Opinion ID: 1122547
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The trial court's ruling was supported by substantial evidence

Text: (34a) Prior to the admission of Diane Sems's testimony, at defendant's request the trial court conducted a preliminary inquiry outside the presence of the jury to ascertain whether there was substantial evidence to establish that defendant had kidnapped Sems. (See People v. Phillips, supra, 41 Cal.3d 29, 72-73, fn. 25.) Defendant argued that Sems's inability at trial to identify defendant positively as the driver of the pickup truck, and the prosecution's reliance on a prior, out-of-court photo identification, rendered her testimony legally insufficient, because the evidence did not establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, defendant's involvement in the alleged kidnapping. The trial court overruled defendant's objection and, on appeal, defendant reiterates his challenge. Notwithstanding Diane Sems's uncertain identification of defendant at trial, her prior photo identification of defendant, made one day after the alleged kidnapping, constituted sufficient evidence to support the trial court's ruling that the prior incident properly could be considered by the jury. (See People v. Lucky (1988) 45 Cal.3d 259, 287-290 [247 Cal. Rptr. 1, 753 P.2d 1052].) The trial court correctly ruled that Sems's photo identification of defendant was admissible under the prior identification exception to the hearsay rule, codified in Evidence Code section 1238. [31] Contrary to defendant's assertion, the admissibility of evidence pertaining to the alleged kidnapping did not turn upon whether the prosecution could establish beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant was the driver of the pickup truck. ( People v. Hendricks (1988) 44 Cal.3d 635, 648 [244 Cal. Rptr. 181, 749 P.2d 836].) Rather, the question whether defendant's other criminal activity (including the Sems incident) was proved beyond a reasonable doubt presented a question of fact for the jury. (Evid. Code, § 312; People v. Phillips, supra, 41 Cal.3d at p. 72, fn. 25.) (35) At the conclusion of the penalty phase, the trial court correctly instructed the jury that, before it could consider defendant's other criminal activity, the jury had to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did, in fact, commit such activity. (34b) The trial court's ruling as to Sems's testimony was correct, and the evidence properly was admitted.