Opinion ID: 2600470
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Refusal to Remove Sunglasses

Text: Defendant asserts that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that it could consider whether defendant's refusal to remove his sunglasses as ordered by the court so that a witness could identify him showed a consciousness of guilt. Defendant asserts that this error undermined his defense in violation of his right, inter alia, to fair trial, effective assistance of counsel, due process and fundamental fairness under the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. During his testimony regarding the murder of Tsai Lian Yu, eyewitness Jorge Gallegos identified defendant, but added the observation, he's just a little different, explaining, his hair is just a little longer. On cross-examination, the following exchange occurred: [Defense Counsel]: ... the man at the trial looks different than the man you saw that night. A. Yes. Q. The hair, the dress? A. Yes; the hair, the clothing, the glasses. Q. Okay. He doesn't look the same as he looked that night? A. No, he does not look the same. Can he stand? The Court: Would you like him to stand? [Gallegos]: Yes, I would like to see his profile without glasses and also from behind. [Defense Counsel]: Your honor, he has already made an I.D. I think this is just The Court: Mr. Hernandez, you are making an issue of it. Mr. Ramirez, would you rise, please, take your glasses off and face my clerk. The Defendant: No. The Court: Very well. Thank you. The record will so reflect, the defendant has refused to stand, take his glasses off and face my clerk so that the profile could be seen by the witness. At the close of the guilt phase of the trial, the court instructed the jury, over defendant's objection, that defendant's refusal to stand and remove his sunglasses is not sufficient standing alone and by itself to establish the guilt of the defendant, but it is a fact which, if proved, may be considered by you in the light of all other facts in deciding whether defendant is guilty or not guilty. The weight to which such a circumstance is entitled and whether or not such conduct shows a consciousness of guilt are matters for your determination. The jury properly could infer that defendant's refusal to remove his sunglasses so that the witness could better identify him demonstrated a consciousness of guilt in the same manner as a defendant's refusal to provide a handwriting exemplar. `[T]he refusal of a defendant to provide an exemplar in violation of a court order is admissible evidence of the defendant's consciousness of guilt.' [Citations.] ( People v. Farnam (2002) 28 Cal.4th 107, 153, 121 Cal.Rptr.2d 106, 47 P.3d 988.) Citing our decision in People v. Hannon (1977) 19 Cal.3d 588, 138 Cal.Rptr. 885, 564 P.2d 1203, defendant argues that the trial court erred in failing to determine that the inference of consciousness of guilt was supported by sufficient evidence. Our decision in Hannon does not assist defendant. In that case, the trial court modified the standard jury instruction regarding consciousness of guilt to read, in part: `Now, evidence, if there was any in this case, that the defense attempted to suppress any evidence' could show a consciousness of guilt. ( Id. at p. 597, fn. 3, 138 Cal.Rptr. 885, 564 P.2d 1203.) We held that before the jury could be instructed that it could infer a consciousness of guilt, the trial court must determine as a matter of law whether there is evidence in the record which, if believed by the jury, will sufficiently support the suggested inference. ( Id. at p. 597, 138 Cal.Rptr. 885, 564 P.2d 1203.) This requirement is satisfied in the present case. Defendant refused to remove his sunglasses after being ordered to do so by the trial judge in open court. It is beyond question, therefore, that there is evidence in the record which, if believed by the jury, supports the inference that defendant's refusal indicates a consciousness of guilt. The trial court did not err in giving the challenged jury instruction.