Opinion ID: 1351145
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Impeachment with physical evidence obtained in violation of defendant's Miranda rights

Text: Defendant was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska, and interviewed by FBI agents. After being advised of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, supra, 384 U.S. 436, he opted to remain silent. Subsequently, perhaps believing that various statements by defendant indicated his change of heart and willingness to talk, the FBI agents asked him about a locker key they had found after arresting him. Defendant responded the key was from a locker at a bus station, and that his suitcase was in the locker. Before trial defendant successfully moved to suppress the suitcase and its contents on the ground it was seized illegally. As noted above, defendant attempted to impeach Charlene's credibility  and thus challenge her veracity  by, inter alia, exposing asserted inconsistencies in her testimony. In this regard, during his own direct testimony defendant introduced a T-shirt on which was printed the phrase, I'm the very best, which the police confiscated from his apartment. On cross-examination defendant testified Charlene did not have that T-shirt with her when they fled to Omaha, and the T-shirt she wore when she visited her mother the morning after the Miller/Sowers killings was not in the suitcase found in Omaha. According to defendant, the existence of this T-shirt in his apartment established an inconsistency in Charlene's version of the events. Charlene, however, also testified on cross-examination that she had several of the same T-shirts, and she explained that she last saw the shirt she wore on the morning after the killings in the suitcase found in Omaha, Nebraska. Defendant continued to question her, strongly implying there was only one such T-shirt, and that Charlene must therefore be lying. At this point the prosecution sought to introduce the second T-shirt  i.e., the one found in the suppressed suitcase  to correct the misperception created by defendant's direct testimony as well as his cross-examination of Charlene, that Charlene had only one such T-shirt, and it was the one found in defendant's apartment. After a hearing the court admitted this limited evidence of the otherwise suppressed contents of the suitcase. (34) Defendant asserts this ruling violated People v. Disbrow (1976) 16 Cal.3d 101 [127 Cal. Rptr 360, 545 P.2d 272], in which we declined to follow the high court's ruling in Harris v. New York (1971) 401 U.S. 222 [28 L.Ed.2d 1, 91 S.Ct. 643], and held that under the California Constitution, statements obtained in violation of Miranda are inadmissible even for purposes of impeachment. He concedes the Disbrow rule has been abrogated by California Constitution, article I, section 28, subdivision (d) (see People v. May (1988) 44 Cal.3d 309 [243 Cal. Rptr. 369, 748 P.2d 307]), but notes the crimes in this case occurred before the effective date of that constitutional amendment (see People v. Smith (1983) 34 Cal.3d 251 [193 Cal. Rptr. 692, 667 P.2d 149]), and hence Disbrow applies. The People assert we should recognize at least one of three exceptions to the Disbrow rule based on (i) the FBI agents' good faith belief that defendant had changed his mind and wished to speak to them without a lawyer; (ii) the fact that impeachment would be allowed under these circumstances under the federal Constitution or the law of Nebraska, where the Miranda violation occurred; or (iii) the fact that the impeachment evidence was physical rather than testimonial evidence. Although there may be merit in one or more of these approaches, we decline the People's invitation because we believe it is clear that assuming there was Disbrow error, there is no reasonable probability it affected the verdict. ( People v. Watson (1956) 46 Cal.2d 818, 836 [299 P.2d 243].) The dispute about the T-shirt simply pales in significance when viewed in the context of Charlene's entire testimony and the supporting independent evidence of defendant's role in the crimes. Any error concerning admission of the T-shirt was thus harmless.