Opinion ID: 1311837
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The White Murder.

Text: (5) White's body was found one day after and in the same general desert area as Benham's abduction. Defendant asserts admission of White's murder was error. We disagree. The evidence, rather, was admissible on the issues of intent and identity. One theory of the prosecution's case was that defendant personally, wilfully and with premeditation and deliberation, killed Benham. Proof of this theory required that defendant be identified as the actual killer and his intent be proved. Another theory was that defendant aided and abetted Crenshaw in the killing. This theory, too, required proof of defendant's knowledge and intent. Hence, identity and intent were material issues of importance (see, e.g., People v. Bigelow (1984) 37 Cal.3d 731, 748-749 [209 Cal. Rptr. 328, 691 P.2d 994, 64 A.L.R.4th 723]), relating to facts actually in dispute (see People v. Thompson, supra, 27 Cal.3d at p. 315). (Cf. People v. Allen (1986) 42 Cal.3d 1222, 1270-1271 [232 Cal. Rptr. 849, 729 P.2d 115] [details of former crimes admissible to show identity and intent].) Defendant cites People v. Bigelow, supra, 37 Cal.3d 731 for the proposition that even if intent were an issue, the White murder was not probative of his intent and hence was irrelevant. In Bigelow the defendant was convicted of first degree murder with felony-murder special circumstances for a murder committed with an accomplice. Evidence of defendant's two prior robberies with the accomplice, in which defendant wielded the weapon, was admitted at the guilt phase. On appeal the Attorney General argued the two uncharged offenses were admissible to prove defendant's identity as the triggerman in the charged offenses. We concluded otherwise. The only common marks, we observed, were defendant's presence and that the victim was ordered to lie down. The first, we stated, was immaterial, since the defendant's presence is not part of any modus operandi, and the second was not sufficiently distinctive to justify admissibility. ( Id. at p. 749.) Here, too, defendant argues, the offenses were too dissimilar to raise an inference of identity or intent: Benham was kidnapped, White was not; Benham was beaten to death, White was shot; there was evidence of a sexual assault in connection with Benham's death, there was none as to White. The record shows, however, substantial and distinctive similarities between the offenses. Elderly women, alone and vulnerable, were the victims in each. Their murders occurred in isolated desert areas. Items of personal property, including jewelry, were taken in both and were subsequently found in defendant's possession. A weapon belonging to defendant was used in the White murder and the Benham robbery. In each the victim at some point was placed in the trunk of a car. In each, significantly, the victim was considerably heavier than Crenshaw, who weighed only about 120 pounds and was several inches shorter than defendant  White weighed 180 pounds and Benham was a notably large woman. Arson to destroy evidence was involved in both, as defendant burned the Buick used to transport Benham and burned White's purse. On these facts, the White offense shared sufficient distinctive common marks with the Benham offense to raise an inference of identity, knowledge and intent. (See People v. Robbins (1988) 45 Cal.3d 867, 879-880 [248 Cal. Rptr. 172, 755 P.2d 355]; People v. Thornton (1974) 11 Cal.3d 738, 756 [114 Cal. Rptr. 467, 523 P.2d 267], disapproved on other grounds in People v. Flannel (1979) 25 Cal.3d 668, 684, fn. 12 [160 Cal. Rptr. 84, 603 P.2d 1].) (6) Defendant argues that even if the White murder was relevant, the court abused its discretion in failing to weigh prejudice against probative value. (Evid. Code, § 352; People v. Green (1980) 27 Cal.3d 1, 25-26 [164 Cal. Rptr. 1, 609 P.2d 468].) Although the court did not expressly weigh the prejudicial effect of the White murder against its probative value, the record is clear the court understood its duty to make such a determination and impliedly did so. Defense counsel argued Evidence Code section 352 to the court; preliminary to its ruling the court observed that This is probably the area where the Court can come the closest to committing some kind of error because it's the area that provides for the greatest leeway of interpretation, I suppose, as to what the law is. [¶] The words are simple, but when you begin to apply those words, it becomes very complex; and immediately after its ruling admitting the White evidence, the court, in ruling on the Rankin offenses, expressly referred to the prejudicial effect of the evidence under section 352. After trial, in ruling on defendant's new trial motion, the court again recognized the fine line in this area of uncharged offenses and stated that from its research at the time of its rulings it was convinced the material admitted was of evidentiary value although highly prejudicial to the defendant. The foregoing suffices to satisfy the requirement that the record affirmatively show that the trial judge did in fact weigh prejudice against probative value ( People v. Green, supra, 27 Cal.3d at p. 25) so as to permit meaningful appellate review and ensure that the ruling on the motion is `the product of a mature and careful reflection on the part of the judge,' ... ( Ibid. ) Any error, therefore, in the court's failure expressly to state on the record its determination that the probative value of the evidence outweighed its prejudicial value, on this record is nonprejudicial. ( People v. Frank (1985) 38 Cal.3d 711, 731-732 [214 Cal. Rptr. 801, 700 P.2d 415].)