Opinion ID: 1309215
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Failure to Instruct on Distrust of Informants' Testimony

Text: (10) Defendant next contends that the trial court committed reversible error in failing to instruct sua sponte that the testimony of jailhouse informants should be viewed with distrust. We rejected a similar argument in People v. Alcala, supra, 36 Cal.3d at pp. 623-624, holding that the testimony of an informant need not be corroborated, thereby rejecting the argument that an informant is analogous to an accomplice, and is equally likely to give false or biased testimony. We observed that, but for certain specified testimony, an interested witness' `entitle[ment] to full credit' under [Evidence Code] section 411 is a matter for the trier of fact. [Citations.] ... The exception for accomplice testimony ... arises from the accomplice's overwhelming motive to shift blame to defendant.... Whatever consideration a jailhouse informant may expect for testifying, the direct, compelling motive to lie is absent. ( Ibid. ) No California case has imposed a sua sponte duty to give cautionary instructions as to the testimony of an informant. Two decisions have discussed whether such an instruction should be given on defendant's request. ( People v. Castro (1979) 99 Cal. App.3d 191 [160 Cal. Rptr. 156]; People v. Barnett (1976) 54 Cal. App.3d 1046 [127 Cal. Rptr. 88].) Both cases held that the trial court's rejection of the proffered instruction was at most harmless error, as the informant's testimony was not the sole basis for the conviction ( Castro ) or was amply corroborated ( Barnett ). Similarly, all but one of the federal cases which discuss the point involved instructions requested by the defendant. (See United States v. Patterson (9th Cir.1981) 648 F.2d 625; Guam v. Dela Rosa (9th Cir.1981) 644 F.2d 1257; United States v. Swiderski (2d Cir.1976) 539 F.2d 854; United States v. Kinnard (1972) 150 App.D.C. [465 F.2d 566]; Fletcher v. United States (1946) 81 App.D.C. [158 F.2d 321]; but see United States v. Garcia (5th Cir.1976) 528 F.2d 580 [reversal where conviction based entirely on informer's uncorroborated testimony].) Based on the Alcala rationale previously discussed, and the paucity of authority supporting defendant's position, we conclude that the trial judge had no duty to give sua sponte cautionary instructions regarding an informant's testimony.