Opinion ID: 2546413
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Barrios's Admission of Perjury

Text: The prosecutor proposed to have Jude Barrios testify she perjured herself when, in defendant's earlier trial for the Sun Valley swap meet robbery, she provided him with an alibi. Defendant objected, claiming lack of relevance. The court overruled the objection, noting that [a] witness's credibility is always in issue. Barrios thereafter testified that she had provided defendant with an alibi, that she had lied when she did so, and that she and defendant had discussed her testimony in the prior case before she testified. She had committed perjury because she loved him and thought she could help him. Defendant admits evidence of a witness's credibility is generally admissible, but contends the real purpose for the prosecutor's eliciting this evidence was to prejudice the defendant by showing his involvement in another crime โ aiding and abetting perjury โ and attack his character. (See Evid.Code, ง 1101.) He did not object on this ground and therefore forfeited the issue for appeal. Even had he preserved the claim, it lacks merit. As noted, ante, the trial court admitted evidence of defendant's role in the earlier Sun Valley swap meet robbery. Barrios's testimony, especially that she had discussed with defendant what she should say when testifying to provide him a false alibi, was relevant to show defendant's consciousness of guilt for that crime. This evidence was clearly relevant for that purpose and therefore properly admitted.