Opinion ID: 3038665
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Javier Terrones

Text: Javier Terrones was one of the two witnesses who placed Reynoso at the Top Produce Market moments before Prajapati’s murder. Although aware of the shooting, Terrones did not contact police at the time and spent the next couple of years in Denver, Colorado. Upon his return to California in 1998, Prajapati’s husband — who had known Terrones in the past, when he had frequented their store — showed him several articles regarding the apprehension of a suspect in his wife’s murder, one of which had a picture identifying Reynoso as a suspect. Terrones testified at trial that he recognized the picture of Reynoso as the individual he saw at the store on the night of the murder. Instead of immediately contacting the police, however, Terrones left his contact information with Prajapati’s husband to give to them. On December 11, 1998, Detective Escoto interviewed Terrones, who subsequently identified Reynoso in both a photographic and a live lineup. At trial, Terrones testified that he left the store before the shooting occurred and was only able to describe vaguely the person he saw the night of the murder. He testified that on the REYNOSO v. GIURBINO 10689 night in question, he saw a man walk past him and stand three or four feet away from him. Aside from remembering that the person had a dirty face and wore “cholo”-type clothes, he could not remember any other details about his appearance. Terrones testified that he saw the man for only a “matter of seconds,” from only a “sideway glance” from approximately twenty feet away. Nevertheless, he identified the man as Reynoso. On cross-examination, defense counsel challenged Terrones’s identification. Through her questioning, she suggested that Terrones’s exposure to the newspaper photograph had tainted his subsequent identification. Further, on crossexamination, Terrones admitted that he “didn’t have much time to examine [the man at the store].” Defense counsel did not question Terrones as to whether he knew of the reward and whether he expected to receive a portion of it in exchange for his testimony. In fact, as the magistrate judge noted in her Report and Recommendation, the reward was not discussed at all during the entire time that Terrones testified. At the evidentiary hearing in district court, Terrones explained that he learned of the reward through Prajapati’s husband upon his return to California. Terrones testified that he initially contacted police because he was angry and upset about the murder and that he did not want a share of the reward. When he did speak with the police, however, Terrones asked about the reward and told officers, “if you are going to give me some compensation or something, I will accept it,” with the belief that he would get a share “when everything was done.” The Deputy District Attorney testified at the evidentiary hearing that she had discussed the reward with him before trial, and Terrones testified that he had also discussed the reward with the police after the trial ended. Terrones ultimately received $7,500 for his testimony. He testified at the evidentiary hearing that at the time of trial, he was making $8.00 an hour as a painter, work was slow, and he needed the money. 10690 REYNOSO v. GIURBINO