Opinion ID: 2581010
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: 1. References to a contract or plan to kill Terry Guillory

Text: The first such reference occurred during defense counsel's cross-examination of Guillory when, in response to a question by counsel, Guillory explained that he had been pissed at them [the prosecution team] because they didn't tell me [earlier] that Richard (defendant) had, from jail, put a contract on my head. Subsequently, during the prosecution's redirect examination of Guillory, the following exchange occurred: [PROSECUTOR]: I think [it is] apparent to everybody in here you're not very happy this morning; are you? A. No, I hadn't had much sleep. Q. And you weren't real happy at the time you testified at the preliminary hearing, were you, either? Were you? A. No, I wasn't. Q. And during the time you were testifying at the preliminary hearing we, meaning myself and Mr. Sjostrand, disclosed something to you for the first time; didn't we? A. Yes, you did. Q. And what did we disclose to you? A. That there was a contract out on my head. Q. Put out by who? A. By Richard from the jail. Q. And did we explain to you who was involved in the putting out of that contract? A. I believe you did. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Your Honor, the jury should be admonished ... that the questions are not evidence because we haven't, you know, it's a question of misleading the jury as to whether or not these facts are true or not. THE WITNESS: They're true. THE COURT: Counsel, instructions already [have] been given. Certainly if you wish a more focused instruction at a later point I'll entertain it. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Thank you. [PROSECUTOR]: Was the name Maurice Solvang brought up at that time? A. Yes, it was. Q. Were you informed by myself and Mr. Sjostrand that we had information that [defendant] had paid over a thousand dollars using his then girlfriend Jacqueline Coghlan for the purpose of making sure you didn't testify at the preliminary hearing? A. Yes. Q. And how did that make you feel? A. Very angry. Q. And who were you angry with? A. Everybody. Q. In fact you had a few choice words to say to me and Mr. Sjostrand; did you not? A. I sure did. Q. You felt that we didn't tell you soon enough; is that right? A. Yep. A short while later, while Guillory continued to testify, defendant's plot to keep Guillory from testifying was described to the jury again as not merely a plan to keep Guillory off the witness stand, but also a scheme to kill him. The following exchange occurred: [PROSECUTOR]: Now, did you also describe for Mr. Sjostrand what your understanding had been in talking to a woman by the name of Pam who lived with Donna  A. Pat. Q.  at the time you were testifying at the preliminary hearing? A. Pat. Q. Pat, okay. And did you indicate to Mr. Sjostrand that it had been your understanding based upon your conversation with Pat that  [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: This is hearsay unless it's for state of mind, whatever. [PROSECUTOR]: Goes to the state of mind of this witness and can be limited to that. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Okay. THE WITNESS: When you guys came around Pat used the name of Donna. That's why Mr. Sjostrand didn't remember her name. [PROSECUTOR]: And what did Pat indicate to you about what your understanding was with respect to what was supposed to happen to you before you testified at the preliminary hearing? A. Um, rephrase that for me again please or say it again. What did Pat tell me? Q. Yes. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Hearsay. THE WITNESS: Well, Pat told me  .... [PROSECUTOR]: State of mind of the witness. THE COURT: Overruled. THE WITNESS: Pat told me that, uh, I was supposed to get hit. She asked me not to take Donna's daughter to Sacramento because I was supposed to be swimming in the river. Be set to be  I was being set up to go swimming in the river. [PROSECUTOR]: And by swimming in the river that meant what? A. Sacramento. Q. Swimming or floating? A. Floating. Nobody brought up Pat's name. She asked everybody to keep her out of it. Or she was staying with Donna for awhile and didn't want to talk about much but more  well, she didn't want to say everything she knew because she didn't want to get involved. [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: This is all hearsay. This is beyond. THE COURT: The last volunteered answer will go out. Next question, Mr. [prosecutor]. [PROSECUTOR]: Mr. Guillory, did you ask to be a witness in this case? A. No, I did not. Q. Before the 4th of July 1989, was there any reason for you to provide some kind of damaging information against [defendant]? A. No. Q. Did you have any prior animosity towards him or any reason to do him wrong? A. No. Before he got out of jail I had never knew him. I really don't know him now, I didn't know him then. A. But before you talked to Officer Socorro Moreno on the 4th of July, was there anything about anything that you did know about [defendant] that would cause you to make any of this up  A. No. Q.  to make him look bad in some way? A. No. Q. How about the same thing with Donna Guthrie. Did you have any bad blood between you and Donna or her daughter to cause you to A. No. Q.  to do her or friends of hers wrong? A. No. Q. And the first time that you learned that [defendant] had put a contract out on your life was just before you testified at the preliminary hearing, is that right? A. Yes. [PROSECUTOR]: Thank you. Nothing further. THE WITNESS: Well, actually it was just after I testified, started to testify, and they called a recess. [PROSECUTOR]: Okay. You were in the middle of your testimony at the preliminary hearing in fact? A. Before I found out. Q. Then you were brought back to the District Attorney's Office and did Mr. Sjostrand indicate to you that that information was communicated to you based upon a conversation that he had had with Jacqueline Coghlan the night before? The night before the preliminary hearing? A. That's right Q. So it was told to you at that time a member of the District Attorney's Office learned  you learned about this information to eliminate you the night you were to testify? A. Yes, sir. Q. And you  you were told the next day? A. That's right. Q. And didn't make you very happy; did it? A. Didn't make me very happy with anybody. Q. And I take it those sentiments you carry with you today as well? Yes? A. Yes. [PROSECUTOR]: Nothing further. THE WITNESS: That and the fact I'm still being threatened. Thereafter, on recross-examination, by posing questions to Guillory, defense counsel probed the details of what Guillory had heard about the plot to kill him, asking whether Donna Guthrie, or her daughter Cindy, or another person was supposed to have performed the contract to kill him. In this regard, defense counsel read from a report authored by Inspector Sjostrand, to the effect that part of the set up to kill him [Guillory] was to have Cindy, Donna's daughter, tell him she had missed her bus in Richmond and needed a ride to Sacramento. She was to ask him to take her to Sacramento and he was supposed to go end up dead floating in the river somewhere along the way. Defense counsel asked Guillory whether he had provided this information to Sjostrand, to which Guillory responded: Not in so many words.