Opinion ID: 1121458
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of Tape-recorded Statement of Defendant's Refusal to Provide Handwriting Exemplar

Text: (24) Defendant next contends that the admission into evidence of a tape-recorded statement, in which he refused to comply with a court order to provide a handwriting exemplar, violated his rights under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the federal Constitution. The handwriting exemplar was sought in an attempt to further link the bloodstained jeans to defendant by matching his handwriting with notes found in the pockets. Preliminarily, we observe that defendant's claim has been waived. (Evid. Code, ง 353, subd. (a).) At trial defendant objected to the introduction of the tape on the grounds of relevance and prejudice. [25] Appellant did not raise his constitutional claim. Moreover, we would reject this claim on the merits even if it were not procedurally barred. [26] Compulsion of a handwriting exemplar is permissible under the Fifth Amendment. ( Gilbert v. California (1967) 388 U.S. 263, 266-267 [18 L.Ed.2d 1178, 1182-1183, 87 S.Ct. 1951].) The taking of an exemplar is not a `critical' stage of the criminal proceedings entitling [defendant] to the assistance of counsel. ( Id. at p. 267 [18 L.Ed.2d at p. 1183].) Furthermore, the refusal of a defendant to provide an exemplar in violation of a court order is admissible evidence of the defendant's consciousness of guilt. (See People v. Ellis (1966) 65 Cal.2d 529, 536-539 [55 Cal. Rptr. 385, 421 P.2d 393] [voice sample]; South Dakota v. Neville (1983) 459 U.S. 553, 560-566 [74 L.Ed.2d 748, 756-761, 103 S.Ct. 916] [blood test].) Defendant nevertheless insists that the manner in which the tape-recorded statement was elicited constituted both impermissible interrogation ( Rhode Island v. Innis, supra, 446 U.S. 291; Edwards, supra, 451 U.S. 477) and the deliberate elicitation of an incriminating statement in violation of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel (e.g., Brewer v. Williams (1977) 430 U.S. 387, 401 [51 L.Ed.2d 424, 437-538, 97 S.Ct. 1232]). The record does not support these contentions. The record shows that Michael Prodan (Prodan), a special agent for the California Department of Justice, contacted defendant in jail. A defense investigator was also present. Prodan requested the exemplar and explained that the court had ordered defendant to produce it. As he was required to do ( People v. Ellis, supra, 65 Cal.2d at p. 539), Prodan advised defendant of the adverse evidentiary consequences of refusing to comply with the order. Prodan confirmed that defendant understood these consequences and that he nevertheless did not wish to produce the exemplar. At several points, defendant remarked that he did not see why he should assist the district attorney in put[ting him] away. During the colloquy, Prodan did not engage in impermissible interrogation or deliberately attempt to elicit incriminating statements from defendant. The spontaneous or gratuitous comments made by defendant during his exchange with Prodan cannot be attributed to Prodan's permissible attempt to obtain the handwriting sample. (See People v. Johnson (1992) 3 Cal.4th 1183, 1224 [14 Cal. Rptr.2d 702, 842 P.2d 1].) [27]