Opinion ID: 1203248
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Quartararo Testimony

Text: Gian Norelli, a defense witness, testified that he was present when the abortive plan to rob Kumar was discussed, and that Kempf, not defendant, was the ringleader. The prosecutor attempted to impeach Norelli with his inconsistent statement to Detective Quartararo, and Norelli repeatedly claimed that he could not remember what he had told the detective. In particular he was asked whether he had told Quartararo that he thought defendant guilty, that defendant had asked him to lie, and that he had overheard defendant admitting the killing to a third party. Norelli testified that he remembered talking to the officer, but that he could not remember making these statements. Detective Quartararo was permitted to testify as a rebuttal witness that Norelli had told him all about the abortive plan to rob Kumar. In addition, Quartararo said that Norelli said that he thought defendant had done the murders, that he had overheard defendant say he had knifed two people in Tarzana, and that defendant had asked Norelli to lie for him about defendant's involvement in the Kempf incident. When asked why Norelli would testify that he did not remember these statements, the detective was permitted to testify as to his opinion that Norelli was afraid of defendant. (32) Defendant contends that Quartararo's testimony was inadmissible hearsay and opinion evidence, and that its admission violated Evidence Code section 352, and his rights under the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and their parallel provisions in the California Constitution. Respondent argues that any objection beyond the hearsay objection was not preserved for appeal. The trial court stated for the record that there was an objection to the testimony of the officer, as well as reference to the document [the detective's notes of the interview.] The court referred to a sidebar conference on the matter that was unreported. The settled statement indicates that the subject of the unreported conference was defendant's hearsay objection, and that beyond this, counsel were unable to add to the information provided in the reporter's transcript. Because it was the court's ruling on reporting sidebar conferences that created some deficiency in the record on this point, we will assume that counsel properly preserved objections to the evidence on the grounds raised here. We find Norelli's statements that defendant told Norelli to lie for defendant, that Norelli had overheard defendant tell Steven Crane defendant had stabbed two people at Kumar's house, and that Norelli thought defendant was guilty, were admissible as prior inconsistent statements. On cross-examination, Norelli had claimed he was unable to remember making these statements to Quartararo. Given Norelli's pattern of deliberate evasions on cross-examination, the prosecutor was entitled to prove that the statements were made through a prior inconsistent statement. ( People v. Green (1971) 3 Cal.3d 981, 988-989 [92 Cal. Rptr. 494, 479 P.2d 998]; Evid. Code, งง 770, 1235.) Our review of the record persuades us that Norelli was deliberately evasive; a prior ruling on the record to that effect by the trial court is not a condition precedent to our holding that the statements were admissible as a prior inconsistent statement. (See, e.g., People v. Plasencia (1985) 168 Cal. App.3d 546, 551 [223 Cal. Rptr. 786]; People v. Burciago (1978) 81 Cal. App.3d 151, 165 [146 Cal. Rptr. 236].) Further, defendant's right of confrontation was not impaired; the declarant was subject to examination at trial and admitted making a statement to the detective. The jury could evaluate Norelli's demeanor, and defendant had the opportunity to examine him fully regarding his statements to the detective. (See California v. Green (1970) 399 U.S. 149 [26 L.Ed.2d 489, 90 S.Ct. 1930]; People v. Green, supra, 3 Cal.3d at pp. 989-990.) Nor can we agree with defendant's conclusory claims that the evidence was more prejudicial than probative under Evidence Code section 352, or that its admission violated the laundry list of constitutional provisions defendant notes in passing. (33a) Respondent concedes it was error to admit the testimony that Quartararo was of the opinion that Norelli was afraid of defendant. We agree with respondent, however, that any error was not prejudicial. Norelli was not the only one who was afraid of defendant, as the evidence that defendant had threatened to blow up Corona reveals.