Opinion ID: 2584939
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of Threat to Kill Deputy Dikes

Text: (11) Defendant next asserts the trial court erred in admitting evidence of his prior threat to kill Deputy Dikes by shooting the deputy in the back of the head. There was no error in the admission of such evidence. As defendant concedes, this court's decision in People v. Rodriguez (1986) 42 Cal.3d 730 [230 Cal.Rptr. 667, 726 P.2d 113], specifically holds that a defendant's prior threats to kill a police officer may be admitted on the issue of intent when that defendant subsequently does kill a police officer. ( Id. at p. 757; see Evid. Code, § 1101.) The prior threat to kill a deputy by shooting him in the back of the head was manifestly admissible to show defendant's state of mind at the time he fatally shot Deputy Perrigo in the back of the head. ( Gutierrez, supra, 28 Cal.4th at p. 1138.) Evidence of the prior express threat to use force or violence was also properly admissible at the penalty phase as an aggravating circumstance under section 190.3, factor (b).