Opinion ID: 2587254
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of defendant's statements to the police

Text: Defendant contends that the judgment imposing the death penalty must be reversed because the prosecution's evidence and argument included references to defendant's extrajudicial statements to Officer Baroni. During cross-examination of defendant, the prosecutor inquired why defendant had told the officer he worked for Volt Temporary Services for nine years when actually he had worked for that company less than two weeks. Defendant responded that the officer had misunderstood him. During closing argument the prosecutor referred to defendant's statements to the police to illustrate that defendant lied to the police and failed to take responsibility for his actions. The jury was instructed to take account of all the evidence, which would include defendant's statements to the police presented at the guilt phase. As discussed above ( ante, 108 Cal. Rptr.2d at pp. 341-344, 25 P.3d at pp. 561-564), we have determined that defendant's statements to the officers properly were admitted at the guilt phase. Accordingly, the prosecution also was entitled to refer to them at the penalty phase. In any event, there is no reasonable possibility that the statements contributed to the penalty phase verdict. Defendant's statements merely were noted in order to emphasize his tendency to prevaricate. In view of the quantity of other evidence presented at the penalty phase demonstrating defendant's tendency to lie, as well as to commit more serious misconduct, there is no reasonable possibility that had the jury not considered that evidence, it would have rendered a different penalty verdict.