Opinion ID: 2517672
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Prejudice at the Penalty Phase

Text: Our conclusion that petitioner was not prejudiced at the guilt phase by trial counsel's failure to investigate and present available evidence of Boyd's involvement in the murders does not end our inquiry; we must still determine whether Demby's failings prejudiced petitioner at the penalty phase. As we are now concerned exclusively with the penalty phase, we must address a threshold question raised by respondent: Would evidence suggesting Boyd was guilty of murdering Nancy and Mitchell Morgan have been admissible at the penalty phase of petitioner's trial? a. Admissibility of Boyd's Guilt at the Penalty Phase We have previously explained why evidence of Boyd's possible guilt of the murders did not fall outside the scope of our reference order in Hardy I. (See ante, at pt. IV.A.2.) In a related argument, respondent contends such evidence should not have been admitted at the hearing (or considered by the referee) because evidence of Boyd's possible guilt of the murders (not having been admitted at the guilt phase) would have been inadmissible at the penalty phase of petitioner's trial, and Demby's failure to offer it therefore could not have been deficient performance. Respondent raised this objection at the reference hearing, thus preserving it for our review. He also now takes exception to many of the referee's factual findings on this ground. We overrule respondent's exception because the referee correctly concluded petitioner's evidence of Boyd's culpability would have been admissible at the penalty phase. Evidence that Boyd was the actual killerand that petitioner was not present during the commission of the murders would have been admissible under factors (a), (j) and (k) of section 190.3 to show the circumstances of the crimes and allow the jury to consider whether petitioner's participation in the offenses, which rendered him legally culpable for the murders, also justified imposition of the harshest penalty. Because we find the evidence was admissible on these grounds, we express no opinion on respondent's assertion that the evidence was inadmissible under In re Gay (1998) 19 Cal.4th 771, 814, 80 Cal. Rptr.2d 765, 968 P.2d 476. [17] Having rejected respondent's argument that the referee erred in admitting evidence of Boyd's possible guilt of the murders at the hearing, we turn, finally, to the question whether Demby's deficient performance regarding the investigation and presentation of evidence of the Boyd connection prejudiced petitioner at the penalty phase. b. Prejudice Analysis We have determined Demby acted unreasonably in failing to investigate, discover and present evidence of Boyd's possible culpability in the murders. We have also determined that this evidence was reasonably available to Demby and that it would have been admissible at the penalty phase of petitioner's trial. The final piece to the puzzle is one of prejudice. In order for petitioner to obtain relief on the theory of ineffective assistance of trial counsel at the penalty phase, he must establish that he suffered prejudice as a result of Demby's-failures. Prejudice is established when `there is a reasonable probability that, absent the errors [of counsel], the sentencer ... would have concluded that the balance of aggravating and mitigating circumstances did not warrant death. [Citations.] As in the guilt phase, reasonable probability is defined as one that undermines confidence in the verdict.' ([ In re ] Marquez, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 606, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 727, 822 P.2d 435.) ( In re Gay, supra, 19 Cal.4th at p. 790, 80 Cal.Rptr.2d 765, 968 P.2d 476.) [18] In assessing prejudice [at the penalty phase], we reweigh the evidence in aggravation against the totality of available mitigating evidence. ( Wiggins v. Smith, supra, 539 U.S. at p. 534, 123 S.Ct. 2527.) As we explain, after engaging in reweighing the evidence, we conclude there is a reasonable probability the jury, had it heard the evidence indicating Boyd and not petitioner was most likely the person who actually killed the victims, would have voted for a life sentence instead of the penalty of death. The aggravating evidence against petitioner consisted of the circumstances of the offense, as presented in the guilt phase, and as augmented by three photographs of the victims that were not admitted at the guilt phase. In addition, the prosecution presented evidence of a prior incident involving petitioner that required law enforcement intervention: On August 6, 1980, Officers Hansen and Wicks responded to a report of a domestic disturbance. They found Hardy assuming a military marching pose holding a rifle. He appeared unaware of his surroundings. Although he complied with Hansen's request to put the rifle down, Hardy refused to move away from it. At Hansen's request, Hardy also removed two knives from his waistband and placed them next to the rifle. Hardy then produced a nunchaku[] and assumed a fighting stance. Although Officer Hansen directed Hardy to place the nunchaku on the ground, Hardy remained in a fighting stance for five or ten minutes. He eventually agreed to put down his nunchaku if Officer Wicks put down his service revolver. When Wicks complied, Hardy surrendered peacefully and explained he had just been in a family quarrel. The rifle was not loaded. Hardy later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of nunchakus and disturbing the peace; he was placed on probation. ( People v. Hardy, supra, 2 Cal.4th at pp. 126-127, 5 Cal.Rptr.2d 796, 825 P.2d 781.) Petitioner's mother testified to another incident, explaining she once called the police after petitioner punched his brother John and pulled a gold chain off John's neck. ( People v. Hardy, supra, 2 Cal.4th at p. 127, 5 Cal.Rptr.2d 796, 825 P.2d 781.) When petitioner realized his mother had called the police, he kicked down her door. ( Ibid.) His mother told police she was concerned petitioner had taken some PCP. Petitioner's showing in mitigation was meager. Carolyn Hardy, petitioner's mother, testified that the nunchaku [petitioner] brandished belonged to his other brother, Robert. She explained that Robert had told his family he intended to commit suicide but [petitioner] did not believe him. When Robert carried out his threat, [petitioner] blamed himself for Robert's death. The day after Robert's death, [petitioner] threw himself off a mountain, broke both his legs, and was bedridden for six months. Carolyn Hardy believed [petitioner] needed psychiatric help. ( People v. Hardy, supra, 2 Cal.4th at p. 127, 5 Cal.Rptr.2d 796, 825 P.2d 781.) In addition, Carolyn Hardy testified [petitioner] had participated in a program called Outward Bound, which involved camping and hiking in Colorado. He was chosen for the program because of his high scholastic potential. [Petitioner] presented no other affirmative mitigating evidence at the penalty phase. ( Ibid.) The prosecution's theory of the case was that petitioner was the actual perpetrator of the murders. The prosecutor argued Reilly did not stab the victims himself, that he went to the Morgans' home, but became horrified and left, waiting outside while the victims were killed by a confederate. By contrast, the prosecutor argued that petitioner personally stabbed both Nancy and Mitchell Morgan and then walked out of the house and calmly described the scene to Reilly. Demby's strategy at the penalty phase was to attempt to convince the jury that a lingering doubt existed as to petitioner's guilt. Indeed, the referee found Demby's sole penalty phase defense was lingering doubt. Thus, Demby argued: I have to respect [the jury's guilt judgment] even though personally I don't agree with it. I have doubts. [¶] The things that are bothering me, I am not certain if [petitioner] participated, if he did participate, what his participation was. Demby noted that when Reilly was arrested, Sportsman asked him about the night in question, whether Reilly had left the apartment and whether petitioner had taken part in the murder. As Demby recounted it, Reilly told Sportsman: Well, [petitioner] didn't know I left. He was too loaded. Demby continued: I guess that bothers me because I can't, because of that statement and others, I can't be certain that [petitioner] is the killer. [¶] I keep going back to the testimony and demeanor of Calvin Boyd because I honestly believe Calvin Boyd participated and that thought causes problems because what you are being asked to do is decide the fate of [petitioner], should he live or should he die. Die in the gas chamber or should he spend the rest of his life in prison. I am not talking about [being] certain beyond a reasonable doubt, but absolutely certain what [petitioner's] participation was. The jury was instructed and then retired to deliberate at 11:25 a.m. on September 22, 1983, being excused at 3:45 p.m. later that day. Deliberations continued all day on September 23, 1983, and resumed at 9:10 a.m. on Monday, September 26, 1983. The jury announced it had reached a verdict at 10:12 a.m. that same day. It thus appears the jury deliberated less than two days to decide both Reilly and petitioner deserved the death penalty. Petitioner has discovered considerable mitigating evidence that was not presented at his penalty phase, and this evidence forms the basis of his petition in Hardy I. But without considering this mitigating evidence, we conclude that, had the jury been aware that petitioner was likely not the actual killer, but merely participated in the conspiracy to kill for insurance proceeds, there is a reasonable probability the jury would have viewed the balance of aggravating and mitigating circumstances differently and concluded petitioner did not deserve the death penalty. ( In re Gay, supra, 19 Cal.4th at p. 790, 80 Cal. Rptr.2d 765, 968 P.2d 476.) He was young and had but a minor criminal record. He had experienced substantial emotional problems after his brother committed suicide and may have blamed himself for failing to take his brother's warnings seriously. He descended into despair and drug abuse, and conspired with Reilly, Morgan and others to kill the victims for money. This much the jury knew. But the jury operated under the understanding, fostered by the prosecutor's closing argument, that petitioner personally stabbed the victims. If that were true, petitioner's moral responsibility for the crimes would be at the zenith, with no coconspirator having greater culpability. That he killed more than one victim, that he killed a child, that he did so in such a brutal and horrific manner, that he did so simply for money and according to a preconceived plan, all these factors substantially aggravated the case and amply justified the jury's verdict that he should suffer the death penalty for his crimes. But if he did not kill anyone, if he merely conspired with Reilly and Morgan and Boyd, if he did not show up at the appointed hour, if he was lying passed out from drink and drugs that fateful night instead of stabbing a defenseless woman and child in the dark of night, the nature of his moral culpability is quite different. More to the point, the jury's weighing of the relative aggravating and mitigating factors would have been entirely different. Under the circumstances, Demby's unreasonable failure to discover and present evidence of Boyd's involvement so undermines our confidence in the penalty verdict ( In re Gay, supra, 19 Cal.4th at p. 790, 80 Cal.Rptr.2d 765, 968 P.2d 476; In re Marquez, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 606, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 727, 822 P.2d 435) that we conclude, after weighing the totality of the evidence ( Wiggins v. Smith, supra, 539 U.S. at p. 534, 123 S.Ct. 2527), that we must vacate the penalty judgment. [19]