Opinion ID: 1199062
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Trial Court's Refusal to Have the Jury See Sandra B.

Text: During the prosecution's case-in-chief, the trial court allowed the defense to call Sandra B. as a witness out of order. After Sandra's assertion of the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination outside the jury's presence, the defense requested that the court permit the jury to see Sandra. The prosecution objected on the ground of lack of relevancy. The defense countered that it was relevant to the issue of whether in their relationship defendant or Sandra was the dominant personality and thus in control of any particular incidents. The trial court denied defendant's request without prejudice to it being renewed during the defense case upon a showing of justification. Defendant did not renew the request. (12) The trial court did not abuse its discretion in provisionally denying defendant's request that the jury view Sandra B. (See People v. Gordon, supra, 50 Cal.3d at p. 1239.) The request was made during the prosecution's case-in-chief and before the defense introduced expert testimony that Sandra rather than defendant was the dominant personality in their relationship. The trial court expressly denied the request without prejudice to its being later renewed, thus allowing the defense to again raise the issue at a later time. Even if it were erroneous, the trial court's ruling did not prejudice defendant. The relative physical strength of defendant and Sandra B. was not a critical issue. At the time of his death, James was 45 inches tall and weighed 45 pounds. There is no question that either defendant or Sandra possessed physical strength sufficient to have killed the child. To the extent a jury view of Sandra was relevant at all, it related to defendant's assertion that Sandra was the dominant personality in their relationship. No evidence was presented at trial that the relative physical size or strength of persons is determinative of control. In addition, in the opinion of Dr. Craig Rath, a clinical licensed psychologist called as a witness by the defendant, Sandra rather than defendant was the dominant personality in the relationship. Under these circumstances, the probative value of having Sandra appear before the jury was minimal.