Opinion ID: 1184860
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Discussion of legal issues with counsel in presence of jury

Text: [12] Defendant asserts that the court committed prejudicial error in permitting a discussion of the admissibility of seized evidence in the presence of the jury. Unlike the counsel in the cases cited as authority by defendant, however, defense counsel made no request to exclude the jury. He initiated the comments himself, reiterating, in substance, the same arguments which he had previously urged upon the court in the absence of the jury, and which the court had rejected. Since there is no general rule that the court must hear legal arguments in the absence of the jury ( People v. Gonzales (1944) 24 Cal.2d 870, 876 [151 P.2d 251]), the trial court certainly does not abuse its discretion in failing to excuse the jury during a legal argument when counsel does not request excusal.