Opinion ID: 1210141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of the Photographs of the Victim

Text: Defendant complains that the photographs of his deceased wife were erroneously and prejudicially received in evidence. [12] He argues that because of the gruesome and bloody nature of the photographs the only purpose they could have served was to inflame the minds of the jurors. The admission of such photographs, of course, lies solely within the discretion of the trial judge ( People v. Robles (1970) 2 Cal.3d 205, 214 [85 Cal. Rptr. 166, 466 P.2d 710]; People v. Sanchez (1967) 65 Cal.2d 814, 828 [56 Cal. Rptr. 648, 423 P.2d 800]) and his ruling will not be reversed unless their probative value is clearly outweighed by their prejudicial effect (see, e.g., People v. Love (1960) 53 Cal.2d 843, 854-858 [3 Cal. Rptr. 665, 350 P.2d 705]). The People initially point out that trial counsel made no objection when the prosecution sought to have the photographs admitted and that the trial judge, therefore, was not afforded the opportunity to exercise his discretion in determining whether the photographs should have been excluded. (See Evid. Code, § 352.) The People apparently take the position, and properly so, that defendant cannot now be heard to complain because of his failure to object. Defendant agrees that such objections should have been made but that the failure to do so merely illustrates one of the ways in which he was deprived of an adequate defense, an issue which is hereinafter discussed. Although we are of the view that the error, if any, in receiving the photographs was not prejudicial ( People v. Watson (1956) 46 Cal.2d 818, 836 [299 P.2d 243]), we nevertheless deal with the issue on the merits. Defendant relies on People v. Love, supra, 53 Cal.2d 843 in support of the claimed error in receiving the photographs. The defendant in Love was charged with the shotgun murder of his wife. On the issue of penalty the trial court admitted in evidence a photograph showing a front view of the deceased wife lying on a hospital table and a tape recording taken in the hospital emergency room shortly before she died. The photograph did not show her wound, but did show an expression of pain on her face in death. The sole purpose of playing the recording was to let the jury hear the failing voice and the groans of the deceased while she was dying. The playing of the recording was preceded by the testimony of a doctor that she was in extreme pain, that the blast had severely injured one of her kidneys, and that the pain caused by the passage of blood clots from the kidney into the bladder was probably one of the most painful conditions to which one could be subjected. The prosecution did not suggest that the defendant intended to cause such pain, but it appears that the photograph and tape were introduced in evidence for the purpose of apprising the jury of the pain suffered by the deceased. On appeal the People argued that the photographs were admissible to demonstrate the enormity of the crime that defendant had committed. We held that the receipt of the photograph and tape recording was reversible error, stating, [p]roof of such pain is of questionable importance to the selection of penalty unless it was intentionally inflicted.... [and] even if relevant and material, Mrs. Love's pain was more than adequately described by the doctor. ( Id. at pp. 856-857.) It should be noted, however, that this court also held two 8- by 10-inch color photographs of the wife's nude body on a hospital table had been properly admitted. The photographs showed a hole about 4 inches in diameter in her back and a large amount of blood on her back, the table, and the hands of the person holding her body. We stated that although the photographic evidence was largely cumulative and might properly have been excluded, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in receiving it. Here, the photographs of which defendant primarily complains are as follows: (1) A 5- by 7-inch black and white front view of the victim lying on a table. Her eyes are about half open and she is expressionless. She is clad in a blood-stained dress and there is dried blood covering most of her face and neck region. There are a few blood stains on her arms and legs. A knife hole in the dress is visible in the area of a stomach. (2) A 5- by 7-inch black and white back view of the victim lying on the same table. She is nude and two circled stab wounds are visible in the lower back region. No blood stains are visible. (3) An 8- by 8-inch color photograph of the decedent lying on her back on the ground where she was found by investigating officers. The photograph shows the portion of her body above her legs. Her eyes are partially open and she is expressionless. She is clad in a blood-stained dress the bottom of which has been pulled up to expose two stab wounds in her stomach area. There is dried blood covering most of her face and neck region. There are blood stains on her arms. A stab wound is visible in her neck. Defendant argues that the only conceivable basis for admitting the photographs would have been to illustrate the number and location of his wife's wounds, but since they were adequately described by the autopsy surgeon, receipt of the photographs was not necessary. (6) The photographs in this case did much more than merely indicate the number and location of Catherine Murphy's wounds. One of the arguments made to the jury by the prosecution was that the murder was rather bizarre and that it was no ordinary robbery which resulted from picking up someone who appeared to be out of gas, as one would be led to believe by defendant's story. In support of this theory, during closing argument, the prosecutor argued that this killing was an execution, whoever killed her was doing a job on her, and so the facts of the case, the nature of the killing, right away tell you there is something wrong with the way that this woman [was] killed. Thus the photographs were relevant on the issues of malice ( People v. Brawley (1969) 1 Cal.3d 277, 295 [82 Cal. Rptr. 161, 461 P.2d 361]; People v. Sanchez, supra, 65 Cal.2d 814, 828; People v. Harrison (1963) 59 Cal.2d 622, 627-628 [30 Cal. Rptr. 841, 381 P.2d 665]) and aggravation of the crime and the penalty ( People v. Brawley, supra, 1 Cal.3d 277, 295; People v. Stanworth (1969) 71 Cal.2d 820, 839 [80 Cal. Rptr. 49, 457 P.2d 889]). They also tended to clarify the testimony of the autopsy surgeon regarding the precise location of the wounds ( People v. Robles, supra, 2 Cal.3d 205, 214; People v. Brawley, supra, 1 Cal.3d 277, 295; People v. Gardner (1969) 71 Cal.2d 843, 852 [79 Cal. Rptr. 743, 457 P.2d 575]). In addition to other grounds justifying the receipt of the photographs they tend to discredit extrajudicial statements made by defendant. Shortly after the homicide defendant told one of the investigating officers that when he regained consciousness he went to his wife and they said prayers together. The photographs of the victim's condition tended to refute defendant's statement to the officer. (See People v. Tolbert (1969) 70 Cal.2d 790, 806 [76 Cal. Rptr. 445, 452 P.2d 661]; People v. Mathis (1965) 63 Cal.2d 416, 423 [46 Cal. Rptr. 785, 406 P.2d 65].) Although the photographs in this case might be characterized as bloody and gruesome they were relevant to the issues and unlike those in prior cases the admission of which necessitated reversal. (See People v. Cavanaugh (1955) 44 Cal.2d 252, 267-268 [282 P.2d 53].) The trial court did not abuse its discretion in receiving the exhibits.