Court Opinion

ID: 9572578
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:42:55.113684+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:33:31.709488
License: Public Domain

BROUSSARD, J.
I concur in the affirmance of the first degree murder convictions of defendant for the killing of Pauline Ruiz and her son, Tony, *626and of the finding of the special circumstance of multiple murder. I dissent from the affirmance of the second degree murder conviction for the killing of Tanya Ruiz and from the affirmance of the death penalty.
The majority and the trial court incorrectly conclude that the evidence as to the killing of Pauline and Tony was admissible in considering the Tanya charge. The trial court’s conclusion led to errors in denying a motion for severance and in instructing the jury. Based on their incorrect conclusion, the majority reject the claims of error. The trial court also erred in admitting evidence that Tanya had said that she feared defendant. The majority recognize this error. When we exclude from consideration on the Tanya count the evidence with respect to Pauline and Tony and the fear evidence, the evidence is insufficient to support the findings of guilt on the Tanya charge.
Because the evidence on the Tanya count was so weak, the errors require reversal of the jury finding that defendant murdered Tanya. That finding is critical to the jury’s decision to impose the death penalty for the other murders, and the errors in the guilt trial as to Tanya not only require reversal of defendant’s conviction for her murder but also require reversal of the death penalty.
I. Cross-admissibility
The majority conclude that there were sufficient “similarities” between the Tanya charges and the Pauline and Tony charges to permit cross-admissibility of the evidence in separate trials. (Maj. opn., ante., p. 605.) The majority have ignored the settled rules in this state governing the admissibility of evidence of other crimes.
The general rule is that evidence of other crimes is inadmissible when it is offered solely to prove criminal disposition or propensity on the part of the accused to commit the crime charged, because the probative value of the evidence is outweighed by its prejudicial effect. (E.g., People v. Haston (1968) 69 Cal.2d 233, 244 [70 Cal.Rptr. 419, 444 P.2d 91].) The general rule is codified in Evidence Code section 1101, subdivision (a).
“The rule excluding evidence of criminal propensity is nearly three centuries old in the common law. (1 Wigmore, Evidence (3d ed. 1940) § 194, pp. 646-647.) Such evidence ‘is [deemed] objectionable, not because it has no appreciable value, but because it has too much.’ (Italics added.) Inevitably, it tempts ‘the tribunal ... to give excessive weight to the vicious *627record of crime thus exhibited, and either to allow it to bear too strongly on the present charge, or to take the proof of it as justifying a condemnation irrespective of guilt of the present charge.’ (Id. at p. 646; quoted in People v. Schader (1969) 71 Cal.2d 761, 773, fn. 6 [80 Cal.Rptr. 1, 457 P.2d 841].)” (People v. Alcala (1984) 36 Cal.3d 604, 630-631 [205 Cal.Rptr. 775, 685 P.2d 1126].) Because of the sound reasons behind the general rule of exclusion, the relevancy of evidence of other crimes and therefore its admissibility must be examined with care and received with “extreme caution” with any doubts resolved in favor of the accused. (People v. Albertson (1944) 23 Cal.2d 550, 577 [145 P.2d 7]; People v. Thompson (1980) 27 Cal.3d 303, 314 [165 Cal.Rptr. 289, 611 P.2d 883]; People v. Haston, supra, 69 Cal.2d 233, 244.)
The corollary to the rule excluding other crimes offered solely to prove criminal propensity is that evidence of other crimes is admissible when relevant to prove some fact such as motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident. (Evid. Code, § 1101, subd. (b).)
The majority conclude that there were sufficient similarities between the charges to permit cross-admissibility in separate trials, that evidence that defendant killed Pauline was “relevant” to the question whether he killed Tanya, and that Pauline’s death was “relevant” to the issue whether Tanya died of some criminal agency. To show similarity, the majority rely upon the fact that both charges involved a wife of defendant who abruptly disappeared under suspicious circumstances indicating possible foul play. (Maj. opn., pp. 605-606.)
In order for evidence of one crime to be admissible to prove the defendant’s identity as the perpetrator of another alleged offense on the basis of similarity, the two acts must have enough shared characteristics to raise a strong inference that they were committed by the same person. It is not enough that the two claimed offenses share some common marks. (People v. Rivera (1985) 41 Cal.3d 388, 392 [221 Cal.Rptr. 562, 710 P.2d 362].) The long-settled rule in California is that the “inference of identity arises when the marks common to the charged and uncharged offenses, considered singly or in combination, logically operate to set the charged and uncharged offenses apart from other crimes of the same general variety and, in so doing, tend to suggest that the perpetrator of the uncharged offenses was the perpetrator of the charged offenses.” (People v. Haston, supra, 69 Cal.2d 233, 246.)
*628By its terms, this rule does not furnish a basis for cross-admissibility of the evidence as to Pauline on the Tanya charge. As to the Tanya charge, we do not know the circumstances of the alleged crime so we cannot look for common marks. There is no evidence that Tanya was shot as was Pauline. Pauline’s body was found near the home she and defendant occupied; despite major efforts by the investigating authorities they were unable to find Tanya’s body in the area where she and defendant lived.
Ordinarily, the basis of admissibility for common marks is that the defendant’s conduct in the uncharged crime is similar to the conduct of the person who committed the charged crime. The common marks must support the strong inference that the charged crime bears the defendant’s “signature.” (People v. Alcala, supra, 36 Cal.3d 604, 632; People v. Sam (1969) 71 Cal.2d 194, 204 [77 Cal.Rptr. 804, 454 P.2d 700].) Since we have no evidence as to the conduct or marks of the person who caused Tanya to disappear, we have nothing to compare with the conduct or marks of defendant in killing Pauline. The “signature” requirement is not met by a showing that they both disappeared for that focuses on their conduct as absent, not defendant’s conduct.
Similarity also furnishes a basis for admission of other criminal conduct when it furnishes an inference that the other criminal conduct and the charged crime are connected so as to disclose a general plan or system of criminal acts. The notion of a common scheme refers to a methodology or peculiar behavior pattern. (See 1 Witkin, Cal. Evidence (3d ed. 1986) § 374, pp. 343-345.) The principal purpose of the evidence showing a common scheme or plan is to identify the defendant as the perpetrator of the crime charged. (Id. at p. 343.) However, the mere fact that the defendant committed similar offenses does not make the exception applicable for to so conclude would undermine the exclusionary rule.
In two cases involving charges that a defendant killed his wife to obtain insurance proceeds, it was held proper to show that a prior wife that he had insured had died under incriminating circumstances as tending to establish a plan to marry, insure, and murder. (People v. Lisenba (1939) 14 Cal.2d 403, 427-428 [94 P.2d 569]; People v. Gosden (1936) 6 Cal.2d 14, 24 [56 P.2d 211].) In the instant case there is no evidence of a financial motive with respect to either wife, and there is no other evidence of defendant’s conduct to show a common scheme or plan. The evidence as to Tanya fails to disclose any scheme, plan or conduct by a perpetrator of the alleged crime, which can be compared to defendant’s conduct on the Pauline count. *629The alternate theory of the majority that Pauline’s death was relevant to establish that Tanya died from a criminal agency does not justify consideration of the Pauline evidence in determining the Tanya charge. The theory seems to be an afterthought since, as we shall see, while the jury was instructed that the evidence of one offense was cross-admissible to prove another for numerous other purposes, it was not instructed that the evidence might be considered to prove criminal agency.
In any event, it is clear that the alternate theory is based solely and totally on propensity to kill and does not justify admission of the challenged evidence. It is true that in some cases issues such as intent or motive may warrant admissibility of other crimes even though the evidence of the other crimes does not meet the similarity requirements of modus operandi or of common scheme and design. Thus, in People v. Durham (1969) 70 Cal.2d 171 [74 Cal.Rptr. 262, 449 P.2d 198] (cert. den. 395 U.S. 968 [23 L.Ed.2d 755, 89 S.Ct. 2116], cert. den. sub nom. Robinson v. California (1972) 406 U.S. 971 [32 L.Ed.2d 671, 92 S.Ct. 2416]) where defendants were charged with shooting and killing a police officer during a routine traffic stop, it was held that the jury could hear evidence of uncharged offenses for which the defendants feared apprehension although the uncharged offenses bore no resemblance to the charged one. In Durham, supra, 70 Cal.2d 171, the relevance and materiality was not based on a theory of similar crimes, and thus propensity was not at issue.
However, when the evidence of other offenses is only material to prove the disputed issue on a theory that defendant has a propensity to commit the crime, the other-crimes evidence is not admissible unless the similarities are sufficient to establish modus operandi or common scheme or plan. (People v. Alcala, supra, 36 Cal.3d 604, 634; People v. Thompson, supra, 27 Cal.3d 303, 319, fn. 23; People v. Guerrero (1976) 16 Cal.3d 719, 725-728 [129 Cal.Rptr. 166, 548 P.2d 366].)
In the instant case, the only theory that the evidence relating to Pauline would furnish an inference that Tanya died from a criminal agency is that defendant has a propensity to kill and that for this reason Tanya’s disappearance was due to homicide. In the circumstances, the criminal agency claim is merely a “euphemism” for criminal disposition. (People v. Alcala, supra, 36 Cal.3d 604, 634; People v. Tassell (1984) 36 Cal.3d 77, 89 [201 Cal.Rptr. 567, 679 P.2d 1].)
It is true that the evidence of similar crimes is relevant to the issues of criminal agency and identity, but evidence of criminal disposition and pro*630pensity is always relevant, and to allow relevance to determine admissibility of similar crimes would abrogate the three-century-old rule codified by Evidence Code section 1101, subdivision (a).
I conclude that the evidence bearing on the Pauline and Tanya counts was not cross-admissible. Although concluding the evidence was cross-admissible, the majority fail to discuss the above cases with respect to the issue whether the evidence was cross-admissible, and the only case cited by the majority on the issue (People v. Archerd (1970) 3 Cal.3d 615, 621 [91 Cal.Rptr. 397, 477 P.2d 421]), is clearly distinguishable. At the trial of defendant for murdering two of his wives and his nephews, evidence was admitted in Archerd of uncharged murders of another wife, a friend, and the ex-husband of one of his wives. The majority neglect to tell us that all six offenses were committed by insulin poisoning or that the court stated: “This is the only known reported case of murder by insulin poisoning in the United States.” (3 Cal.3d at p. 621.) No such unique method of murder appears in the instant case. The fact that three of Archerd’s six victims were his wives is of no help to the majority.
II. The Resulting Errors
The conclusion that the evidence was cross-admissible led to several errors.
When, as here, the statutory requirements for joinder of two or more different offenses are met, a defendant can predicate error in denying a motion for severance only on a clear showing of prejudice. (Pen. Code, § 954; Williams v. Superior Court (1984) 36 Cal.3d 441, 447 [204 Cal.Rptr. 700, 683 P.2d 699]; People v. Smallwood (1986) 42 Cal.3d 415, 425 [228 Cal.Rptr. 913, 722 P.2d 197], mod. 42 Cal.3d 710a.) Under Williams, refusal to sever may be an abuse of discretion where “(1) evidence on the crimes to be jointly tried would not be cross-admissible in separate trials; (2) certain of the charges are unusually likely to inflame the jury against the defendant; (3) a ‘weak’ case has been joined with a ‘strong’ case, or with another ‘weak’ case, so that the ‘spillover’ effect of aggregate evidence on several charges might well alter the outcome of some or all; and (4) any one of the charges carries the death penalty.” (People v. Balderas (1985) 41 Cal.3d 144, 173 [222 Cal.Rptr. 184, 711 P.2d 480].)
As we have seen, the majority erred in concluding the evidence on the Tanya count and the Pauline and Tony counts was cross-admissible. The charges involve the killing of two wives and a stepson and are likely to be *631inflammatory. As the majority recognize in perhaps an understatement, the evidence on the Tanya charge was relatively weak, and defendant was not charged until the discovery of Pauline’s and Tony’s bodies. (Maj. opn., p. 606.) I submit that the evidence on the Tanya charge, when we exclude her statements of fear and the evidence on the Pauline and Tony charges, is insufficient as a matter of law to sustain the conviction. In this circumstance, there is an obvious danger of a “spillover”; indeed, a “spillover” is essential.
The majority state that the fact that the jury found defendant guilty of only second degree murder of Tanya “strongly suggests that the jury was capable of differentiating between defendant’s various murders; no improper spillover effect is evident here.” (Maj. opn., p. 607.) However, the majority opinion itself refutes the point. The majority state that the prosecution’s case on the Tanya count was “weak,” that defendant was not charged with killing Tanya until the subsequent deaths were discovered, and that “with the discovery of Pauline’s and Tony’s bodies, the Tanya murder case suddenly became much stronger.” (Maj. opn., p. 606.) The majority cannot consistently state that there is no “spillover” and at the same time point out the importance of the “spillover” to the prosecutor’s case. Finally, the fourth factor stated in Balderas, supra, 41 Cal.3d 144, a death penalty charge, is also present.
Defendant has made an overwhelming showing of prejudice due to joint trials. The Tanya charge related to matters occurring several years before the Pauline and Tony offenses, and considerations of judicial economy cannot warrant denial of severance. (Williams v. Superior Court, supra, 36 Cal.3d 441, 451 et seq.)
The trial court abused its discretion in denying the motion to sever.
The error in instruction was that the court instructed the jury that evidence of each homicide count might be used as to any other count of homicide for certain purposes.1 Rather than an instruction that evidence of *632one offense may be considered as to another, the jury should have been told just the opposite, that evidence of the other offenses may not be considered in connection with the Tanya count.
When the evidence with respect to Pauline and Tony is excluded from consideration on the Tanya count, the evidence is insufficient to sustain the conviction.
The reappearance of claimed murder victims after their convicted slayers had been executed caused courts long ago to adopt stringent rules to avoid the ultimate miscarriage of justice. (See, e.g., Perkins, The Corpus Delicti of Murder (1962) 48 Va.L.Rev. 173, 191-195; Comment, Evidence—Proof of Particular Facts—United States v. Woods (1974) 87 Harv.L.Rev. 1074, 1079.) While communications may have greatly improved, permitting police missing persons departments to sometimes locate people who disappear, there is little reason to believe they are always successful.
Nevertheless, convictions for murder have been upheld in a number of cases where, while the body of the victim was never recovered and there were no witnesses to the crime, the defendant had made plans to kill, or had made confessions or damaging admissions. (People v. Cullen (1951) 37 Cal.2d 614, 625 [234 P.2d 1]; People v. McMonigle (1947) 29 Cal.2d 730 [177 P.2d 745]; People v. Manson (1977) 71 Cal.App.3d 1, 43 [139 Cal.Rptr. 275]; People v. Clark (1925) 70 Cal.App. 531 [233 P. 980].) Once there is prima facie proof of the corpus delicti, the defendant’s admissions and confessions may come in, and the admissions and confessions may be considered by the jury in determining whether the prosecution has met its burden of proving the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. (People v. Cullen, supra, 37 Cal. 2d 614, 624-625; People v. Manson, supra, 71 Cal.App.3d 1, 43.)
One case has upheld a conviction where there were no confessions or admissions. (People v. Scott (1959) 176 Cal.App.2d 458 [1 Cal.Rptr. 600].) In Scott, the prosecution not only proved a disappearance under mysterious *633circumstances but also showed that the defendant had taken numerous steps both before and after his wife’s disappearance establishing a scheme to steal her fortune, including the forging of numerous documents, and conduct immediately after the disappearance indicating that he was aware of the circumstances causing the disappearance. (176 Cal. App.2d at pp. 498-499.) No such showing was made in the instant case.
When we disregard the evidence of Tanya’s fear and exclude from consideration on the Tanya count the evidence of Pauline’s death, all that is left is a mysterious disappearance. That evidence is insufficient to convict.
III. The Fear Evidence
Since the majority concede the error in admitting the fear evidence, it may be treated briefly. Over the objection of defendant, the trial court erroneously admitted evidence that Tanya had said that she feared defendant, including testimony that she was “scared to death” of defendant and his “terrible temper.”
The majority recognize that the admission of the evidence of Tanya’s fear was error under Evidence Code section 1250 and People v. Armenderiz (1984) 37 Cal.3d 573, 586 [209 Cal.Rptr. 664, 693 P.2d 243], The majority state that “in the present case, we can ascertain no purpose for admitting evidence of the victims’ expressions of fear of defendant other than as proof that those fears were justified, and that defendant in fact killed them. In short, neither the state of mind of these victims prior to their deaths (§ 1250, subd. (a)), nor their acts or conduct (id., subd. (b)), were an issue in the case which might have been resolved or assisted by the challenged evidence.” (Maj. opn., ante, p. 608.)2
IV. Prejudice
The erroneous denial of the severance motion, the error in instructing that the evidence as to the offenses was cross-admissible, the insufficiency of proper evidence, and the erroneous admission of the fear evidence require reversal of the judgment of guilt on the Tanya charge. However, there was substantial evidence of guilt as to the Pauline and Tony charges, and defendant did not mount a defense. My examination of the record convinces me that it is unlikely that the jury’s knowledge of the evidence bearing on the Tanya count was a factor in its verdict on the other counts. According*634ly, I join in the affirmance of the guilt and special circumstances findings as to Pauline and Tony.
Although the errors occurred at the guilt trial, the jury was instructed at the conclusion of the penalty trial that it should consider all evidence received at any part of the trial and the circumstances of the crimes of which the defendant was convicted in the present proceeding. Thus the errors were carried forward to the penalty trial.
Obviously, a conviction of second degree murder is an important factor to be considered in the assessment of the appropriate penalty. In the present case defendant established that he had no prior convictions, and there was no proper evidence, aside from the offenses charged, that defendant ever acted violently as to anyone. The People presented no evidence at the penalty trial. In these circumstances, there is far more than a reasonable possibility that the errors affected the verdict, and the errors were substantial requiring reversal as to penalty.
Appellant’s petition for a rehearing was denied April 7, 1988, and the opinion was modified to read as printed above.

The court instructed the jury: “Evidence has been introduced in this case of more than one count of homicide. The evidence in one or more of the counts may be used together with any other count for which the defendant is on trial for certain purposes.
“Such evidence, if believed, was not received and may not be considered by you to prove that he is a person of bad character or that he has a disposition to commit crimes.
“Such evidence was received and may be considered by you to prove an individual count and for the limited purpose of determining if it tends to show: (1) A characteristic method, plan or scheme in the commission of criminal acts similar to the method, plan or scheme used in the commission of the offense in this case which would further tend to show (A) the exis*632tence of the intent which is a necessary element of the crime charged; (B) the identity of the person who committed the crime, if any, of which the defendant is accused; (C) a clear connection between the one offense and other offenses of which defendant is accused so that it may be logically concluded that if defendant committed the other offenses, he also committed the crime charged in a different count.
“(2) The existence of the intent which is a necessary element of the crime charged.
“(3) The identity of the person who committed the crime, if any, of which the defendant is accused.
“(4) A motive for the commission of the crime charged.
“If you consider any evidence for such limited purpose, you must weigh it in the same manner as you do all the evidence in the case.”

 While my analysis of the error differs to some extent from the majority, it is unnecessary to extend the discussion since the majority in effect concede the error.