Opinion ID: 2639434
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Summary of the Referee's Findings

Text: As noted, the reference hearing commenced in February 1994. It was conducted by retired San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Bill Dozier. The hearing concluded on January 19, 1995. After extensive briefing, the referee filed his 1,129-page report on July 7, 1999. As explained more fully below, the referee found that (1) Kathy Erbe did not provide, prior to trial, any relevant information to the prosecution; (2) Darlene's trial testimony was true regarding many of petitioner's incriminating acts and statements, but Darlene fabricated petitioner's confession because of undue pressure from law enforcement; (3) trial counsel's performance was deficient because he failed to subpoena Darlene's education records and failed to prepare transcripts of Darlene's tape-recorded interviews with sheriffs deputies, but these omissions did not prejudice petitioner; (4) despite her recantation, Joanna's trial testimony that she had witnessed petitioner murder Denise was true, but she lied about how she had returned to Placerville following the murder; and (5) Linda Crespin did not testify falsely at trial when she said petitioner told her that girls like Lynda should be eliminated. The referee also found that the false trial testimony by Joanna and Darlene was not substantially material on the issue of petitioner's guilt or punishment. For the reasons stated below, we discharge the order to show cause.