Opinion ID: 2625366
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Evidence of Defendant's Relationship with Yvonne Eder

Text: Defendant asserts the court erred in eliciting irrelevant evidence regarding his relationship with Yvonne Eder. Eder testified at the guilt phase regarding a prior offense in June 1988 when she was riding with defendant (known to her as Joe Reyna) and he was stopped by police who seized an automatic rifle from his car. On cross-examination, and over defendant's irrelevancy objection, the court itself elicited the fact that Eder was defendant's girlfriend. Neither court nor counsel asked further questions regarding the nature of the relationship. During penalty phase oral argument, the prosecutor asked rhetorically, and without defense objection, What was [defendant] doing while his wife and children were at home in Chino? He was dating Yvonne Eder. Defendant now claims the girlfriend evidence was irrelevant and prejudicial, indicating to the jury that defendant had a girlfriend while married. But the subject of Eder's relationship with defendant was relevant to explain her presence in the car when the gun was seized, to assist in establishing defendant's identity as Joe or Jose Reyna, and to aid the jury in evaluating Eder's testimony. In any event, in light of the other aggravating evidence in the case, any error in admitting Eder's unelaborated guilt phase statement was undoubtedly harmless to the defense.