Opinion ID: 2608844
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of Writings Seized From Defendant's Cell

Text: (9) Defendant next contends the trial court erred in admitting certain writings seized [11] from his cell, and compounded the error by instructing that such writings could be considered as a circumstance tending to show consciousness of guilt. The contention is without merit. The evidence in question consisted of five yellow sheets of paper with writing on both sides. The pages had been removed from defendant's cell during a routine search for contraband. A forensic expert identified the handwriting as defendant's. The papers contain what appear to be fictional first person narratives scripted for Tina Topping, Marlin Lewis, and Christina Menchaca, describing the events surrounding the murder and attributing the killing to Marlin Lewis. During closing argument, the prosecutor referred to the writings twice, briefly, as scripts prepared by defendant to place blame for the killing on Marlin Lewis. The trial court instructed the jury, pursuant to CALJIC No. 2.04: If you find that a defendant attempted to persuade a witness to testify falsely or tried to fabricate evidence to be produced at trial, such attempt may be considered by you as a circumstance tending to show a consciousness of guilt. However, such attempt is not sufficient to prove guilt, and its weight and significance, if any, are matters for your determination. The People note that trial counsel failed to object to either the evidence or the prosecutor's argument concerning the evidence; accordingly, the issue is waived on appeal. ( People v. Sheldon, supra, 48 Cal.3d at p. 951; People v. Green (1980) 27 Cal.3d 1, 27 [164 Cal. Rptr 1, 609 P.2d 468].) [12] Moreover, defendant has not shown that the evidence was improperly admitted. Defendant contends the writings were inadmissible and the instruction was improper because the prosecution adduced no foundational evidence that defendant had attempted to persuade Marlin Lewis, Tina Topping or Christina Menchaca to testify in accordance with the fictionalized scenarios set forth in his notes. It is reasonable to infer, however, that defendant prepared the false scenarios precisely for this purpose. We conclude therefore that the trial court committed no error in admitting the writings. The cases cited by defendant, People v. Hannon (1977) 19 Cal.3d 588 [138 Cal. Rptr. 885, 564 P.2d 1203] and People v. Weiss (1958) 50 Cal.2d 535 [327 P.2d 527], are inapposite. These decisions were concerned with alleged efforts by third parties to suppress evidence at trial; because of the absence of evidence of authorization by the defendants, we held the instruction on fabrication to have been erroneous. ( People v. Hannon, supra, 19 Cal.3d at p. 599; People v. Weiss, supra, 50 Cal.2d at pp. 553-554.) No such third party issue was present here. Defendant also contends the unqualified reference to consciousness of guilt in CALJIC No. 2.04 was overbroad, as evidence of an attempt to fabricate evidence has no direct bearing on premeditation or deliberation. The jury was properly instructed, however, that the weight and significance, if any, to be accorded such evidence was for the jury's determination. We discern no reasonable probability the jury was misled into giving undue weight to the evidence in question.