Opinion ID: 1311837
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Implied Existence of Uncalled Adverse Witnesses.

Text: (12) Eugene Mazza, defendant's former manager in the newspaper delivery business, testified to defendant's reliability, conscientiousness and good character. On cross-examination the prosecutor asked if he became aware that other persons had also been contacted for references, and if he would know if some people were called and just didn't want to come in and testify? Defendant maintains the sole purpose of this questioning was improperly to insinuate to the jury that there existed untold witnesses who knew defendant and were interviewed by the defense team, but had refused to speak on his behalf. (See People v. Wagner (1975) 13 Cal.3d 612, 619-620 [119 Cal. Rptr. 457, 532 P.2d 105]; cf. People v. Bolton (1979) 23 Cal.3d 208, 212 [152 Cal. Rptr. 141, 589 P.2d 396] [improper argument].) The questions were improper. In light, however, of the 24 witnesses who in fact did testify in defendant's behalf, including friends, family, teachers, neighbors, counselors, a priest and a state court justice, the error manifestly was harmless under any standard. (Cf. People v. Bolton, supra, 23 Cal.3d at p. 214.)