Opinion ID: 2508855
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Exclusion of Defense Guilt Phase Investigator

Text: During a recess following the testimony of one of defendant's sisters, the court remarked that Marilyn Mobert, who acted as defense investigator for guilt issues but not for the penalty phase, had been dabbing her eyes, look[ing] like she was crying during this testimony. Mobert stated she had not been crying but rather had gotten some mascara in her eye. The prosecutor represented that this is the second occurrence today in which . . . Ms. Mobert has been identified as . . . reacting to witness's testimony. The court agreed and, saying it was [n]ot going to take a chance any longer, ordered Mobert, over defense objection, to leave the courtroom for the rest of the day. Defendant contends the exclusion of Mobert deprived him of a public trial in violation of the Sixth Amendment to the federal Constitution and of what he characterizes as a right of capital defendants under the Eighth Amendment to the presence of friendly and sympathetic spectators in the audience to support them so the jury will not be influenced by what might be perceived as the defendant's negative nontestimonial demeanor. He concedes disruptive spectators may be excluded from the courtroom, but argues a constitutionally insufficient effort to ascertain the facts preceded the trial court's summary eviction of Mobert. We disagree that defendant was denied his constitutional rights. The temporary exclusion of a single spectator, intended to prevent potentially disruptive displays, did not constitute a cognizable deprivation of the public trial right. (See People v. Woodward (1992) 4 Cal.4th 376, 385, 14 Cal.Rptr.2d 434, 841 P.2d 954; People v. Hartman (1894) 103 Cal. 242, 244-245, 37 P. 153.) Nor, even assuming the Eighth Amendment has any application to this situation, was there anything to suggest defendant's demeanor could be significantly impacted by the exclusion of one sympathetic spectator. No constitutional error is apparent.