Opinion ID: 1433861
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Testimony of Patricia Islas

Text: After the killings, Ramirez went with defendant to the house of Patricia Islas, a friend who lived in Covina. Over a hearsay objection, Islas testified that when defendant left her house, Ramirez told her defendant had shot three men, including Huffstuttler, and described the shootings. The prosecutor argued Islas's testimony was a prior consistent statement necessary to rehabilitate Ramirez's testimony following cross-examination. The trial court overruled the objection on that basis. Evidence Code section 1236 authorizes the admission of hearsay if the statement is consistent with a witness's trial testimony and is offered in compliance with Evidence Code section 791. Evidence Code section 791 allows a prior consistent statement if offered after [a]n express or implied charge has been made that [the witness's] testimony at the hearing is recently fabricated or is influenced by bias or other improper motive, and the statement was made before the bias, motive for fabrication, or other improper motive is alleged to have arisen. ( Id., subd. (b).) The trial court correctly ruled Islas's testimony came within this exception. On cross-examination of Ramirez, defense counsel elicited testimony he had given his account of events implicating defendant in the killings only after he himself had been charged with two counts of murder and after he had spoken with his attorney. He was then released from custody and the charges were dropped. Impliedly, the defense was attempting to undermine Ramirez's credibility by suggesting his attorney had encouraged him to fabricate the accusations against defendant. Since the statements to Islas were made before that motive arose, they were properly admitted under Evidence Code section 1236. (See also People v. Ainsworth (1988) 45 Cal.3d 984, 1014, 248 Cal. Rptr. 568, 755 P.2d 1017.)