Opinion ID: 1195356
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Claims relating to the guilt verdict

Text: Our examination of the record discloses that one morning during penalty phase deliberations, the court received a note from the jury foreperson asking whether the jury must be unanimous in order to return a verdict of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The court replied in the affirmative. In the afternoon of the same day, the court received another note from the foreperson stating: One juror has informed us that he/she voted with the majority in the prior proceeding instead of reaching an independent decision of guilt or innocence. [¶] Much discussion has shown this juror does not or is not capable of understanding the requirements of the judicial process. [¶] What do we do? During the in camera hearing that ensued, the trial court directed that any motion to impeach the guilt verdict should be made in the context of a motion for new trial, not during penalty phase deliberations. (See § 1181 [setting out appropriate grounds for motion for new trial]; see also In re Stankemtz (1985) 40 Cal.3d 391, 393, 220 Cal.Rptr. 382, 708 P.2d 1260 [motion for new trial is the usual method for raising the issue of misconduct by a juror during deliberations].) After hearing extended argument from counsel, the court examined the foreperson at some length, limiting its inquiry to the jury's penalty phase deliberations, in order to determine the basis for his assertion that the unidentified juror was incapable of deliberation. The foreperson provided vague answers regarding the basis for his opinion that the juror was unable to understand the judicial process; it appeared that the foreperson largely was concerned that the unidentified juror recalled the evidence differently from the rest of the jury. After that examination, defense counsel [26] concluded the unidentified juror was the sole hold-out in favor of a sentence less than death. In response to the prosecutor's contention that the juror should be excused, defense counsel argued that there was no evidence indicating the juror was refusing to obey the law, and in heated terms accused the court and the prosecutor of attempting to ensure a verdict of death by removing the juror. The juror was not excused. Defense counsel stated that he was not attempting to impeach the guilt verdict during the mid-penalty deliberation hearing held to consider the jury foreperson's note. We note that although defense counsel did request further inquiry into the unidentified juror's conduct during the guilt phase deliberations, he stated he was not making a motion to impeach the guilt verdict but wished to secure a better understanding of the juror's ability to serve during the penalty phase deliberations. Counsel theorized that the juror was the holdout juror who was merely voting his conscience and opined that this juror had lingering doubts with respect to the guilt verdict. Defendant thereafter made a motion for new trial based in part upon the assertion that the guilt verdict did not represent the opinion of each juror as indicated by the foreman's note stating that one juror did not vote his/her own independent mind concerning guilt or innocence, but merely went along with the majority. His motion was not supported by any affidavits. The trial court denied the motion, stating that no evidence had been introduced demonstrating improper conduct on the part of the jury. It was at the time of the motion for new trial, and not at the mid-penalty deliberation hearing, that the court determined that no basis existed to impeach the guilt verdict. Defendant does not contend on appeal that the trial court erred in denying his motion for new trial. There is no merit in defendant's contention that the trial court erred with respect to the guilt verdict in failing to examine the foreperson regarding his opinion that one juror had failed to deliberate, because the court determined and counsel conceded that any effort to impeach the guilt verdict was to be conducted by way of a motion for new trial. In bringing such a motion, it was defendant's responsibility to present admissible evidence to impeach the verdict. (See People v. Von Villas (1992) 10 Cal.App.4th 201, 251, 13 Cal.Rptr.2d 62 [party seeking to impeach the verdict must present admissible evidence in support of motion]; see also People v. Peavey (1981) 126 Cal. App.3d 44, 50-51, 178 Cal.Rptr. 520 [juror's statement she voted for guilt only to go along with the majority was demonstrative of mental processes and considerations that influenced her verdict and thus was inadmissible to impeach the verdict].) Defendant fails to persuade us that the trial court erred in failing to provide a hearing related to the validity of the guilt verdict while penalty deliberations were under way, particularly in light of defense counsel's statement that he was not attempting to impeach the guilt verdict at that time.