Opinion ID: 2639471
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Absence of Defendant and Counsel from Readback of Testimony

Text: Defendant claims that he was denied due process of law because he was absent from the readback of testimony, which was a critical stage of the proceedings. This contention is without merit. We have repeatedly stated that the rereading of testimony is not a critical stage of the proceedings. (See, e.g., People v. Ayala (2000) 23 Cal.4th 225, 288, 96 Cal. Rptr.2d 682, 1 P.3d 3 ( Ayala ); People v. Horton (1995) 11 Cal.4th 1068, 1120, 47 Cal.Rptr.2d 516, 906 P.2d 478.) Moreover, defendant and his attorneys specifically waived their presence at the readback of testimony. Fisher v. Roe (9th Cir.2001) 263 F.3d 906, cited by defendant, is not on point. In contrast to the situation here, the defendant and his lawyer there were excluded from the readback of testimony without their consent. ( Id. at p. 916.)