Opinion ID: 1349797
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Ferril Mickens, Larry Montez, and Steven Cisneros

Text: (9) All three of these witnesses were serving substantial prison terms at the time they were subpoenaed by petitioner to testify at his evidentiary hearing. Each, when called to the stand, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and refused to testify. [20] Petitioner asserts that each was intimidated by the prospect that the People, who had indicted White one week earlier (and Storch over eight months earlier), might also indict him for perjury, in violation of his rights under In re Martin, supra, 44 Cal.3d at page 31. Again, petitioner has not established misconduct. As noted above, there is no evidence that the indictments were unnecessary to the performance of the prosecution's duties. Accordingly, we again reject petitioner's claim. In any event, for the reasons set out below, it appears unlikely petitioner can prove the second element of his claim, namely, that the government's conduct was a substantial cause of his witnesses's failure to testify. (i) Mickens. Petitioner offers only conjecture to support his claim that the government's indictments were a substantial cause of Mickens's refusal to testify. The record and supporting exhibits, however, suggest the following: Petitioner's counsel interviewed Mickens while he was in prison, concerning informant practices in the Los Angeles County Jail, and Mickens apparently offered information helpful to petitioner's case. It appears, however, that petitioner's attorneys failed to disclose the identify of their client. Thereafter, Mickens was transported (without a protective order) to the Los Angeles County jail, in preparation for his testimony at the evidentiary hearing. At the hearing, Mickens invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. He thereafter explained on cross-examination by the People that after his arrival at the Los Angeles County jail, he telephoned Sergeant Mattson of the Los Angeles Police Department (whom he knew through his sister). Mickens said he told Mattson he feared for his life because he had been transported without protective custody, and because he found out who the defendant was in this case. Immediately thereafter, the prosecutor asked, Now, are you taking the Fifth Amendment because you feel you would incriminate yourself, or because you feel that you're intimidated? Mickens responded, Both. In a declaration attached to the People's brief (and not objected to by petitioner), Sergeant Mattson states he visited Mickens at the Hall of Justice, at which time Mickens told him he had been brought to Los Angeles to testify in a case involving a prominent member of the BGF [Black Guerilla Family, a prison gang] by the name of Williams. The declaration asserts, Mickens said he had not volunteered to testify but that another inmate at Soledad had supplied his name. He claimed fear for his life and the lives of his sister and father if he testified in the case, and said that he planned to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege. Finally, he stated that on March 3, 1992 (the date originally set for the start of the hearing), one of petitioner's attorneys visited him. The declaration reports that when Mickens made it clear he would not testify, the attorney started to leave, and told Mickens: I'm going down to see Williams and I'll give him your regards. The declaration concludes: Mickens said this remark by the attorney terrified him because it implied bodily harm would come to him or his family. We question whether, on this record, the prosecution's indictment of White and Storch was a substantial cause of Mickens's failure to testify. It appears instead that Mickens's fear for his and his family's safety  a fear of petitioner and his counsel, not the People  was the primary cause of Mickens's refusal to testify. Although we may assume that Mickens also considered the prospect that his testimony might, if false, result in an indictment for perjury, that prospect cannot, as a matter of law, support a claim of improper interference with petitioner's Sixth Amendment right of compulsory process. Nor are we willing to assume that Mickens could reasonably have believed that his truthful testimony would result in a perjury prosecution. Accordingly, we conclude that whatever the effect of the indictments for perjury of White and Storch, that effect was insubstantial insofar as it concerned Mickens's refusal to testify. (ii) Montez. As with Mickens, petitioner apparently failed to secure a protective order for Montez's transportation to and housing during the evidentiary hearing. And, like Mickens, on cross-examination Montez admitted he wished to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights for two reasons: He believed the answers would incriminate him, and he felt intimidated by petitioner. Again, for many of the reasons set out above in our discussion of Mickens, we conclude that whatever the effect of the indictments for perjury of White and Storch, that effect was insubstantial insofar as it concerned Montez's refusal to testify. (iii) Cisneros. Finally, as to Cisneros, we again doubt that petitioner has proved the second element of his claim, namely, that the government's conduct was a substantial cause of Cisneros's failure to testify. Again, it appears petitioner failed to secure a protective order for Cisneros's transportation to and housing during the evidentiary hearing, and that this contributed substantially to the witness's refusal to testify. Although Cisneros refused to elaborate at the evidentiary hearing concerning why he invoked his Fifth Amendment right, his declaration, signed about two weeks earlier (and appended, without objection, to petitioner's brief) asserts he planned to invoke his Fifth Amendment right for two reasons: First, as a result of the indictment and arrest of Sidney Storch and Leslie White, I am now unwilling to testify at petitioner's evidentiary hearing for fear that I will be indicted if I provide testimony helpful to Petitioner. I am further fearful for my safety should I be transported to and housed in the Los Angeles County jail system. (Italics added.) Moreover, although we may assume that Cisneros considered the prospect that his testimony might, if false, result in an indictment for perjury, as noted above, that prospect cannot, as a matter of law, support a claim of improper interference with petitioner's Sixth Amendment right of compulsory process. Nor are we willing to assume that Cisneros could reasonably have believed that his truthful testimony would result in a perjury prosecution. Accordingly, we conclude that whatever the effect of the indictments for perjury of White and Storch, that effect was insubstantial insofar as it concerned Cisneros's refusal to testify.