Opinion ID: 1394991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Unanimous Agreement

Text: In a related argument, defendant urges us to adopt the rule that the jury must be instructed not to consider evidence of other crimes unless it unanimously agreed that the prosecution met its burden of proof on such crimes. In so asserting, defendant misunderstands the penalty determination process. Section 190.3 provides that a jury may consider a number of factors in determining the appropriate penalty. To impose a penalty of death, each juror must evaluate the evidence and then unanimously determine that the aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors. There is no requirement that the jury agree on which factors were used to reach the decision. It is therefore unnecessary that the entire jury find the prosecutor met his burden of proof on the other crimes evidence before a single juror may consider this evidence. Moreover, as we previously indicated, the Robertson rule is statutorily based and serves a foundational purpose. Generally, unanimous agreement is not required on a foundational matter. Instead, jury unanimity is mandated only on a final verdict or special finding. A defendant is, of course, entitled to a unanimous jury verdict in the final determination as to penalty. The jury here was so instructed. (See People v. Ghent, supra, 43 Cal.3d at p. 739.) We also reject defendant's contention that the trial court erred in failing to instruct sua sponte on the elements of murder applicable to the Hosey stabbing. We recently held that a trial court has no duty to instruct on the elements of the other crimes introduced at the penalty phase unless it is requested to do so by the defendant. ( People v. Phillips, supra, 41 Cal.3d at p. 72, fn. 25; People v. Davenport (1985) 41 Cal.3d 247, 281-282 [221 Cal. Rptr. 794, 710 P.2d 861].) Defendant made no such request.