Opinion ID: 1199062
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Parker v. Dugger

Text: In January 1991, the United States Supreme Court decided Parker v. Dugger (1991) 498 U.S. 308 [112 L.Ed.2d 812, 111 S.Ct. 731]. (53) Defendant contends that Parker compels the conclusion that the sentence given a codefendant must be admitted at the penalty phase and that our decisions to the contrary must be overruled. (See People v. Morris (1991) 53 Cal.3d 152, 225 [279 Cal. Rptr. 720, 807 P.2d 949]; People v. Carrera (1989) 49 Cal.3d 291, 343 [261 Cal. Rptr. 348, 777 P.2d 121]; People v. Belmontes, supra, 45 Cal.3d at pp. 810-813.) Defendant also argues that Parker compels acceptance of his arguments relating to Sandra B.'s assertion of the attorney-client privilege during cross-examination and the trial court's exclusion of evidence pertaining to Sandra's prior abuse of the children. Additionally, defendant asserts that Parker requires intercase proportionality review. Parker does not support any of defendant's contentions. In Parker v. Dugger, supra, 498 U.S. 308, a Florida jury convicted the defendant of two counts of first degree murder. At an advisory sentencing hearing, the defendant introduced, among other things, evidence that none of his accomplices had received the death penalty. The jury recommended that the defendant be sentenced to life imprisonment. But the trial judge, who under Florida law ultimately decides the sentence, overrode the jury's recommendation as to one of the murders and sentenced the defendant to death. The judge found six of the statutory aggravating circumstances present, but no statutory mitigating circumstances. The judge made no comment about nonstatutory mitigating evidence. The order, however, stated `[t]here are no mitigating circumstances that outweigh the aggravating circumstances.' ( Id. at p. ___ [112 L.Ed.2d at p. 820, 111 S.Ct. at p. 734].) The Florida Supreme Court held that the evidence was insufficient to support two of the aggravating circumstances, but nevertheless affirmed the judgment based on the erroneous conclusion that the trial court had found no mitigating circumstances. The United States Supreme Court reversed and remanded the case. The high court concluded that the trial judge did consider nonstatutory mitigating evidence. ( Parker v. Dugger, supra, 498 U.S. at p. ___ [112 L.Ed.2d at p. 824, 111 S.Ct. at p. 738].) It held that because the Florida Supreme Court had (1) mischaracterized the trial judge's decision as finding no mitigating circumstances (as opposed to finding that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstances) and (2) struck two of the trial court's aggravating circumstance findings, the Florida Supreme Court was required on review either to reweigh the evidence or to conduct a harmless error analysis. ( Id. at pp. ___ [112 L.Ed.2d at pp. 824-825, 111 S.Ct. at pp. 738-739.) The United States Supreme Court remanded the case with directions to the state to initiate appropriate proceedings to reconsider the defendant's death sentence in light of the record, the sentencing hearing, and the trial judge's findings. ( Id. at p. ___ [112 L.Ed.2d at p. 827, 111 S.Ct. at p. 740.) (53) Contrary to defendant's claim in this case, the high court in Parker v. Dugger, supra, 498 U.S. 308, did not hold that evidence of a codefendant's sentence must be introduced at trial as mitigating evidence or that a comparison between sentences given codefendants is required. In Florida, unlike California, a codefendant's sentence disposition is admissible. We specifically noted and rejected the Florida rule in People v. Belmontes, supra, 45 Cal.3d at pages 811-813. Nothing in Parker supports the conclusion that California is constitutionally required to adopt the Florida rule. Nor does Parker compel us to accept defendant's arguments concerning Sandra B.'s assertion of the attorney-client privilege or the exclusion of evidence of her prior abuse of the children. (54) Also not supported by a fair reading of the case is defendant's assertion that under Parker v. Dugger, supra, 498 U.S. 308, we must conclude that the trial court here erred in stating that it found no elements of mitigation in ruling on the automatic motion for modification of penalty. As discussed above, the high court's reversal in Parker was based on the Florida Supreme Court's failure to reweigh the evidence or to conduct a harmless error analysis. ( Id. at p. ___ [112 L.Ed.2d at p. 824, 111 S.Ct. at p. 738.) In this case, we have, in connection with the automatic motion for modification, conducted a harmless error analysis.
The misdemeanor convictions for endangering a child (counts 5 and 6) are reversed. In all other respects, the judgment is affirmed.