Opinion ID: 4521869
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Recorded conversation of Mary Mercedes

Text: As previously noted, the defense intended to call Mary Mercedes as a witness to question her on whether she attempted to solicit Taboga’s husband to kill Pamela Fayed. Though there was some uncertainty whether the prosecution would offer Mercedes immunity in exchange for her testimony, Mercedes ultimately invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege against selfincrimination, and the court declared her unavailable as a witness. Based on Mercedes’s unavailability, the trial court permitted the defense to elicit hearsay testimony from Taboga that Mercedes had offered to pay Taboga’s husband, Kurt, $200,000 to kill Pamela. (See Evid. Code, § 1230.) After Taboga’s direct testimony, the prosecution informed the trial court it intended to introduce the out-of-court statement of Mercedes pursuant to Evidence Code section 1202. In a recorded conference call between Mercedes, Detective 62 PEOPLE v. FAYED Opinion of the Court by Chin, J. Abdul, and Prosecutor Jackson, Mercedes denied Taboga’s allegations. This telephone conversation took place on March 30, 2011, a month before Mercedes had asserted her Fifth Amendment privilege. Defense counsel objected, arguing in part that the prosecution “sprung” this evidence at the last minute and that they had not been given proper notice. The trial court, however, explained that “this is impeachment testimony, so they don’t have to give it to you in advance.” Defendant also claimed “fundamental unfairness” in being unable to cross-examine a witness whom, he asserted, the prosecution could have given immunity to prevent her unavailability. Rejecting defendant’s contention, the trial court found the tape admissible for purposes of impeachment. After substantially redacting the statement with input from both sides, the trial court admitted Mercedes’s statement into evidence. On appeal, defendant argues that even though this statement was used as impeachment evidence against Taboga, the prosecution sought admission of the tape itself as opposed to just using information on the tape; thus, defendant asserts, the tape constituted “real evidence” subject to timely disclosure under section 1054.1, subdivision (c). (See People v. Tillis (1998) 18 Cal.4th 284, 292-293; § 1054.7 [disclosure 30 days prior to trial generally required absent good cause].) Defendant maintains the trial court should have prohibited the tape’s admission as an authorized sanction under section 1054.5, subdivision (b). Even assuming that the tape constituted “real evidence” under section 1054.1, subdivision (c) that the prosecution thereby committed a discovery violation for failing to timely disclose it, and finally, that the trial court should have prohibited the presentation of this tape as a sanction, any error 63 PEOPLE v. FAYED Opinion of the Court by Chin, J. was harmless. (See People v. Verdugo (2010) 50 Cal.4th 263, 280.) Describing Taboga as his “star witness,” defendant argues that because the prosecution delayed disclosure of this tape, it “was able to launch a devastating counterattack at the end of trial,” one that “gutted” their defense. Defendant overstates his case. As noted, Taboga came forward with the information about Mercedes a month before trial began, even though her telephone conversation with Mercedes took place three years earlier in May 2008, several months before Pamela was murdered. As Taboga testified, she did not believe she had information that “could free” defendant but wanted to get “the information out because it needs to be heard.” On crossexamination, the prosecution pointedly questioned Taboga why she never told anyone about Mercedes’s purported solicitation to kill Pamela. Taboga explained that she did tell Pamela to “just watch herself and be careful” but admitted she never told Pamela about her conversation with Mercedes. Making only a brief reference to Mercedes’s denial in closing argument, the prosecution thoroughly discredited Taboga’s testimony, criticizing it as nonsensical and implausible. We find that any improper admission of Mercedes’s taped statement to impeach statements Taboga attributed to Mercedes to be harmless. Based on the overwhelming evidence of defendant’s guilt and in light of the discredited, implausible testimony of Taboga, we conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the error, if any, in allowing such impeachment, did not contribute to the verdict. (See People v. Pokovich (2006) 39 Cal.4th 1240, 1255.) 64 PEOPLE v. FAYED Opinion of the Court by Chin, J.