Opinion ID: 1351343
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issues relating to pretrial motions

Text: On April 28, defendant, through Attorneys Jordan and Small, requested funds to conduct a public opinion survey to determine whether defendant could get a fair trial in Riverside County. In an in camera hearing, counsel pointed out the extensive media publicity during the days following the crime. Newspaper articles described the killer as a Black man in a wheelchair, who killed two policemen attempting to serve an arrest warrant. The articles recounted defendant's past criminal offenses, including many which would not be admissible until the penalty trial, if at all. Other articles described the SWAT team searches of neighborhoods where Daniels might have been hiding. One article said police were deluged with calls giving tips for investigation and offering to contribute to a memorial fund. People are really, really upset about it, said one officer; another described the tremendous community response. Newspapers printed numerous letters calling for the execution of the killer. Funeral services for the slain officers were attended by about 3,000 people. Publicity diminished after defendant's arrest, but resumed as trial approached. In March of 1983, about three months before trial, the school board debated a proposal to rename its football stadium for Officer Doty. A friend of Officer Trust formed a nonprofit organization to aid families of slain police officers. On May 18, the anniversary of the killing and one month before trial, the county unveiled a nine-foot statue to police officers killed in the line of duty. Although the statue commemorates all such officers, the publicity attending its unveiling referred largely to Officers Trust and Doty. It is located outside the courthouse where this case was tried. The court denied defendant's request for funds, saying that juror bias could best be determined at voir dire; the proof of the pudding, so to speak, is in the eating. Defendant petitioned for mandate in the Court of Appeal, which denied his petition on June 10. On May 31, defendant moved for change of venue, advancing essentially the same arguments as presented in camera at the April 28 hearing. The judge denied the motion, stating again that the voir dire would best determine whether defendant could receive a fair trial. Defendant again moved for change of venue when the jury was selected. The record shows that approximately 64 prospective jurors were examined. Most expressed some familiarity with the case. Of the jurors selected, four had no recollection of the incident. The others recalled that police officers were shot; some recalled that the suspect was a Black paraplegic; two remembered Daniels' name. All said unequivocally that they could set aside any impressions formed outside the courtroom and consider the evidence without prejudice. The trial court concluded that defendant had failed to show the necessity for a change of venue, and denied the motion.
(9a) Defendant planned to make a pretrial motion for change of venue, and requested funds to undertake a survey of community knowledge and attitudes about his trial. He contends that the trial court erred when it denied his request on the ground that jury voir dire was the best way to determine community attitudes. [11] (10) The motion for funds to undertake a community survey is one addressed to the discretion of the trial court. (See Lucero v. Superior Court (1981) 122 Cal. App.3d 484, 489-490 [176 Cal Rptr. 62].) The court, however, must exercise its discretion on the basis of such considerations as the cost and feasibility of the survey, and whether the results of such a survey would be of significant value in deciding a pretrial motion to change venue. It cannot refuse to exercise discretion on the theory that voir dire of the jury is a better method of assessing the need to change venue, as that reasoning would deny a defendant his right under section 987.9 to funds reasonably necessary to present his pretrial venue motion. (9b) We find, however, that defendant was not prejudiced by the court's ruling. As we explain later in this opinion (see, post, pp. 853-854), defendant did not exhaust his peremptory challenges or object to the jury as finally composed. We regard such inaction by defense counsel as a tacit acknowledgment that, regardless of community attitudes generally, the jury as finally selected was a fair and impartial body.
(11) In Maine v. Superior Court (1968) 68 Cal.2d 375, 383 [66 Cal. Rptr. 724, 438 P.2d 372], we held that `[a] motion for change of venue ... shall be granted whenever it is determined that because of the dissemination of potentially prejudicial material, there is a reasonable likelihood that in the absence of such relief, a fair trial cannot be had.' Upon appellate review of a ruling denying a change of venue, the reviewing court must independently examine the record and determine de novo whether a fair trial is or was obtainable. ( People v. Harris (1981) 28 Cal.3d 935, 948 [171 Cal. Rptr. 679, 623 P.2d 240].) The scope of review, however, differs depending upon whether the matter arises before or after trial. A significant difference between pretrial and posttrial review is that after conviction in determining whether a defendant received a fair and impartial trial under the `reasonable likelihood' standard, the review is retrospective. It extends to an examination of what actually occurred at the trial. ( People v. Martinez (1978) 82 Cal. App.3d 1, 13 [147 Cal. Rptr. 208].) In other words, voir dire may demonstrate that pretrial publicity had no prejudicial effect. ( People v. Harris, supra, 28 Cal.3d 935, 949.) (12) Drawing on People v. Salas (1972) 7 Cal.3d 812, 818 [103 Cal. Rptr. 431, 500 P.2d 7, 58 A.L.R.3d 832], Harris went on to specify the factors to be considered in evaluating a motion to change venue: the nature and gravity of the offense, the nature and extent of the news coverage, the size of the community, the status of the defendant in the community, and the popularity and prominence of the victim. (28 Cal.3d at p. 948.) (13) We examine the factors in the present case. (1) The offense, the murder of two police officers, is of course one of extreme seriousness and gravity, so this factor weighs in favor of a change of venue. (See Harris, supra, 28 Cal.3d at p. 948; Odle v. Superior Court (1982) 32 Cal.3d 932, 941 [187 Cal. Rptr. 455, 654 P.2d 225].) (2) The media coverage was extensive; although it diminished during the period after defendant's arrest, extensive coverage resumed during the period immediately preceding the trial. It did not bring to the public attention illegally seized evidence, or inadmissible confessions, but did recount prior criminal activity which would not be admissible at the guilt phase of the trial. (3) The community, Riverside County, has a population of over 600,000. In People v. Anderson (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1104, 1131 [240 Cal. Rptr. 585, 742 P.2d 1306], which also involved Riverside County, we characterized this as a neutral factor. (See also Odle, supra, 32 Cal.3d at pp. 938-939 [Contra Costa County, with very similar population].) (4) Defendant was a longtime resident of the county, but not a person of particular notoriety or status. (5) The victims were also local residents of no particular prominence, but became posthumous celebrities as a result of the media coverage of the murders. (See Odle, supra, 32 Cal.3d at pp. 940-941.) With respect to defendant's motion before jury selection, the case so closely resembles Odle v. Superior Court, supra, 32 Cal.3d 932, that Odle could be considered controlling. Odle was charged with the murder of a young woman. When police attempted to arrest him, a gunfight resulted in which one policeman was killed. The nature and extent of the publicity, the size of the county, and the status of defendant and the victims are all quite comparable. We concluded in Odle, supra, that the extensive publicity during the period following the crime was insufficient, either by itself or in combination with other factors, to establish a reasonable doubt that a fair trial could not be had. (32 Cal.3d at p. 943.) We added, however, that if voir dire revealed that the dissemination of potentially prejudicial material was more widespread than was anticipated, the court would have the opportunity to change venue at that time. ( Ibid. ) We reach the same conclusion here. [12]
(14a) As we have noted, the voir dire of the jury showed that most prospective jurors had heard or read of the crime. That fact, however, is not in itself sufficient to require a change of venue. (15) We explained in People v. Harris, supra, 28 Cal.3d 935, that `juror exposure to information about a state defendant's prior convictions or to news accounts of the crime with which he is charged alone [does not] presumptively deprive[] the defendant of due process.' (P. 949, quoting Murphy v. Florida (1975) 421 U.S. 794, 799 [44 L.Ed.2d 589, 594, 95 S.Ct. 2031].) `It is sufficient if the juror can lay aside his impression or opinion and render a verdict based on the evidence presented in court.' (28 Cal.3d at p. 750, quoting Irvin v. Dowd (1961) 366 U.S. 717, 723 [6 L.Ed.2d 751, 755-756, 81 S.Ct. 1639].) On the other hand, the fact that the jurors declared they could decide the case impartially on the evidence does not preclude the necessity of a change of venue. In People v. Williams (1989) 48 Cal.3d 1112 [259 Cal. Rptr. 473, 774 P.2d 146], we said that proof that over half the prospective jurors, and eight of the twelve ultimately seated, had heard of the case demonstrated the pervasiveness of the news coverage. (P. 1128.) Even though most jurors attested that they could render an impartial verdict, we concluded that the story of the crime had become so deeply embedded in the public consciousness that it was more than a reasonable possibility that the case could not be viewed with the requisite impartiality. (P. 1129.) (14b) We note points of similarity and difference with Williams. A greater percentage of prospective jurors had heard of the crime in this case than in Williams; with respect to those seated the proportion  eight of twelve  is identical. Thus it appears that the news coverage here was comparable in extent to that in Williams. On the other hand, the Williams case arose in a county of much smaller population. In Williams the jurors were not only familiar with the case, but two of them were personally acquainted with the district attorney. ( Williams, supra, 48 Cal.3d at p. 1130.) Finally, in this case, unlike Williams, defendant did not exhaust his peremptory challenges, using only 15 of 26 challenges. This last factor is decisive. In People v. Balderas (1985) 41 Cal.3d 144, 180 [222 Cal. Rptr. 184, 711 P.2d 480], we noted that defense counsel had used only 13 of 26 challenges, and concluded that this fact strongly indicated that the jurors were fair, and that the defense itself had so concluded. This reasoning draws support from language in People v. Coleman (1989) 48 Cal.3d 112, 136 [255 Cal. Rptr. 813, 768 P.2d 32], People v. Welch (1972) 8 Cal.3d 106, 114 [104 Cal. Rptr. 217, 501 P.2d 225], and People v. Sommerhalder (1973) 9 Cal.3d 290, 303 [107 Cal. Rptr. 289, 508 P.2d 289]. In the absence of some explanation for counsel's failure to utilize his remaining peremptory challenges, or any objection to the jury as finally composed, we conclude that counsel's inaction signifies his recognition that the jury as selected was fair and impartial.
Officer Bulf was one of the officers who arrested defendant for bank robbery, and probably the one who shot and crippled defendant. Prior to trial the defense moved to review any complaint within the past five years against Bulf relating to the use of deadly force. (See Evid. Code, § 1045.) The trial judge reviewed the officer's file in camera, and told defendant that the only complaint within the last five years was irrelevant because it did not involve any violence or threat of violence. Defense counsel asked if the complaint reflected on the officer's veracity. The court understood the question as relating to incidents involving the use of deadly force, the subject of counsel's motion, and replied, No sir. In the P-2 file, there is only one shooting incident within the last five years, and that is the shooting incident involving defendant. Defendant later discovered that the file included a complaint alleging that Officer Bulf filed a false and misleading police report in a case not involving the use of deadly force. (16) Defendant contends that although he only asked for complaints relating to violence, counsel's question on veracity showed that he was also interested in complaints relating to credibility, and the judge's statement misled him. Had the judge said there was a complaint that the officer filed a false and misleading report, the defendant would have sought and obtained discovery. Defendant fails, however, to show that he was prejudiced by the misunderstanding. He argues that proof of the shoot-out following the bank robbery was crucial to the prosecution's theory of the case. He does not, however, show that the complaint would have seriously undermined Officer Bulf's description of the facts, or that the prosecution could not have proved those facts through other witnesses. The details of the shoot-out, moreover, are not particularly important in this case; it seems undisputed that police officers shot defendant as he attempted to flee the robbery scene. Even if, as defendant suggests, they had less justification for shooting him than would appear from Officer Bulf's testimony, it does not appear reasonably probable that the verdict would have been any different.
(17) Police investigators found Renee Ross about 12:30 p.m., about four hours after Officers Doty and Trust were killed. Sergeant Ropac considered testing her hands for gunshot residue, but decided not to because her emotional state convinced him that she was not the killer, it was four hours after the shooting, and Ross had driven a car and handled various objects during that period. Maintaining that the police had failed to preserve exculpating evidence, the defense moved to dismiss the charges or for alternative sanctions. The trial court denied the motion. Under California v. Trombetta (1984) 467 U.S. 479 [81 L.Ed.2d 413, 104 S.Ct. 2528], the state's duty to preserve evidence is limited to evidence that might be expected to play a significant role in the suspect's defense. To meet this standard of constitutional materiality [citation], evidence must ... possess an exculpatory value that was apparent before the evidence was destroyed.... (Pp. 488-489.) Trombetta and other cases cited by defendant address a situation in which the police have destroyed evidence in their possession. The present case, however, is more analogous to People v. Hogan (1982) 31 Cal.3d 815 [183 Cal. Rptr. 817, 647 P.2d 93], in which the police failed to obtain fingernail scrapings from the victim. Hogan noted that the police duty to obtain exculpatory evidence is not as strong as its duty to preserve evidence already obtained. (P. 851.) We know of no authority that would require the police to obtain and preserve evidence under circumstances comparable to the present case. Defendant, however, fails even under the Trombetta standard. Assuming that a contemporaneous test of Ross's hands would have been reliable, there is nothing in the record to suggest the result would have been exculpatory. Defendant has never presented any evidence whatever suggesting that Renee Ross fired a gun. Thus defendant has not shown the existence of evidence of exculpatory value, or, for that matter, that any exculpatory value was apparent at the time to the officers who contacted Ross.