Opinion ID: 2575291
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Impeachment of Gerald Hirst

Text: As noted above, Gerald Hirst testified that when he, Lawrence Kane, and defendant met approximately two months prior to defendant's commission of the crimes, they discussed how to get through ESL's security doors and fantasized about shooting ESL's equipment. During their conversation, defendant learned where Black's and Hirst's offices were located. (See ante, at p. 1063.) The trial court ruled in limine that defendant would not be allowed to impeach Hirst with evidence establishing that in 1986, Hirst had suffered a misdemeanor conviction for child molestation, or with the conduct underlying that conviction. The court did not state the basis for its ruling. Even assuming the trial court erred in precluding impeachment of Hirst with evidence of his act of child molestation, defendant fails to demonstrate, as he must, that the cross-examination would have produced `a significantly different impression of [the witnesses'] credibility.' ( People v. Frye (1998) 18 Cal.4th 894, 946 [77 Cal.Rptr.2d 25, 959 P.2d 183] ( Frye ), disapproved on other grounds in Doolin, supra, 45 Cal.4th at p. 421, fn. 22.) The accuracy and veracity of Hirst's testimony was undermined by other evidence: he was completely deaf in one ear; he was depressed and in therapy at the time of the conversation with defendant; he refused to allow the police to record interviews with him; and his earlier statements to the police that his conversation with defendant occurred at the time Hirst left ESL in January 1988, and that he knew Black, were inconsistent with his trial testimony that the conversation occurred in December 1987, and that he did not know Black. Moreover, and contrary to defendant's contention, Hirst's testimony was not the single most important evidence of premeditation offered by the prosecution. Rather, aside from this testimony, there was overwhelming evidence of premeditation with respect to all of the killings, including the murder of Lawrence Kane. During the two years preceding commission of the crimes, defendant told several individuals at ESL that he possessed guns and either knew how or was not afraid to use them. Although he discussed shooting ESL equipment with Hirst, during that same time period he mentioned the shooting massacre at the San Ysidro McDonald's to a different witness, Burch, and wondered what ESL would do if he committed such a massacre there. Days before the shooting spree, defendant sold his truck for much less than it was worth, rented a storage locker, purchased a new Benelli shotgun by tendering a bad check, purchased large amounts of ammunition, practiced shooting man-shaped targets, rented a motor home that allowed him to prepare for his assault without observation, and changed his life insurance beneficiary. His will was left on top of his computer terminal. Finally, on February 16, 1988, defendant entered ESL during work hours, heavily armed.