Opinion ID: 1349797
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sidney Storch

Text: (8) Storch was indicted in April 1991, apparently for perjury. [19] Petitioner asserts the People indicted Storch in order to intimidate him and prevent him from testifying. Exhibits appended to the People's briefs (and not objected to by petitioner), however, show that the People were not apprised that Storch was a possible witness until eight months after his indictment, when his name appeared, buried among one hundred and one other names in a list of petitioner's possible witnesses. Given this, it is difficult to discern in what way the prosecutor might have committed misconduct as that term is used in In re Martin, supra, 44 Cal.3d at page 31. In any event, the record reveals that petitioner's counsel, and not the People, are ultimately responsible for Storch's failure to testify. The record shows that Storch was in custody out of state, and was fighting extradition on his indictment. Petitioner's counsel failed to subpoena Storch (see Pen. Code, §§ 1334.4-1334.6 [Uniform Act to Secure the Attendance of Witnesses From Without the State in Criminal Cases]). His attempt to now blame the People for Storch's absence at the hearing is wholly unpersuasive.