Opinion ID: 2585503
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Prosecutor's Use of Inconsistent Theories

Text: At Sunnymead Park in November 1987, four men robbed Danny Coria at gunpoint of his vehicle, a Suzuki Samurai. One of his assailants also shot him in the arm. He reported that an African-American male wearing a gray jogging suit pointed a gun at him and fired. Willie Woods was later found driving Coria's Suzuki, wearing a gray jogging suit. Coria identified Woods as the man who shot him, and Woods pleaded guilty to attempted murder in exchange for a 12-year sentence, which he was serving at the time of defendant's capital trial. At defendant's trial, Coria was no longer sure which of his assailants actually shot him. Woods testified he was with Broderick Fields, Torrey Bennett and defendant, but that it was defendant who actually shot Coria. Asked why he pleaded guilty although he was not the shooter, he explained that he knew none of the others would come forward because they were members of the same gang and that police could not find defendant. [25] Defendant contends his rights under the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, as well as analogous provisions of the California Constitution, were violated by the prosecution's arguing inconsistent theories in Woods's and defendant's cases. As he did at trial, [26] he cites Drake v. Kemp (11th Cir.1985) 762 F.2d 1449 in support. We need not resolve this issue because its premisethat the prosecutor argued inconsistent theories in the separate trials of coperpetratorsis flawed. The prosecutor did not obtain a conviction against Woods by arguing he was necessarily the man who personally shot Coria. Woods, who was offered a favorable plea bargain, pleaded guilty to shooting Coria. The matter thus never went to trial. At defendant's trial, Coria explained that he was then unsure which man, Woods or defendant, actually shot him. Woods himself explained for the jury the circumstances of the Coria shooting. Because the prosecution did not argue inconsistent theories, we reject defendant's claim that his constitutional rights were violated.