Opinion ID: 2519644
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Closing arguments and jury verdict

Text: In closing argument, each side asserted that the evidence supporting its witnesses' version of the incident was more credible. The prosecutor argued that the evidence clearly demonstrated that defendant, by his verbal expletives and threats in the holding cell, willfully had attempted to prevent Sergeant Holm from performing a duty imposed by law, and that defendant also was guilty of willfully resisting an officer with resulting great bodily injury even though Sergeant Holm's injury (the fracture of his finger) resulted directly from Holm's own action in striking defendant's head with his fist, because defendant's willful resistance to the officers' attempt to move him to another cell was a but for cause of Holm's injury. In response, defense counsel argued that Sergeant Holm's testimony that he decided to enter the holding cell in order to prevent defendant from injuring himself was not credible, and that it was more reasonable to believe, as defendant testified, that Holm decided to enter the cell in response to defendant's loud and abusive comments in order to quiet him down, that defendant lunged forward and to the floor to protect himself from the anticipated use of force by the officers, and that it was only after Holm had fractured his finger while using excessive force and striking defendant on the head that the officers, in order to justify Holm's action, came up with the explanation of entering the holding cell to protect defendant from injuring himself. After deliberation, the jury convicted defendant of violating Penal Code sections 69 (interfering with a peace officer in the performance of his or her duties) and 148.10, subdivision (a) (resisting a peace officer, resulting in serious bodily injury to the officer).
As noted, the issue before this court does not arise out of the facts of the underlying offenses, but rather concerns the trial court's ruling regarding the use of a stun belt at trial. On the first day of trial testimony, the two law enforcement officersMellon and Holmtestified for the prosecution, without apparent incident by defendant. On the morning of the second day of testimony, out of the presence of the jury, defense counsel informed the court that my client has now had an electronic belt put on him and this is making him very, very nervous and agitated. He's asked that that be taken off while he testifies. Because of its relevance to the proper application of the governing legal standard, we set forth at some length the subsequent exchange among defense counsel, the court, and defendant as disclosed by the record: [Defense counsel]: I explained to him that I didn't know till after he left the courtroom last night that an electronic belt was going to be used on him. I explained to him that the reason that they have decided to use it is because of security purposes, that the jail personnel and the bailiff believes that is necessary. Although he's been unshackled during this process, they feel that it's necessary in case he should erupt in the courtroom based on the past performance when he's erupted in the courthouse here. [¶] I've tried to explain to my client the reason for this. He wants to let the Court know that he is very nervous with that on. He's afraid somebody's going to push the button. He is guaranteeing to me he's not going to erupt in court. [¶] It's very uncomfortable to sit in it. I do know that it sticks out in the back of the shirt and it's hard to lean up againstit's right in the middle and there's no way he can lean up against the chair, and we're asking that the Court allow that to be removed while he is testifying. [The Court]: Well, Mr. Mar, I don't want to get into a lot of back and forth with you because I want to talk through your attorneyobviously that's the purpose of having attorneys represent folksbut I've heard some of the evidence in the case so far. [¶] I wasn't there in Taft when these events took place and that's what this trial is all about is to have the jury try to make a determination whether you had responsibility for the way things developed or whether the officers had responsibility for the way things developed or whether they can't figure it out or whatever, so that's what a jury trial is for. [¶] And obviously what the bailiffs and the guards or security people are concerned about is that you do something here in the courtroom when you're testifying which causes you to lose your self-control and do something that is not only in your worst interest for yourself, but causes them to have to respond in a situation where it's in nobody's best interest, specifically yours, in relationship to the trial, [¶] So the bailiff and the security people are concerned that for whatever reason you do have some strong emotions and you feel those emotionsthat's not unusualbut in your situation, because of what happened at Taft and because of an incident, I guess, that happened several well, a month or so ago in the courthouse in the transportation situation, you got crossways with somebody in the security detailand I don't know anything about that other than the fact that something did happenthat it's in everybody's best interest to make sure that nothing like that happens in the courtroom during the trial in front of the jury, so I think it's in your best interest to have that there to kind of keep you with a frame of mind that hey, I don't want to do anything that's going to be a problem for me. [¶] So I think the bailiff and the security people have thought that through and think it's probably in your best interest, as well as everybody else's, that you kind of keep in mind that this trial is very important to you, of course, and if anything happens to go wrong, it can't benefit you. [Defendant]: I realize that. [The Court]: As so I think probably it's my belief that we're all better off if that belt is on, and that gives you a little bit of a feelthat feel of a belt there will give you that feeling that hey, I've got to make sure that I don't get emotionally upset to the point where I do something I can't control, and that's what we're trying to avoid. [Defendant]: I don't have a problem. [The Court]: I think you're probably better off with it on. [Defendant]: I only want to make the point, sir.... [The Court]: Talk to your attorney, because she should represent you. I don't want you to say something.... [Counsel]: Mr. Mar is saying, your Honor, that yesterday, when both officers were here testifying that were involved in the charges in this case, that he did not erupt while they were on the stand, he did not do anything out of the ordinary in the courtroom, that he remained cool and calm. His hands were unshackled; his waist was unshackled. He did not even make any comments that were derogatory or anything, or erupt in the courtroom, [¶] He feels that putting the belt on him now is basically creating a difficult mind situation for him to be able to think clearly and be able to testify properly without having a breakdown of his strong emotions. [¶] He feels that if the belt were taken off, that he would not erupt in this courtroom or cause anything. He realizes this is a very important case to him, that he believes that his testimony is very important and necessary in this particular situation, that he would not erupt and cause any problems, and he's asking the Court to please consider and ask that the belt be removed while he's testifying. [¶] If the Court wants him to wear it before he gets on the stand to testify or after he testifies, he's agreeable to do that, but he's asking that it not be on so it won't impede his testimony. [The Court]: Well, we've got a little ways to go before we get to that point. I'll think about it, but I do want to observe, counsel, that yesterday, while your client did not say anything and did not do anything that caused the Court to need to warn him, nevertheless, I have noted throughout the proceedings your client does reflect very obviously his consternations, if that's the right word, concerning certain aspects of the evidence as it comes in. [¶] I'm not saying that he did anything that was said out loud or that the jury could hear anything he said, but I have watched and observed that he does reflect very easily if he's not in agreement with an aspect of the testimony or is strongly in disagreement with the testimony and watching him from time to time he does appear to reflect strong emotions and that's what I'm concerned about, but I'll defer till we get to the point and make a decision at that point. [Counsel]: Very well, your Honor. Thereafter, the trial resumed before the jury and the prosecution completed presenting its case-in-chief with the remainder of Sergeant Holm's testimony, again without any incident by defendant. Prior to the beginning of the presentation of the defense case, in the absence of the jury, defense counsel inquired: Would the Court reconsider this belt issue? The court responded: Well, I've thought about more of what we said earlier and also have this observation: Obviously there was extensive cross-examination by counsel of the last witness [Holm] and I think it's in Mr. Mar's best interest to make sure that he doesn't make a bad impression on the jurors as he testifies and, frankly, if he testifies as a reasonable person in light of the cross-examination of the last witness, it's by far and away in his best interest to testify as a reasonable person, without exhibiting any lapses in self-control, and I think the belt is his best insurance that he will come across with self-control, and I think, as a judicial officer, this is a case where, by virtue of the evidence so far, the defendant's self-control as a witness will be in his best interest to make sure that his side of the story is presented and anything that would cause him to exhibit a lack of self-control would be in the People's best interest, and so I think the belt's the best insurance that he has that he will comport himself appropriately in the courtroom, and I say this in light of the cross-examination of the last witness, [¶] I think the jurors understand that the situation that occurred on the date in question is not a clear-cut situation and I don't think Mr. Mar can afford to allow himself to exhibit any conduct or any activity as a witness that would perhaps undo part of what you accomplished by cross-examination, so I think in all fairness to him, given the volatility of some of the situations he's found himself in and how he's responded, the Court's of the opinion it's in his best interest, in the time that he is testifying and the remainder of the trial, that the belt remain on, so that's my decision. The trial continued, and defendant testified on his own behalf while wearing the stun belt. It is not explicitly apparent from the transcript of the proceedings what effect the stun belt had on the content of defendant's testimony or on his demeanor while testifying. The transcript does reflect, however, that on a number of occasions during his testimony, defendant became excited and apparently spoke very rapidly. At one point, the following exchange occurred between defense counsel and defendant: [Counsel:] Stop just a minute. You get a little excited; don't you, Mr. Mar? [Defendant]: Yeah, I do. [Counsel]: Have you ever testified before? [Defendant]: No. [Counsel]: Are you a little nervous? [Defendant]: Very. Nonetheless, defendant was able to testify at length to his version of the events. The stun belt was not activated either while defendant was testifying or at any other time during the trial.
As already noted, at the conclusion of the trial the jury returned a verdict finding defendant guilty of the crimes of interfering with a peace officer in the performance of his or her duties and of resisting a peace officer with resulting serious bodily injury to the officer. (Pen.Code, §§ 69, 148.10.) Thereafter, the trial court found true the allegations that defendant had suffered two prior serious felony convictions within the meaning of the Three Strikes law and had served a prior prison term, and it ultimately imposed a state prison sentence of 26 years to life. On appeal, defendant raised a number of claims, including the contention that the trial court committed reversible error in rejecting defendant's objection to being required to wear a stun belt while testifying at trial. In analyzing the stun belt issue, the Court of Appeal initially concluded that the general rules governing the use of physical restraints during trial, set forth in Duran, supra, 16 Cal.3d 282, 127 Cal.Rptr. 618, 545 P.2d 1322, apply to the use of a stun belt, disagreeing with an earlier Court of Appeal decision in People v. Garcia (1997) 56 Cal.App.4th 1349, 66 Cal. Rptr.2d 350 ( Garcia ) that held the use of a stun belt could be justified on a basis less demanding than the one required by Duran, because such a belt normally is not visible to the jury. The Court of Appeal in the present case went on, however, to conclude that even under Duran's more stringent standard, the record here supported the use of a stun belt, and thus the court found that the trial court had not erred in overruling defendant's objection to its use. The Court of Appeal also rejected defendant's additional contentions and accordingly affirmed his convictions. We granted review and limited the issues to be briefed and argued to those relating to the use of the stun belt.