Opinion ID: 1436322
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Marin Trailside Murder Case

Text: In a separate action, the one underlying this appeal, the People charged Carpenter with the following offenses committed in Marin County in the fall of 1980: (1) the murder of Cynthia Toshiko Moreland with personal use of a firearm; (2) the murder of Richard Edward Stowers with personal use of a firearm; (3) the murder of Anne Evelyn Alderson under the special circumstance of rape murder and with personal use of a firearm; (4) the rape of Alderson with personal use of a firearm; (5) the murder of Diane Marie O'Connell under the special circumstance of rape murder and with personal use of a firearm; (6) the attempted rape of O'Connell with personal use of a firearm; (7) the murder of Shauna Catherine May under the special circumstance of rape murder and with personal use of a firearm; and (8) the rape of May with personal use of a firearm. The special circumstance of multiple murder was also charged. Carpenter pleaded not guilty. After the trial for the Santa Cruz crimes, and following a change of venue because of pretrial publicity, jury trial in this case commenced in San Diego Superior Court. Prior to trial, the court ruled on the admissibility of evidence of the Santa Cruz Trailside Murders. Both parties theorized that the same person committed both sets of crimes; the issue at trial was whether that person was Carpenter. For the guilt phase, the court permitted evidence of the facts underlying these offenses except those against Scaggs; it excluded the latter as, inter alia, substantially more prejudicial than probative under Evidence Code section 352. For the penalty phase, it permitted evidence of the facts underlying all the offenses. For both phases, it barred evidence of Carpenter's convictions and death sentences as substantially more prejudicial than probative. Throughout jury selection and trial, the court continually admonished the prospective jurors and then jury, in accordance with Penal Code section 1122, that it [was] their duty not to converse among themselves or with anyone else on any subject connected with the trial, or to form or express any opinion thereon until the cause [was] finally submitted to them, and to avoid publicity relating to the case. It admonished them to immediately advise any person attempting to discuss the case with them that they could not do so, and to immediately report the matter if such person should persist. Barbara Durham was selected as one of the 12 jurors, and became the foreperson. On voir dire, she stated that she had not heard of the Trailside Murders. She and the other 11 jurors evidently swore, in conformity with the oath prescribed by statute, that she would well and truly try the cause and a true verdict render according to the evidence. (Code Civ. Proc., former § 604, enacted 1872, repealed Stats. 1988, ch. 1245, § 7, p. 4155; accord, id., § 232, subd. (b).) During the guilt phase, evidence of the facts underlying the Santa Cruz crimes, except the Scaggs offenses, featured prominently, but evidence of the verdicts was not presented. The jury found Carpenter guilty on all charges, with the murders in the first degree, and found each of the allegations true. During the penalty phase, evidence of the facts underlying the Santa Cruz crimes, including the Scaggs offenses, but not the verdicts, was introduced. The jury returned a verdict of death, and the superior court imposed that sentence. Carpenter's automatic appeal is pending in this court.