Opinion ID: 1199719
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Tape recording of van conversation.

Text: On March 23, 1982, Deputy William Wilson of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department, who was the chief investigating officer in the case, arranged for the activation of a concealed microphone and tape-recording device in the sheriff's van that was transporting defendant, Centers, and Handley from the jailhouse to the courthouse, in order to record any conversation among the three men. At the time of the recording, defendant had been charged with the crimes and counsel had been appointed for him. At trial, over an unsuccessful hearsay objection by defense counsel, the tape recording and a transcript of that recording were admitted into evidence, and a computer-enhanced version was played for the jury at the close of the prosecution's case-in-chief. The transcript of the tape recording reflects that, at the outset of the conversation, defendant complained to Centers about John Huntington's having turned him in. Centers remarked that he had buried Gary Huntington by telling the authorities Centers had purchased hot goods from Gary, including stereos, and that Gary had pick[ed] up the dope Friday night from Centers's apartment. Centers asked whether defendant had read the newspaper, and defendant responded that he had. Defendant then suggested that they fabricate a false story regarding their involvement in the crimes, proposing to tell the authorities they had hired two men to intimidate Chester into returning some dope they had fronted him, and when these men failed to reappear, the three codefendants had entered Chester's home and found his body. At this point in the conversation, Centers interjected: Yeah. But I ... I didn't even go into the house. (Ellipses in original.) Defendant replied, I know, and then complained that [Chester's] fuckin' old lady was in there all the time. Centers continued, apparently relating the substance of his interview with the authorities: Man, they keep on askin' me where was I in the house. I say, `Hey, man, I wasn't in that house. They just went up t[o],' you know, to get the money that was owed. And that's it, you know, as far as I know, to my knowledge.... And they wouldn't even believe me. They just kept on telling me, they says, `Well, we talked to Handley and he told us this, this and this.' Eventually defendant remarked that the authorities would discover his gun: They're going to find that fuckin' pistol, I'm sure. Centers inquired, Well, where's it at, and again asked, What'd you do with it. The following colloquy then ensued: [DEFENDANT:] I threw it away. I didn't bury it or nothin'.... It's been rained on. It might rust a little bit before they find it. [¶] [CENTERS:] I don't think they'll even find it. They aren't (INAUDIBLE) give up the search. They found Handley's. [¶] [DEFENDANT:] Well, it says in the papers they're still looking for a .22. [¶] [CENTERS:] Handley had a .22 also. [DEFENDANT:].22. Defendant reiterated the need for a false story, `[c]ause with it a robbery murder, we're just deader than a mother-fucker. We're going to do uh, life without possibility, some fuckin' thing, uh, get sixteen years out of the fuckin' thing. This way, all we did was hire them fuckers to go in and rough the guy up, they happen to kill him, and we burgle the house a little bit 'cause we.... The voice of Handley (who at that point evidently was present) inquired of defendant, Where your gun at?; defendant replied, My gun is still gone; Handley said, They found mine ..., and defendant replied, Yeah. Defendant ultimately warned his companions that, if I go, you guys are gonna' go because you already admitted you're accomplices of mine.