Opinion ID: 2140559
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: cautionary instructions involving the testimony of marty nathan

Text: During the course of the trial, defense counsel objected to the testimony of Marty Nathan concerning Charles Albanese's desire to take care of Michael Albanese and Joe Reichel. The objection was overruled, and this evidentiary ruling has not been contested on appeal. However, defendant now argues that the trial judge should have approved a jury instruction stating that the testimony of Marty Nathan should be considered with caution, and that the failure to include such an instruction justifies a new trial. Such an instruction was tendered by defense counsel, but rejected by the trial judge. Marty Nathan was not an accomplice to any of the crimes for which Charles Albanese was being tried. Defendant's relatives were dead long before Nathan encountered Charles Albanese in prison. Thus, it is inaccurate to refer to Marty Nathan as an accomplice of the defendant. (See People v. Hrdlicka (1931), 344 Ill. 211, 221-22; People v. Wilson (1977), 66 Ill.2d 346, 350.) Nathan's testimony was thoroughly probed on cross-examination, and the jury was free to believe his testimony or disregard it. The defendant argues that Nathan's testimony was uncorroborated, but, when Charles Albanese testified, he admitted writing the letters that Nathan mailed. It is true that Charles Albanese did not corroborate Nathan's testimony concerning Albanese's desire to take care of Michael Albanese and Joe Reichel, but the jury was certainly able to observe the demeanor of Albanese and Nathan and to weigh their relative credibility without a cautionary jury instruction. Defendant provides authority to support his argument, but People v. Devin (1982), 93 Ill.2d 326, is not applicable to the facts in the case at bar. In Devin, we vacated the death sentence of an individual after uncorroborated testimony was introduced concerning Devin's sociopathic tendencies. The testimony in Devin was extremely prejudicial; it included detailed descriptions of Devin's favorite forms of torture killing, which related to the modus operandi in the murder he was charged with. In Devin, the testimony was totally uncorroborated; here, we have Charles Albanese's partial corroboration of Nathan's testimony. Finally, in Devin, we noted that the objectionable testimony concerned the defendant's fantasies, rather than any description of Devin's conduct. 93 Ill.2d 326, 349. Defendant also argues that Nathan was his accomplice in the crime of obstructing justice. Defendant was sentenced to death for the murder of his relatives, not for obstructing justice, and the trial judge properly rejected defense counsel's request for a cautionary instruction concerning Nathan's testimony Illinois law does not require such an instruction. ( People v. Devin (1982), 93 Ill.2d 326, 349-50 (Underwood, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part).) The prosecutor's comment on Nathan's testimony was justified because it was based upon evidence introduced at trial. People v. Williams (1962), 26 Ill.2d 190, 194.