Opinion ID: 1249738
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Introduction of Evidence of Gang Membership and Activity.

Text: In a motion in limine, codefendant Menefield, on behalf of both defendants, sought a hearing to exclude evidence of the defendants' gang membership, apparently on grounds of relevance. The court allowed the testimony to be introduced at trial. (1) Defendant now contends the evidence was irrelevant and substantially more prejudicial than probative. Defendant concedes, however, that the court apparently never ruled explicitly on the motion in limine, but noted only in passing during a hearing on another matter that it thought such evidence was relevant to motive and identity. Nor does the record reveal an objection at trial. Because defendant failed to obtain a pretrial ruling on the issue and did not pursue his objection at trial, we will not address his contention, for it is procedurally barred. (See People v. Morris (1991) 53 Cal.3d 152, 189 [279 Cal. Rptr. 720, 807 P.2d 949].) The prosecution also introduced the testimony of current or former government investigators Samuel L. Brown, Thomas L. Hartman, and Manuel Gloria about BGF practices and rules. At a pretrial hearing, the prosecutor referred to Brown and Gloria as experts. Defendant requested discovery of all documents and other sources from which the witnesses had derived their knowledge, even if complying would mean producing everything one witness had seen for seven years. The court rejected the request as too broad and burdensome. As an afterthought, Menefield then briefly expressed a concern that the evidence offered would be hearsay. The court said that hearsay could not be avoided in offering any opinion and left the matter open until trial. At trial, Brown read a copy of the BGF oath to the jury. He was then asked to interpret the oath; Menefield objected, in essence on the ground of lack of expertise. Before the court responded, Brown stated he had talked to BGF members about the oath and knew what it meant; defendant objected to this testimony as hearsay. The court overruled both objections. Brown testified he had developed an expertise in the activities of the BGF during seven and one-half years in the investigative branch. He described the gang's structure and interpreted the gang's credo for the jury. Later motions to strike the testimony as hearsay and to produce the documents on which Brown relied were denied. Gloria described BGF involvement in drug trafficking and other prison activities; defendant unsuccessfully renewed the same objection he had made to Brown's testimony. Hartman, a witness with four years' experience in the investigative office, also testified over objection about certain BGF rules and practices. The prosecutor asked Hartman what the rules required a backup member to do if the person doing a hit had trouble with the victim. Defendant and Menefield objected on the ground, inter alia, of lack of foundation. The court allowed the witness to continue. Hartman said that he was familiar with gang rules through conversations with inmates and other investigators, and that the backup man is required under penalty of death to aid the assailant. (2) Defendant contends this testimony was inadmissible because the witnesses were not qualified as experts on prison gangs or on the BGF in particular and lacked personal knowledge of the substance of their testimony. The claim is unpersuasive. First, defendant never sought to challenge the witnesses' qualifications as experts, and it is too late to raise the issue now. Moreover, the decision of a trial court to admit expert testimony will not be disturbed on appeal unless a manifest abuse of discretion is shown. ( People v. McAlpin (1991) 53 Cal.3d 1289, 1299 [283 Cal. Rptr. 382, 812 P.2d 563].) Given the witnesses' background and experience, we would not have disturbed the trial court's decision to admit their testimony had defendant timely challenged their qualifications. (3) Defendant contends his Sixth Amendment confrontation rights were violated when the court denied his motion at trial to produce the materials on which the officers relied to interpret the BGF oath and rules. The confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment did not entitle defendant to the vast array of materials he requested before and at trial. (See Pennsylvania v. Ritchie (1987) 480 U.S. 39, 52-53 [94 L.Ed.2d 40, 54-55, 107 S.Ct. 989] [pretrial discovery request].) Unlike People v. Price (1991) 1 Cal.4th 324, 420-421 [3 Cal. Rptr.2d 106, 821 P.2d 610], the present case does not involve expert witnesses who refused to answer any questions posed to them on cross-examination regarding the sources from which they derived their expertise. (4) Defendant also alleges a violation of his due process rights because the court permitted the introduction of evidence of BGF activity with which he had no connection. We perceive no fundamental unfairness. The court did not abuse its discretion in permitting the prosecution to explore the nature of prison-gang life in order to elucidate its theory of the case, at least insofar as such testimony was necessary to furnish the jury a context for understanding that theory.