Opinion ID: 1293219
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Corroboration Sufficiency of Evidence

Text: (13a) Defendant argues that, assuming Hernandez was found by the jury to be an accomplice, the People presented insufficient corroboration of Hernandez's testimony. Section 1111 provides, A conviction cannot be had upon the testimony of an accomplice unless it be corroborated by such proper evidence as shall tend to connect the defendant with the commission of the offense; and the corroboration is not sufficient if it merely shows the commission of the offense or the circumstances. (14) The key inquiry is whether the evidence tends to connect the defendant with the crime so that the jury may be satisfied that the accomplice is telling the truth. [11] ( People v. Bunyard (1988) 45 Cal.3d 1189, 1206-1207 [249 Cal. Rptr. 71, 756 P.2d 795].) Moreover, corroborating evidence is sufficient if it connects the defendant with the crime, although such evidence is slight and entitled to little consideration when standing alone. ( People v. Garrison (1989) 47 Cal.3d 746, 773 [254 Cal. Rptr. 257, 765 P.2d 419].) Finally, [c]orroborating evidence may be circumstantial in nature, and may consist of evidence of the defendant's conduct or his declarations. ( Garrison, supra, 47 Cal.3d at p. 773.) (13b) Assuming for the purpose of this determination that Hernandez was an accomplice whose testimony required corroboration under section 1111, we are fully convinced that there was sufficient corroborating testimony at trial. As explained above, in addition to Hernandez's testimony, statements of several other witnesses tended to connect defendant to the murders. Lee testified that two days before the victims disappeared, he introduced Kreuger to defendant after she told Lee that she was in need of money. Thereafter, Lee testified that he drove Kreuger to her home, where he met Jones. According to Lee, both girls discussed a photo session with defendant. Garcia testified that on the morning the murders were committed, he saw defendant and Hernandez leave defendant's refinishing shop at 1 a.m. At the same time, the victims' roommate, Stevens, testified he saw the victims leave their apartment at 1:30 a.m. On the afternoon before her disappearance, Jones told her best friend, Allmon, that she and Kreuger were going to make an easy $500 by posing for nude pictures. Allmon also testified that Jones told her if she had not returned by noon the following day that something was wrong, and she was to do something. [12] We conclude Hernandez's testimony was substantially corroborated. (See Garrison, supra, 47 Cal.3d at p. 773.)