Opinion ID: 1201769
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Failure to grant immunity

Text: (17) Defendant contends that by not granting immunity to Gregory, and thereby removing the self-incrimination barrier to Gregory's testimony at defendant's trial, the prosecution violated defendant's constitutional right of confrontation and denied him due process of law. (U.S. Const., 5th, 6th, & 14th Amends.; Cal. Const., art. I, งง 7, 15.) At no time during proceedings in the trial court did the defense request immunity for Gregory, nor did the defense make an offer of proof as to Gregory's testimony. Because the issue of immunity was not raised at trial, it is not preserved for review on appeal. ( People v. Sutter (1982) 134 Cal. App.3d 806, 813 [184 Cal. Rptr. 829]; People v. Sipress, supra, 51 Cal. App.3d 98, 102.) Moreover, there is no authority in this state for the proposition that a prosecutor must request or the trial court must grant immunity to a witness on the ground that the witness's testimony could be favorable to the defense. (See People v. Hunter (1989) 49 Cal.3d 957, 973 [264 Cal. Rptr. 367, 782 P.2d 608]; People v. Jackson (1986) 178 Cal. App.3d 694, 700 [224 Cal. Rptr. 37]; People v. DeFreitas (1983) 140 Cal. App.3d 835, 841 [189 Cal. Rptr. 814].) In Hunter, supra, we assumed without deciding that in appropriate circumstances judicially conferred use immunity might be necessary to vindicate a criminal defendant's rights to compulsory process and a fair trial[.] ( Hunter, supra, at p. 974.) But we also said that such immunity would be required only if the witness's testimony was both clearly exculpatory and essential to an effective defense, and if no strong governmental interest weighed against the grant of immunity. ( Ibid. ) Here, defendant has not demonstrated that Gregory's testimony would have been clearly exculpatory or that it would have differed from his preliminary hearing testimony. And, because the issue was never raised at trial, the record is inadequate to determine whether a strong governmental interest would have weighed against a grant of immunity. Thus, defendant has failed to demonstrate the existence of circumstances in which a trial court might be required to confer use immunity to ensure a fair trial.