Opinion ID: 1277356
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Introduction of the Evidence

Text: Prior to the giving of opening statements, the following colloquy ensued between the attorneys and the court (outside the jury's presence), regarding the photographic slides. Defense counsel: Your Honor, the first matter I think we should cover is that [the deputy district attorney] intends to use some slides during his opening presentation Monday, his opening statement, I went to his office yesterday, and spent, I guess, an hour and a half going over the slides, et cetera, with [him] and even seeing them  I mean not just going over them. I saw them projected on the wall, et cetera, et cetera. I find there is no slide there that I could object to. The court: In terms of being outrageously gross? Defense counsel: That's right. Under [Evidence Code section] 352, I could not say that they were more hurtful than beneficial to him or anything else. They portray factual reality. Some of them may not be what I would like to see, but I want to go on the record that I can't raise a single objection, and I would not if we were here and he was having to show them against the wall today. The court: I take it we don't have any autopsy picture where the body is cut open or anything like that. Defense counsel: No. The only picture we have  I mean  there is a picture of the body, of the deceased girl at the scene in about two or three positions, but one is as she was found, one as she is turned over, and one a little closer. There are footprint, tire print, pathway [slides]. The court: Immediately near the body? Defense counsel: Yes. The court: Okay. I agree with you then. I would in all likelihood  Defense counsel: In fact, I would say having seen a ton of pictures, these are as little inflammatory as possible to get the opening statement made. The court: All right. Defense counsel: So I cannot object about those, so I want that on the record so that when we start tomorrow, we'll understand. [¶] As we proceed, there may be a time when we have to have a brief [Evidence Code section] 402 hearing on other pictures, but as of this point, that's fine. The court: All right.... [¶] I might indicate for the record that I was advised that there was the intention  it was the intention of the District Attorney to use slides, and it seems to me the law is quite clear that slides can be used as part of an opening statement to illustrate the testimony.... [I]t's been my experience in this county that slides have been used on numerous occasions and other counties almost without exception at this point in time. Defense counsel: Yes, Your Honor. These are slides  this is a portrayal that the jury would see all of that in the form of introduced evidence. The court: All right. Defense counsel: So there is no objection as to the slide show that we will be subjected to Monday morning on the 11th. The prosecutor thereafter displayed the slides during his opening statement. The defense did not lodge an objection. During the prosecution's case-in-chief, the slides were shown in the course of the testimony given by Riverside County Detective Michael Lackie. Again, the defense did not lodge an objection. When the prosecutor subsequently moved that the slides be introduced into evidence, defense counsel interjected: Well, I object to all of them but I don't have any grounds for them, so let them have their slide show. During Detective Lackie's testimony, the prosecutor offered to play the videotape, showing the route to the crime scene. The court asked defense counsel if he had any objection. Defense counsel responded in the negative, leading to the following colloquy. The court: Have you had a chance to review [the videotape]? Defense counsel: No, but we have talked about it, [the prosecutor] and I, and it's just a  The court: Demonstrative evidence? The prosecutor: `Yes, and the defense has been provided a copy of this video previously. Defense counsel: We talked about it, it's fine. The prosecutor thereafter played the videotape for the jury, while asking Detective Lackie certain questions regarding the scenes shown on the tape. The court admonished the jury that the infrequent bits of dialogue heard on the videotape  primarily, instructions to the cameraman  were not admitted for any evidentiary purpose and should be disregarded.