Opinion ID: 1386055
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Federal Due Process Concerns

Text: (7) Petitioner also contends that new Penal Code section 872, subdivision (b), denies him due process by impliedly providing that only the prosecution may introduce hearsay. In petitioner's view, the new hearsay provisions should be invalidated for lack of reciprocity. (See Wardius v. Oregon (1973) 412 U.S. 470, 474-479 [37 L.Ed.2d 82, 87-90, 93 S.Ct. 2208] [absence of reciprocity fatal, under Fourteenth Amendment, to Oregon notice-of-alibi discovery scheme].) In Wardius, the court stressed the unfairness of a discovery procedure that denied the defendant significant procedural benefits afforded the state, and thereby interfered with his ability to secure a fair trial. (See id. at pp. 474-476, & fn. 6 [37 L.Ed.2d at pp. 87-88].) We find no similar unfairness here for, properly construed, the new hearsay statute contains no broad grant of authority to the prosecutor to rely on hearsay evidence. The section merely specifies a further, limited exception to the general hearsay exclusionary rule of Evidence Code section 1200, by allowing a probable cause finding to be based on certain hearsay testimony by law enforcement officers having specified experience or training. In light of the specialized nature of the exception, we see nothing fundamentally unfair in failing to provide some similar hearsay exception favoring the defense. (Indeed, although we leave the question open, the new provision might be interpreted as permitting the defendant to call a law enforcement officer to relate statements which might rebut a finding of probable cause.) Defendants continue to enjoy the benefits of all preexisting hearsay exceptions. (See Evid. Code, § 1220 et seq.) The burden of proof remains on the prosecutor to establish probable cause to believe an offense was committed. We note that petitioner has not indicated he unsuccessfully sought to introduce hearsay evidence comparable to the law enforcement testimony permitted under the new section.