, as well as his false alibi and failure to deny his part in the murder. The defense also argued that Bell‘s statements and failure to deny accusations gave rise to a reasonable doubt that defendant killed Rickie.
D. Evidence of Uncharged Sexual Misconduct
Defendant asserts the trial court committed error and violated his due process rights when it failed to exclude evidence of his past uncharged incidents of sexual misconduct—defendant‘s 1984 molestation of his daughter I., and the rape and sodomy of V.W. and her daughter A.C.—under
Falsetta recognized that even if the rule against propensity evidence in sex offense cases is rooted in fundamental due process principles, we perceive no unfairness in applying
We find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting evidence of defendant‘s uncharged sex offenses here to show he was disposed to committing violent sex crimes. The trial court reasonably found that both uncharged sexual assault crimes bore similarities to Rickie‘s sexual assault
III. PENALTY PHASE ISSUES
A. Failure to Allow Videotaped Interviews of Defense Witnesses
Before the penalty phase began, defendant moved the court to allow the jury to hear defendant‘s unsworn videotape-recorded interviews of unavailable witnesses Sophie Williams (no relation) and Annie Whitfield. Defense counsel had procured the interviews after traveling to Gary, Indiana, defendant‘s birthplace, where both witnesses still resided, and he provided the prosecution with the witnesses’ names. After initially granting defendant‘s request, the court changed its mind and denied it. Defendant asserts that in refusing to allow the evidence, the court violated his due process right to a fair trial. We disagree.
1. Background
According to defendant, Sophie Williams spoke on the videotape about defendant‘s positive behavior after he returned to Indiana following his earlier incarceration in California. Her husband taught defendant carpentry, and he was an able student who built a porch onto their home and later helped Sophie around the house after her husband died.
Annie Whitfield‘s recorded statement concerned defendant‘s behavior as a happy child when he was with her, but indicated that his father was an alcoholic and his mother Lelar drank heavily, was cruel, and physically abused defendant in front of her. Annie Whitfield also stated she had heard that defendant was molested as a boy by one of the men living in his house.
The trial court initially overruled the prosecution‘s objection to the evidence on hearsay grounds after concluding the evidence was admissible under
The trial court expressed concern that the Sophie Williams videotaped recording was inherently unreliable, because it indicated she lacked personal knowledge about defendant, and it failed to explain when she knew defendant and the extent of her relationship with him. The court had similar concerns with the Annie Whitfield videotaped recording, because many of her statements about defendant‘s childhood were not based on firsthand knowledge, and she had taken care of defendant for only a short time. The court was also concerned about both witnesses’ unavailability for cross-examination.
2. Discussion
We conclude there was no abuse of discretion in excluding the videotaped recordings.
A defendant has no constitutional right to present evidence that contains hearsay and is lacking in foundation or other indicia of reliability. In People v. Morrison, defense counsel sought to introduce evidence that authorities found a large amount of cash at the home where a home invasion and murder occurred, which suggested that the victims were somehow involved in drug trafficking activity. (People v. Morrison (2004) 34 Cal.4th 698, 720-723.) The trial court sustained the prosecution‘s hearsay and relevance objections to the evidence. This court
Much of what Annie Whitfield claimed to remember was from when defendant was a small boy, and included recollections based on both her own experience as well as anecdotal and third party hearsay recounts of defendant‘s childhood. Sophie Williams failed to identify the time frame in which she knew defendant, and she admitted that her recollections were based on decades-old information or on stories recounted by her husband. Given these factors and the lack of cross-examination available to the prosecution at trial, the trial court acted well within its discretion in finding the evidence unreliable and therefore inadmissible.
Defendant argues that the prosecution had no objections to portions of the videotapes when it requested redaction of certain statements. However, this acquiescence occurred only after the court overruled the prosecution‘s initial objection to the evidence on multiple hearsay grounds. The prosecutor‘s additional objections were made in light of the court‘s initial ruling that the videotaped interviews were admissible.
B. Objection to Dr. Minagawa‘s Testimony
Dr. Rahn Minagawa testified that defendant was alcohol dependent. He provided facts about alcohol dependence, noted that defendant‘s mother and father were alcoholics, and opined that the physical abuse defendant suffered at the hands of his mother was attributable to her alcoholism. When defense counsel asked Dr. Minagawa where he obtained the information that defendant‘s mother was an alcoholic, the expert stated, “from interviews with family members, and also from the impression of the foster mother [Annie Whitfield] who was taking care of [defendant] when he was—.” The prosecutor interrupted with a hearsay objection that the court sustained. The court later made it clear that it did not sustain the objection on
Defendant claims that the court erred in sustaining the prosecution‘s objection. He relies on
We recently held that the hearsay rule of