Opinion ID: 1442039
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Instruction On Crimes Against Ms. Coleman

Text: Ms. Coleman had testified that defendant had approached her and demanded money on February 5, 1985. When she said she had no money, defendant grabbed her, knocked her down, hit her in the nose and eye, and took money out of her pocket. She got up and walked quickly toward her home. Defendant followed and stabbed her in the stomach. In discussing the instructions to be given at the penalty phase, with reference to the Coleman incident, the prosecutor requested instructions on robbery, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. Assault with a deadly weapon was viewed as an alternative to attempted murder. The court instructed the jury as follows: Evidence has been introduced for the purpose of showing that the defendant has committed the following alleged criminal activity, which involve the express or implied use of force or violence or the threat of force or violence. One, a robbery of Wen Koang Lin on January 26, 1985, two, a robbery and assault with a deadly weapon or by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, and an attempted murder of Patricia Ann Coleman on February 5, 1985, three, a battery upon Lance Kegler on February 5, 1985. (12) Defendant argues that the court's instruction erroneously allowed the jury to view the Coleman episode as involving three crimes rather than two. We disagree. The instruction quoted above enumerated three incidents of criminal activity and thus it is difficult to conclude that the jury would have inflated the number of crimes. Moreover, even if we were to assume error in this regard, it was nonprejudicial. Coleman's testimony and description of the criminal acts was clear and unambiguous. We believe that this situation is similar to cases in which excessive multiple-murder special circumstances were alleged and found true by a jury. (See, e.g., People v. Odle (1988) 45 Cal.3d 386, 421-422 [247 Cal. Rptr. 137, 754 P.2d 184]; People v. Allen (1986) 42 Cal.3d 1222, 1281-1283 [232 Cal. Rptr. 849, 729 P.2d 115].) As in those cases there is no reasonable possibility that the arguably duplicate crimes affected the verdict since consideration of Coleman's testimony `did not permit consideration of any evidence that was not otherwise admissible and relevant to the penalty decision.' ( People v. Odle, supra, 45 Cal.3d at p. 422; People v. Allen, supra, 42 Cal.3d at p. 1281; see also People v. Brown, supra, 46 Cal.3d at p. 448.)