Opinion ID: 1190445
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admission of McCray's extrajudicial statements

Text: (13a) By his own characterization, defendant's main objection to McCray's extrajudicial statements is that their admission violated defendant's constitutional rights of confrontation and cross-examination as defined in Bruton v. United States (1968) 391 U.S. 123, 126-127 [20 L.Ed.2d 476, 479-480, 88 S.Ct. 1620] ( Bruton ), and People v. Aranda (1965) 63 Cal.2d 518, 528-530 [47 Cal. Rptr. 353, 407 P.2d 265] ( Aranda ). The principle is well established: [A] nontestifying codefendant's extrajudicial self-incriminating statement that inculpates the other defendant is generally unreliable and hence inadmissible as violative of that defendant's right of confrontation and cross-examination, even if a limiting instruction is given. ( People v. Anderson (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1104, 1120 [240 Cal. Rptr. 585, 742 P.2d 1306], italics added.) The facts of this case arguably might bring it within the Bruton-Aranda proscription ( Bruton, supra, 391 U.S. 123; Aranda, supra, 63 Cal.2d 518). McCray, having invoked his privilege against self-incrimination, did not testify at trial. There is authority for the view that McCray's status as an uncharged accomplice rather than as a codefendant is of no consequence. ( People v. Coble (1976) 65 Cal. App.3d 187, 194 [135 Cal. Rptr. 199].) McCray's extrajudicial statements to the police clearly inculpated defendant, and respondent does not contend otherwise. There is no other apparent reason why the prosecution introduced the statements. We need not and do not decide, however, whether the statements should have been excluded if defendant had timely and specifically objected on the Bruton-Aranda grounds. Defendant, however, made no such objection, thereby waiving his present contention. As explained above, defendant's response to the introduction of McCray's statements was that McCray should have been subjected to cross-examination or, alternatively, been required to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege in the jury's presence. Even now on appeal, defendant contends he was denied the right to cross-examine McCray, that McCray should have been granted immunity and compelled to testify, and that at a minimum McCray should have been required to invoke his privilege before the jury. These arguments miss the mark. Faced with evidence that is inadmissible on Bruton-Aranda grounds, the proper objection is to exclude the statements, not to subject the declarant to cross-examination. If the declarant is properly subject to cross-examination, no Bruton-Aranda problem arises in the first instance. The record does not show that defendant specifically objected on Bruton-Aranda grounds to admission of McCray's statements. Absent a timely and specific objection on the ground defendant now asserts on appeal, his contention is deemed waived. ( People v. Mitcham (1992) 1 Cal.4th 1027, 1044 [5 Cal. Rptr.2d 230, 824 P.2d 1277] [finding waiver of Bruton-Aranda objection]; People v. Benson (1990) 52 Cal.3d 754, 786, fn. 7 [276 Cal. Rptr. 827, 802 P.2d 330].) Not only did defendant withhold his objection to the statements, defendant himself agreed to, indeed sought, their admission. After McCray was called as a witness and made clear that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege, the prosecution and defense agreed that McCray was unavailable as a witness under Evidence Code section 1230 and that his extrajudicial statements could be admitted to the extent they were declarations against his penal interest. In a discussion with the trial court, the prosecution stated his understanding that defendant wished to introduce such statements by McCray. Defense counsel did not contend otherwise, and in fact, shortly thereafter, he confirmed his intent to introduce McCray's statements. The trial court, prosecution, and defense proceeded to review McCray's statements in detail to determine which of them were admissible as declarations against penal interest. Defense counsel informed the court that the only disagreement would be as to which of McCray's statements were inculpatory and therefore against his penal interest. At no time during this process did defense counsel object to any of McCray's statements in whole or in part based on the Bruton-Aranda rule. (14)(See fn. 3.), (13b) Defendant has waived any objection on that ground. ( People v. Mitcham, supra, 1 Cal.4th 1027, 1044.) [3] Even if the objection had been timely raised, the record amply demonstrates that the admission of McCray's statements was not prejudicial to defendant. ( Chapman v. California, supra, 386 U.S. 18, 24 [17 L.Ed.2d 705, 710-711].) The most telling sign of an absence of prejudice is that defendant himself sought to rely on McCray's statements in large part, for the obvious reason that defendant thought they would help exculpate him. When the statements were reviewed with the trial court and the prosecution, defense counsel stated, I foresee that we won't really have too much of a problem in deciding what are penal interest, which are declaration[s] against penal interests. The prediction proved correct. Defense counsel made very few objections to the admitted portions. He contends on appeal that, The fact appellant used certain statements made by McCray does not constitute a waiver of all statements made by McCray. Defendant, however, fails even now to identify which portions of McCray's statements were allegedly prejudicial. In effect, defendant asks this court to speculate as to which portions he wanted admitted and which portions were allegedly prejudicial to him. It is not incumbent on us to do so. In an abundance of fairness to defendant, however, we have carefully reviewed the portions of McCray's statements that were admitted to the jury and the process by which they were admitted. The record reflects that, with only two minor exceptions, defense counsel either actively sought or acquiesced without objection to all portions that were admitted. Trial counsel's desire  or, at a minimum, willingness  to put such evidence to the jury weighs heavily against the claim on appeal that the evidence was prejudicial. Moreover, the trial court carefully considered the few objections raised by counsel, and as a result, only two brief portions of McCray's statements to the police were admitted over defendant's objection. One was as follows: Q: What did you tell Anthony to do, er now, I mean Michael [the defendant] to do regarding the bill he owed you? A: He was gonna pay it. He said he was going to pay cash. The other portion admitted over objection was: Q: Did you give Mike [defendant] a gun on that occasion [the day of the killings] when he came by? A: When he came by? No, he had it. I don't know if he had it on him then or not. Q: Did Mike give it back to you and you give it back to Mike? A: Then? Q: Yeh. A: No, after he came he tried to give it back to me. In light of the extensive other evidence against defendant, we conclude these two isolated portions of McCray's statements were harmless beyond a reasonable doubt because they could not have contributed to the verdict. ( Chapman v. California, supra, 386 U.S. 18, 24 [17 L.Ed.2d 705, 710-711].) The fact that defendant requested or acquiesced in the admission of much more extensive and arguably more damaging portions of McCray's statements further supports our conclusion.