Opinion ID: 1206767
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Instruct on the Elements of the Other Crimes

Text: (16) Appellant argues that a logical and legal corollary of the rule that a reasonable doubt instruction must be given is a rule that the jury must be instructed on the elements of the alleged other crimes. Such a rule has been established in other jurisdictions. (E.g., Burger v. State (1980) 245 Ga. 458 [265 S.E.2d 796]; State v. Moore (Tenn. 1981) 614 S.W.2d 348, 351.) This argument was rejected by this court in People v. Tahl (1967) 65 Cal.2d 719, 736-738 [56 Cal. Rptr. 318, 423 P.2d 246], where we considered an earlier capital punishment scheme. (See also, People v. Nye (1969) 71 Cal.2d 356, 367 [78 Cal. Rptr. 467, 455 P.2d 395].) However, Tahl and Nye stand only for the proposition that a trial court has no sua sponte duty to instruct the jury as to the elements of all of the other crimes that have been introduced at the penalty phase. We recognize that a defendant, for tactical reasons, may not want the penalty phase instructions overloaded with a series of lengthy instructions on the elements of alleged other crimes because he may fear that such instructions could lead the jury to place undue emphasis on the other crimes rather than on the central question of whether he should live or die. ( People v. Phillips (1985) ante, pp. 29, 72, fn. 25 [222 Cal. Rptr. 127, 711 P.2d 423].) As we explained in Phillips, the cases do not prohibit a trial court from instructing on the elements of other crimes offered as aggravating factors in an appropriate case where either the defendant or the prosecution requests such instruction or the court itself determines such instruction is vital to a proper consideration of the evidence. ( Ibid; cf. People v. Robertson, supra, 33 Cal.3d at p. 53.) Normally, a defendant's failure to request instruction on the elements of the other-crimes aggravating evidence will preclude him from raising the issue on appeal ( People v. Phillips, supra, ante, at p. 72, fn. 25) and appellant's claim is thus not properly before us. On retrial of the penalty phase, however, he may wish to request such instruction or rely upon the trial court's preliminary determination that there is substantial evidence to prove each element of the alleged other crimes. (See People v. Phillips, supra, ante, at p. 72; Evid. Code, §§ 310, 402.)