Opinion ID: 1171490
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Trial court's responses to jury inquiries.

Text: During its deliberations, the jury asked the trial court two questions indicating a concern about the consequences of their penalty determination and of a failure on their part to reach a unanimous decision. Defendant contends that the trial court's answers were inadequate to protect his Eighth Amendment right to a fair penalty trial. The first question requested a clarification of the appeal aspects of our decision as in a death sentence can be appealed and continue through the judicial system for years, correct? Is a sentence of life without possibility of parole also subject to appeal and challenge or is it essentially irrevocable? With the agreement of both the prosecutor and defense counsel, the trial court responded as follows: Anyone convicted of a crime no matter what penalty is given has appellate rights. However, it would be a violation of the juror's duty to consider the defendant's appellate rights in determining the appropriate sentence in this case. You're not to concern yourself. The second question asked, What would be the action taken by the court in the event that the jury is unable to reach a unanimous decision? The court replied, That again is not for the jury to consider or to concern itself with. You must make every effort to reach a unanimous decision if at all possible. (31) Defendant infers that, taken together, the questions showed that the jury was concerned that if it could not reach a verdict, defendant might be given a sentence less than life without possibility of parole and might someday be released from prison. Consequently, he argues, the trial court should have explained to the jurors that their inability to reach a verdict could not result in a sentence less than life without possibility of parole, but would only result in a retrial of the penalty phase. Defendant acknowledges that our decisions in such cases as People v. Belmontes (1988) 45 Cal.3d 744, 813-814 [248 Cal. Rptr. 126, 755 P.2d 310], dictate a different conclusion, but contends that those decisions are in error. He analogizes this case to those in which jurors ask the trial court about the effect of a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. It has been held in the latter type of case that a defendant is entitled to an instruction on the effect of a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity because the jury might otherwise be swayed by fears that a defendant acquitted on the basis of insanity will go free. ( People v. Dennis (1985) 169 Cal. App.3d 1135, 1139-1140 [215 Cal. Rptr. 750].) His analogy is unpersuasive. We find no likelihood that the jury could have returned a death sentence because it feared he would receive a sentence less than life without possibility of parole in the event they could not unanimously agree. (32)(See fn. 18.) Moreover, we believe an instruction of the kind defendant contends was required would have diminished the jurors' sense of duty to deliberate and to be open to the ideas of their fellow jurors. ( People v. Rich (1988) 45 Cal.3d 1036, 1114-1115 [248 Cal. Rptr. 510, 755 P.2d 960].) [18] The trial court's refusal to give the requested instructions was not erroneous.