Opinion ID: 1356485
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of photographs of the victims

Text: (18) Over a defense objection the trial court admitted three black-and-white photos of the victims' bodies before autopsy, showing the damage to each one's head. Defendant argues they are gruesome and lacking in probative value. Admission of photos of victims lies within the discretion of the trial court unless their probative value is clearly outweighed by their prejudicial effect. (Evid. Code, § 352; People v. Milan (1973) 9 Cal.3d 185, 194 [107 Cal. Rptr. 68, 507 P.2d 956]; People v. Murphy (1972) 8 Cal.3d 349, 363 [105 Cal. Rptr. 138, 503 P.2d 594].) The photos here were relevant to show the circumstances of the crime and as circumstantial evidence of malice. ( Milan, supra, at p. 194; Murphy, supra, at p. 365.) Defendant disputes that conclusion, pointing out that the circumstances of the killings were admitted. Those admissions do not show, however, that the blows were to the heads rather than random blows to the bodies, a matter relevant to malice. As the probative value is not clearly outweighed by the prejudicial effect, we cannot consider admission of the photos to be an abuse of discretion.