Opinion ID: 1238139
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Effect of Execution on Defendant's Family

Text: Defendant's first witness was his uncle, Rudy Garza. At the end of Garza's testimony on direct, the following colloquy occurred: Q: How do you feel about the fact that [defendant] may have to spend the rest of his life in prison? [ถ] A: I shudder at the thought. He has a wife and three lovely children. And that is very, very difficult, to say the least. [ถ] Q: What โ what kind of feelings do you have when โ when you think about the possibility that he could be executed in the gas chamber? [ถ] Mr. Purbaugh [Prosecutor]: I'm going to object as irrelevant. [ถ] The Court: Sustained. [ถ] Q: What would that do to the family? [ถ] A: Devastate them. (60) Defendant contends the trial court erroneously sustained the prosecutor's objection and thereby excluded otherwise admissible mitigating evidence concerning the emotional impact of a death sentence on defendant's family. The contention lacks merit. Although the objection was sustained, the record discloses that defense counsel immediately rephrased the question to ask, What would that do to them, and the witness responded, Devastate them. Thus, regardless of the merits of the objection and the trial court's ruling, the question was asked and answered. There is no basis for a finding of prejudicial error. Furthermore, the record shows that four other members of defendant's family subsequently testified without objection as to the impact of defendant's execution on his family. Laura Fierro, defendant's wife, was asked: What would happen to you and to the children if David were executed in the gas chamber? She responded: I wouldn't know what to do. It would break my heart. Defendant's aunt, Mrs. Cervantez, testified that a death sentence would be a very hard thing on his family. Defendant's sister, Theresa Sanchez, stated that defendant's situation was breaking [the] heart of his mother and stated that a death sentence probably would kill us inside. Similarly, defendant's mother, Dolores Fierro, testified that the family would all be broken hearted if defendant were given the death penalty. Thus, assuming without deciding that defendant has a right to introduce evidence of the effect of a death sentence on his family ( People v. Cooper, supra, 53 Cal.3d at p. 844, fn. 14; but see Robison v. Maynard (10th Cir.1987) 829 F.2d 1501, 1505, cert. denied ___ U.S. ___ [116 L.Ed.2d 463, 112 S.Ct. 445]), that right was not violated.