Opinion ID: 1359265
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motion to Modify the Death Penalty

Text: (38) Before ruling on each defendant's motion to modify the jury's death verdicts to the punishment of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (§ 190.4, subd. (e)), the trial court stated that it had read and considered the [probation] reports filed as to each defendant. Defendants argue that this statement indicated an improper reliance on the probation reports, thus requiring that the case be remanded for a new modification hearing. As defendants point out, the trial court must base its ruling on the modification motion solely on the evidence produced at trial; this, of course, does not include a defendant's probation reports. ( People v. Bacigalupo, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 150.) But even when the trial court has considered such extraneous information, we assume that it has had no improper influence on the court, absent specific evidence to the contrary. ( People v. Bacigalupo, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 150; People v. Adcox (1988) 47 Cal.3d 207, 274 [253 Cal. Rptr. 55, 763 P.2d 906]; People v. Williams (1988) 45 Cal.3d 1268, 1329 [248 Cal. Rptr. 834, 756 P.2d 221].) In this case, there is nothing in the record to indicate that the information contained in defendants' probation reports had any effect on the trial court's decision to deny defendants' motions to modify the verdicts of death. To the contrary, the court recited at length its reasons for denying the motions, none of which had anything to do with the information contained in the probation reports. A remand for a renewed modification hearing is therefore unnecessary.