Opinion ID: 1258767
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Inadequacy of Foundational Hearing Regarding Defendant's Prior Offenses

Text: Prior to trial, the People notified defendant of the proposed evidence to be offered in aggravation of penalty. (See former § 190.3.) Defendant thereupon moved for a preliminary hearing regarding all of his prior unadjudicated criminal offenses, to assure that the evidence was sufficient to justify jury consideration thereof. The court acknowledged that it had discretion to control the proceedings, including the power to determine the relevance and admissibility of evidence prior to its admission. The court offered defendant a foundational hearing held pursuant to Evidence Code section 402 to examine any witnesses/victims whom defense counsel was unable to interview prior to trial. Such a foundational hearing was held as to witnesses Gerald B. and Lanita Y. Defendant now contends that, despite the hearing, the jury was exposed to prejudicial evidence regarding these two witnesses. (Although defendant phrases the issue in broader terms, challenging the court's failure to order a preliminary hearing regarding each of defendant's supposed offenses, that question is not properly before us in light of the hearing that was provided here.) 1. Gerald B.  In his opening statement, the prosecutor informed the jury of defendant's various prior offenses, including a 1973 offense against seven-year-old Gerald B. According to the prosecutor, defendant kidnapped the boy, punched him in the face several times, removed his clothes, tied him up and buried him naked in the snow, where defendant left him. Before Gerald was called to testify, however, the court held a foundational hearing and ultimately ruled his testimony inadmissible on various grounds. Following presentation of the People's case, the court instructed the jury to disregard the prosecutor's opening remarks about the Gerald B. incident. 2. Lanita Y.  In his opening statement, the prosecutor likewise referred to defendant's 1968 asserted molestation of 11-year-old Lanita Y. After a foundational hearing was held, Lanita was permitted to testify that defendant walked into her home while her parents were absent, carried her into a bedroom, removed her bathing suit and rubbed her vagina. According to Lanita, defendant asked her to fondle his penis, which she refused, and he inserted his finger into her vagina. Lanita also testified that after 20 years, she remains emotionally disturbed about the assault. Following the presentation of the People's case, the court ruled that Lanita's identification of defendant was legally insufficient. Her testimony was ordered stricken and the judge, in a lengthy admonition, told the jury not to consider it for any purpose. As the court stated to the jury, You are not to consider for any purpose any reference to Lanita Y[.] and any reference to Gerald B[]. In other words, there is no evidence before you concerning [them]. Those are not issues for your consideration. [¶] Do you understand what I just explained, ladies and gentlemen? Do you think you can follow the court's instruction? That is, just disregard references to those two names. Can you all do that? [¶] I'm satisfied that the jury has thought about it and has agreed to follow the court's instructions in that regard. 3. Discussion  According to defendant, if the court had conducted an adequate and timely preliminary hearing regarding defendant's various offenses, the inadmissibility of the Gerald B. and Lanita Y. incidents would have become apparent before the jury had learned of them. Defendant cites People v. Phillips (1985) 41 Cal.3d 29, 72, footnote 25 [222 Cal. Rptr. 127, 711 P.2d 423], in which we acknowledged that in many cases it may be advisable for the trial court to conduct a preliminary inquiry before the penalty phase to determine whether there is substantial evidence to prove each element of the other criminal activity. (Italics added.) (1) As Phillips ( supra, 41 Cal.3d 29) suggests, the preferred time for a foundational hearing as to potentially prejudicial other crimes evidence would be before the penalty trial, including the prosecutor's opening statement, commences. Even unsubstantiated prosecutorial remarks can, under certain circumstances, unduly prejudice the defendant. Had Gerald B.'s proposed testimony been ruled inadmissible prior to trial, the jury would not have been exposed to the prosecutor's description of the incident. Nonetheless, the prosecutor's account of Gerald's ordeal was not unduly inflammatory, involving no direct sexual molestation, and the court admonished the jury to disregard the evidence. Accordingly it is not reasonably possible the jury's verdict was affected by the account, given the plethora of properly admitted aggravating evidence summarized above. As for the incident involving Lanita Y., despite the foundational hearing the court failed to rule her testimony inadmissible until she had completed testifying. Unlike the Gerald B. incident, the Lanita Y. episode included sexual molestations. But the molestations and other misconduct were relatively minor compared to those described by most of the other child victims. In light of the court's lengthy admonition to the jury to disregard the evidence, and its largely cumulative nature, we do not find it reasonably possible the jury's verdict was affected by Lanita's testimony or the prosecutor's reference to the incident in his opening statement. Defendant believes it unrealistic to assume the jury was able to follow the court's admonition and completely disregard the statements and evidence regarding the two incidents. He cites cases indicating that under certain circumstances, an admonition is insufficient to cure the effect of unduly prejudicial evidence. (E.g., Bruton v. United States (1968) 391 U.S. 123, 135-136 [20 L.Ed.2d 476, 484-485, 88 S.Ct. 1620] [codefendant's confession implicating defendant]; People v. Guerrero (1976) 16 Cal.3d 719, 730 [129 Cal. Rptr. 166, 548 P.2d 366] [inadmissible prior brutal sex crimes against 17-year-old girl].) We find these cases distinguishable, involving evidence far more likely to unduly prejudice the defendant than the evidence at issue here. As the People observe, the general rule is that on appeal we must assume the jury followed the court's instructions and admonitions. (E.g., People v. Chavez (1958) 50 Cal.2d 778, 790 [329 P.2d 907]; People v. Beach (1983) 147 Cal. App.3d 612, 624-625 [195 Cal. Rptr. 381].) In light of the relatively minor molestations involved in these two incidents, and their largely cumulative nature, we conclude that any error in admitting evidence or argument regarding them was not prejudicial.