Opinion ID: 1359265
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence of Prior Juvenile Adjudications

Text: At the penalty phase, the prosecution introduced evidence that on November 6, 1977, defendant Champion was one of eight young men who robbed or attempted to rob three people at a Greyhound Bus Depot in West Covina, County of Los Angeles. The prosecution also introduced, over defendant Champion's objection, evidence that as a result of this episode he was charged in juvenile court with robbery, attempted robbery, and grand theft; that the charges were found true; and that he was made a ward of the court and placed in a camp. The prosecution also called Court Reporter Buelah Pugh, who read to the jury Jose Bustos's juvenile court testimony, in which he stated that a group of five males, including defendant Champion, had robbed and assaulted him. Court Reporter Pugh also testified that juvenile court proceedings are analogous to adult criminal proceedings, that the referees and commissioners who hear juvenile proceeding are, for all intents and purposes, the equivalent of judges, and that a finding of true is the equivalent in Juvenile Court of a finding of guilty in an adult court. (25) Defendant Champion makes two related contentions regarding this evidence. First, Champion argues that the prosecution was not entitled to use the facts surrounding the robberies as evidence in aggravation at the penalty phase of his capital case. He is wrong. At the penalty phase of a capital case, the prosecution may show criminal activity by the defendant which involved the use or attempted use of force or violence.... (§ 190.3, factor (b).) Champion concedes that the robbery at the West Covina bus station and the assault and robbery of Jose Bustos each involved the use or attempted use of force or violence, but argues that they did not involve criminal activity because he was a minor when the violent activity occurred. We have rejected a similar contention on several occasions ( People v. Lucky (1988) 45 Cal.3d 259, 295 [247 Cal. Rptr. 1, 753 P.2d 1052]; People v. Cox, supra, 53 Cal.3d at p. 688; People v. Burton (1989) 48 Cal.3d 843, 862 [258 Cal. Rptr. 184, 771 P.2d 1270]). Next, defendant Champion asserts that the trial court erred when it admitted evidence that juvenile court allegations against Champion arising out of the robbery at the bus station were found true. We agree. As we explained in People v. Cox, supra, 53 Cal.3d at page 689: `It is not the [juvenile] adjudication, but the conduct itself, which is relevant.' [Citations.] Accordingly,... evidence of a wardship adjudication is inadmissible .... Defendant Champion further contends that the erroneous admission of the juvenile adjudications requires reversal of the judgment of death. He asserts that the prejudicial effect of the adjudications was compounded when the prosecutor elicited testimony from Court Reporter Pugh that juvenile proceedings are analogous to criminal trials of adults. He also notes that during its deliberations, the jury asked to see the file ... regarding West Covina holdup charges. (The trial court denied the request.) We do not agree that the error was prejudicial. The prosecution also introduced evidence of the facts surrounding the robberies; as explained above, the jury could properly consider this evidence in aggravation as part of its penalty deliberations. Although the juvenile adjudications arguably provided the jury with additional evidence that defendant Champion actually committed those robberies, his participation in the robberies was undisputed. There is no reasonable possibility that the evidence of the juvenile adjudications could have affected the jury's penalty verdict in this case.