Opinion ID: 1375029
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Claim of Error for Considering Probation Report

Text: Defendant also asserts that the court improperly relied on the probation report in ruling on his motion to modify the verdict. The result, in his view, violated state law and the Fifth Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination, presumably as applied to the states under the Fourteenth Amendment. The court erred when, as it apparently did, it considered the report. ( People v. Wader, supra, 5 Cal.4th 610, 665-666.) But even if it did so, it is apparent from the record that [the report] played no role whatsoever in the court's decision ( People v. Fierro, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 253)  `we must assume that the court was not improperly influenced' thereby ( People v. Berryman, supra, 6 Cal.4th at p. 1106). Defendant argues otherwise, mentioning the court's comment about his habitual obduracy, but he does not cite any part of the report that might support his assertion. There was no prejudicial violation of state law or of the Fifth or Fourteenth Amendments. ( Ibid. )