Opinion ID: 1195356
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claims relating to the penalty verdict

Text: i. With respect to defendant's contention that the jury's penalty phase deliberations were tainted by the same juror's inability to deliberate and follow instructions, and that the court erred in failing to examine the juror regarding his or her capacity and in permitting the juror to continue to serve, as we have noted after the court examined the jury foreperson under oath, defense counsel concluded from some of the foreperson's statements that the juror who assertedly was unable to deliberate in fact was a holdout juror who was the sole supporter of a sentence less than death. The prosecutor sought further examination and asserted the juror should be excused, but defense counsel vigorously opposed the prosecutor's request on the ground that there was no indication the juror was unable to follow the law, and that further examination could coerce the holdout juror to go along with the majority and vote for a sentence of death. Under the circumstances recited above, we agree with respondent that any claim of error is waived. (See People v. Burgener (1986) 41 Cal.3d 505, 521, 224 Cal.Rptr. 112, 714 P.2d 1251, disapproved on another point in People v. Reyes (1998) 19 Cal.4th 743, 80 Cal. Rptr.2d 734, 968 P.2d 445 [the defendant may not challenge the verdict on appeal on the ground the court conducted an insufficient inquiry of a juror said to be unable to deliberate, when he objected at trial on tactical grounds to examination of the juror]; see also People v. Wisely (1990) 224 Cal.App.3d 939, 947-948, 274 Cal.Rptr. 291 [claim of jury misconduct may be waived for failure to object below].) ii. Defendant next contends that jurors were prejudiced by inflammatory publicity regarding defendant that was disseminated during the penalty phase, that the court failed to conduct an adequate inquiry into the possibility that jurors were affected by the publicity, and that the court erred in failing to discharge Juror Ad., who had heard other jurors mention the publicity and who showed distress upon learning that those jurors had been discharged from the jury. Defendant also contends the court erred in refusing to instruct the jury as a whole that the information contained in the news reports was false. During penalty phase deliberations, news accounts were published in the local media regarding allegations that defendant's wife possessed a list of persons whom defendant wanted killed in retaliation for their participation in the prosecution of defendant. Defendant brought these reports to the attention of the court and urged that the jury's deliberations had been tainted by them. He contended that any juror who was exposed to this publicity should be discharged. He later made a motion for mistrial on the basis of the assertedly prejudicial publicity. The court separately examined each member of the jury under oath, including the three alternates, to determine whether the jurors had been exposed to the publicity or had heard other persons, including other jurors, mention it. The court also admonished the jurors to refrain from reading or listening to any news reports and from listening to any discussion of the case among other persons. Upon examination, it appeared that six of the jurors had heard nothing, four jurors and two alternates had heard that there had been news reports about the case but were not aware of their content, and three jurors  including one alternate  had heard something about the content of the news reports. Of these three, one juror and one alternate were discharged. The jurors who were discharged had more than passing knowledge of the content of the news reports, and one of them had lied about his exposure to the publicity. The last of the three, Juror Ad., was not discharged. He had not been exposed to news reports himself but had been exposed to them involuntarily by the two jurors who had been discharged. He had heard very little regarding the content of the news reports, had cut off the conversation in which the matter was discussed among the jurors, and stated that he could be fair to defendant and would not be affected by the publicity. The trial court commented that it found him credible and conscientious. This juror was the only one who was not specifically readmonished to avoid exposure to publicity, but during the court's inquiry he demonstrated awareness of his duty to do so. The court instructed the juror that the content of the news reports was false, and the juror appeared to accept this statement with some relief. This juror also appeared to be distressed that the other two jurors with whom he had spoken of the matter had been excused, but after inquiry by the court and a period of reflection concluded that he could be fair, nonetheless. No error appears in the trial court's determination that only the two jurors should be discharged because of their exposure to prejudicial publicity. It is settled that it is misconduct for a juror to read or listen to news accounts relating to the case in which he or she is serving. ( People v. Hernandez (1988) 47 Cal.3d 315, 338, 253 Cal.Rptr. 199, 763 P.2d 1289.) In the present case, the court examined each juror and conducted a clearly adequate inquiry into whether and to what extent the jury as a whole may have been affected and whether there was good cause to discharge any of the jurors. ( Ibid.; see also People v. Burgener, supra, 41 Cal.3d at pp. 519-520, 224 Cal.Rptr. 112, 714 P.2d 1251 [once on sufficient notice that a juror may be subject to improper influence, the court is to make such inquiry as appears reasonably necessary to determine whether the juror should be discharged].) Persons with detailed knowledge of the contents of the news reports were discharged; the remaining juror who had any idea of the content of the news reports knew very little, asserted that he could be fair to defendant and that the publicity would not affect him, seemed relieved when informed that the content of the news reports was false, and appeared to the court to be particularly conscientious. We accept the trial court's credibility determinations and findings on questions of historical fact if supported by substantial evidence. ( People v. Nesler (1997) 16 Cal.4th 561, 582, 66 Cal.Rptr.2d 454, 941 P.2d 87.) We see no substantial likelihood that Juror Ad., or any of the other jurors who became aware that publicity existed, were actually biased, that is, unable to put aside [their] impressions or opinions based upon the extrajudicial information [they] received and render a verdict based solely upon the evidence received at trial. ( Id. at p. 583, 66 Cal.Rptr.2d 454, 941 P.2d 87.) We conclude that no error appears in the court's decision not to discharge additional jurors, and that the presumption of prejudice arising from the jurors' inadvertent exposure to publicity was rebutted. (See People v. Cummings, supra, 4 Cal.4th at p. 1332, 18 Cal.Rptr.2d 796, 850 P.2d 1.) In addition, the court was under no obligation to inform the remainder of the jurors, who were unaware of the content of the news reports, that the reports were false, nor would such an instruction have benefited defendant in view of the jurors' ignorance. Defendant asserts that shortly after the court concluded its inquiry regarding juror exposure to publicity, there was an additional news report regarding the payment of $65,000 to counsel under shady circumstances, and asserts that the court should have acceded to counsel's request that jurors be examined regarding their possible exposure to this report. No error appears in the court's refusal to conduct further inquiry, because there was no indication the news report had come to the jury's attention, the court was aware that the remaining jurors had obeyed the court's earlier admonition to avoid exposure to publicity, and the jury very recently had been reminded of its obligation to avoid exposure to news reports regarding the case. We may assume that the jurors paid particular attention to this admonition because two of their number had been discharged for failing to obey the admonition, even after months of service on the jury. Finally, defendant claims cumulative prejudice arising from errors during penalty phase deliberations, but no errors have been established that demonstrate cumulative prejudice to defendant, and we reject this contention.