Opinion ID: 2581358
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Concession of Guilt Without Advisements and Waivers

Text: On appeal, defendant argues that when defense counsel in opening argument conceded that defendant had confessed to killing Bettancourt, counsel effectively pleaded defendant guilty to Bettancourt's murder, even though defendant received no formal admonitions and gave no express personal waivers of his constitutional rights to trial, to confront witnesses, and to stand silent. ( Boykin v. Alabama (1969) 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274; In re Tahl (1969) 1 Cal.3d 122, 81 Cal.Rptr. 577, 460 P.2d 449.) This court long ago held that a defense attorney's decision not to contest one or more charges of murder at the guilt phase of a capital trial does not amount to a guilty plea requiring admonitions and waivers of the accused's constitutional rights. ( People v. Griffin (1988) 46 Cal.3d 1011, 1029, 251 Cal.Rptr. 643, 761 P.2d 103.) In light of the other charges being tried to the jury, such a defendant is both aware of and exercising those very constitutional protections. ( Ibid.; see also People v. Cox (1991) 53 Cal.3d 618, 670-671, 280 Cal. Rptr. 692, 809 P.2d 351.) Defendant was present at jury selection, present during argument on pretrial motions, and present when the prosecution stipulated that it would not seek to admit into evidence his unwarned confession to killing Sadler. Therefore, defendant knew before defense counsel's opening statement that he was about to have a jury trial at which he would be represented by counsel and would not have to testify. Defendant then exercised each of the three constitutional rights at his trial, where he argued that his killing of Bettancourt was at most second degree murder, or possibly not murder but involuntary manslaughter. Accordingly, even had there been error it would be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. ( Chapman v. California (1967) 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705.)