Court Opinion

ID: 9747102
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 14:56:57.944198+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:20.166853
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON,
J.—I respectfully dissent from the majority’s holding the defendant’s diary was properly turned over to the prosecution.
The majority affirms the trial court’s order releasing the diary to the prosecution on a ground not raised in the parties’ briefs: defense counsel had a duty to voluntarily disclose the diary anyway. (Maj. opn., ante, at pp. 1018-1020.) Government Code section 68081 provides, “Before ... a court of appeal . . . renders a decision in a proceeding . . . based upon an issue which was not proposed or briefed by any party to the proceeding, the court shall afford the parties an opportunity to present their views on the matter through supplemental briefing. If the court fails to afford that opportunity, a rehearing shall be ordered upon timely petition of any party.” In their briefs, *1031the parties focused exclusively on the issues of whether disclosure of the diary was permissible under the criminal discovery statutes (Pen. Code, §§ 1054-1054.7)1 and whether its disclosure to the prosecution would violate defendant’s privilege against self-incrimination.2 If the majority believes the trial court’s order may be upheld on the ground defense counsel had an ethical duty to disclose the diary to the prosecution, then it is bound by statute as well as fundamental fairness to order a rehearing on that issue.
I would join the majority in issuing such an order because I am not convinced the issue is as cut-and-dried as the majority seems to believe. While the cases cited by the majority are surely on point they are not dispositive. People v. Meredith (1981) 29 Cal.3d 682 [175 Cal.Rptr. 612, 631 P.2d 46] did not involve the duty of a defense attorney to voluntarily turn over incriminating evidence to the state. While the court suggests in dictum such a duty exists in certain circumstances, it does not follow all such evidence should be disclosed in all circumstances. (Id. at p. 693, fn. 7.) People v. Superior Court (Fairbank) (1987) 192 Cal.App.3d 32, 39-40 [237 Cal.Rptr. 158] stated defense counsel must immediately inform the trial court when choosing to remove, possess, or alter physical evidence pertaining to the crime and the court must then take appropriate action to ensure the prosecution has timely access to the evidence. The evidence in Fairbank was the purported murder weapon which the defense counsel allegedly obtained from the defendant—factors which may distinguish Fairbank from the case before us. (See discussion below.) Finally, People v. Lee (1970) 3 Cal.App.3d 514 [83 Cal.Rptr. 175], was a case in which the evidence was seized pursuant to a warrant from a third party who was holding it for safekeeping under an agreement between defense counsel and the prosecutor. The only similarity between Lee and the present case is that the evidence, defendant’s bloodstained boots, again an item of physical evidence, was given to defense counsel by a third party.
All three cases relied upon by the majority involved physical evidence of the crime: in Meredith, the victim’s wallet; in Fairbank, the alleged murder weapon; in Lee the boots with which the defendant allegedly tried to kick the victim to death. I, for one, would like to hear argument on whether the defendant’s private thoughts committed to paper are analogous to the evidence in the above cases. I would also like to hear argument on the ramifications of a holding incriminating writings must be voluntarily turned over to the prosecution. Would an attorney defending a tax evasion or other *1032white-collar crime involving hundreds or even thousands of documents have to make a determination as to each page of each document whether it should be revealed to the prosecution? What would the ramifications of such a rule be on the defendant’s right to effective assistance of counsel?3
Although Lee involved evidence given to defense counsel by a third party, the court did not focus on the significance of that fact. I would like to hear argument on the consequences of a policy of revealing to the prosecutor information received in confidence from a third party. What effect would such a policy have on the willingness of third parties to come forward with evidence which might be helpful to the defense? What would be the effect on the defense attorney’s willingness to receive such evidence? Will the mere risk that such evidence may turn out to be incriminating be sufficient to convince attorneys to adopt an attitude of calculated ignorance?
Before holding defense counsel owed a duty to voluntarily turn over defendant’s diary to the prosecution, a duty which the trial court merely facilitated counsel in meeting, we should hear argument on the foregoing questions and other relevant considerations the parties may choose to bring to our attention.4
The majority also concludes the criminal discovery statutes do not apply to this case because the diary was in the possession of the court, not defense counsel, and the criminal discovery statutes are inapplicable to third parties. The majority further concludes even if the criminal discovery statutes were *1033applicable the diary was discoverable as “nontestimonial evidence” pursuant to section 1054.4. I respectfully disagree with both conclusions.
Although defense counsel did not explain why he delivered the diary to the trial court under seal, he did state to the court during argument on the prosecutor’s motion to produce, “[W]e lodged those papers with the court in a sealed condition. We, the defense, did for safekeeping for the defense.” I conclude from this statement defense counsel did not intend to surrender possession to the court, but to retain constructive possession of the documents anticipating a hearing on their discoverability at some future time. Furthermore, the transcript of the hearing on the People’s motion to produce clearly shows the court and the parties were operating on the assumption the criminal discovery rules applied and that the issue was whether the documents were discoverable under section 1054.4 which provides, “Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as limiting any law enforcement or prosecuting agency from obtaining nontestimonial evidence to the extent permitted by law on the effective date of this section.” (Italics added.)
Section 1054.4 does not authorize discovery of statements made by the defendant in his personal diary because such evidence is testimonial in character. In Izazaga v. Superior Court (1991) 54 Cal.3d 356, 367 [285 Cal.Rptr. 231, 815 P.2d 304] the court held with respect to the disclosure of defense witnesses’ statements under section 1054.3, subdivision (a): “clearly such statements are ‘testimonial or communicative in nature.’ ” If statements made by the defendant’s witnesses are “testimonial or communicative in nature” then surely so are statements made by the defendant himself.
My analysis, however, does not rest on Izazaga alone. On the question of what constitutes testimonial evidence, Izazaga cited Schmerber v. California (1966) 384 U.S. 757, 761 [16 L.Ed.2d 908, 914, 86 S.Ct. 1826], There, the United. States Supreme Court held the privilege against self-incrimination “protects an accused only from being compelled to testify against himself, or otherwise provide the State with evidence of a testimonial or communicative nature . . . .” The court went on to explain the term “testimonial” “relates only to acts on the part of the person to whom the privilege applies.” (Id. at p. 761, fn. 5 [16 L.Ed.2d at p. 914].) The court concluded requiring defendant to submit to a blood test did not violate his privilege against self-incrimination. “Petitioner’s testimonial capacities were in no way implicated; indeed, his participation, except as donor, was irrelevant to the results of the test, which depend on chemical analysis and on that alone.” (Id. at p. 765 [16 L.Ed.2d 908, 916], fn. omitted.) Later the same term the court equated testimonial evidence with the disclosure of “knowledge [defendant] might have.” (United States v. Wade (1967) 388 U.S. 218, 222 [18 L.Ed.2d *10341149, 1155, 87 S.Ct. 1926].) More recently, the court held “. . . in order to be testimonial, an accused’s communication must itself, explicitly or implicitly, relate a factual assertion or disclose information,” be an “expression of the contents of an individual’s mind,” “reveal, directly or indirectly, his knowledge of facts relating him to the offense or . . . share his thoughts and beliefs with the Government” (Doe v. United States (1988) 487 U.S. 201, 210 & fn. 9, 213 [101 L.Ed.2d 184, 197, 198-199, 108 S.Ct. 2341].)
In contrast, nontestimonial evidence consists of such things as fingerprints, blood and urine samples, appearances in lineups and handwriting and voice exemplars. (See People v. Collie (1981) 30 Cal.3d 43, 55, fn. 7 [177 Cal.Rptr. 458, 634 P.2d 534], citing cases.) The purpose of section 1054.4 was to ensure such nontestimonial evidence, which was discoverable prior to enactment of the discovery provisions of chapter 10, would continue to be discoverable.
The fact the accused has committed his thoughts and knowledge to paper does not make this paper discoverable as “nontestimonial” real or physical evidence. Testimonial evidence is not limited to oral statements. In Doe v. United States, supra, 487 U.S. 201, the court observed, “There are very few instances in which a verbal statement, either oral or written, will not convey information or assert facts. The vast majority of verbal statements thus will be testimonial and, to that extent at least, will fall within the privilege [against self-incrimination].” (487 U.S. at pp. 213-214 [101 L.Ed.2d at p. 199], fn. omitted; see also Gilbert v. California (1967) 388 U.S. 263, 266-267 [18 L.Ed.2d 1178, 1182-1183, 87 S.Ct. 1951] in which the court drew a distinction, for purposes of determining what is testimonial evidence, between the defendant’s handwriting and “the content of what is written . . . .")
If, as respondent contends, a defendant’s knowledge or thoughts about some aspect of the crime are discoverable under section 1054.4 merely because they exist on a piece of paper, then all writings by anyone with knowledge or thoughts about the crime, whether or not a prospective witness, would be discoverable under section 1054.4. Section 1054.3, which restricts discovery of written statements to those of witnesses, other than defendant, whom defendant intends to call at trial, would be meaningless. Such an interpretation would contravene the well-established rule a statute should be construed so as to give effect to all its provisions, not so that one section will destroy another. (Rodriguez v. Superior Court (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 1260, 1269 [18 Cal.Rptr.2d 120].) Furthermore, by excluding the defendant’s statements from discovery under section 1054.3 the drafters of Proposition 115 sought to avoid entangling Fifth Amendment issues in the *1035authorization of prosecutorial discovery. (Izazaga v. Superior Court, supra, 54 Cal.3d at p. 368.) Interpreting section 1054.4 as urged by the majority would judicially engraft onto the statute authorization for discovery of the very statements the drafters intended to exclude under section 1054.3.
If, as the prosecution argued, defendant’s diary contained his plans for the murder of Ms. Huerta, disposal of her body, and escape from detection and capture then it clearly reveals his knowledge of the crime and facts relating him to the offense. Therefore, the diary is “testimonial” evidence under the authorities cited above.
A petition for a rehearing was denied May 19, 1994. Johnson, J., was of the opinion that the petition should be granted. Appellant’s petition for review by the Supreme Court was denied July 28, 1994. Mosk, J., and Kennard, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.

Unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, all future references are to the Penal Code.

I agree with the majority’s conclusion disclosure of the diary is not barred by the privilege against self-incrimination. However, for reasons I express below, I disagree the diary is discoverable under section 1054 et seq.

If, as the majority asserts, California law clearly holds that once defense counsel accepted the diary from defendant’s sister he had a duty to turn it over to the prosecutor, we should also request additional briefing on the issue of whether defendant was denied effective assistance of counsel.

The majority misconstrues the basis of my dissent on this issue. (See maj. opn. fn. 16, ante, at p. 1028.) It is not my view that courts, any more than law offices, should be “safe burial grounds of the truth.” (Cf. People v. Lee, supra, 3 Cal.App.3d at p. 526, quoting from State v. Olwell (1964) 64 Wn.2d 828 [394 P.2d 681, 684-685, 16 A.L.R.3d 1021].) It is my view Government Code section 68081 means what it says: no matter how convinced the court is that it has reached the correct legal conclusion on an issue, if that issue has not been briefed by the parties they must be afforded the opportunity to present their views on the matter through' supplemental briefing. Thus, contrary to the view expressed by the majority in footnote 16, it not up to the dissent to explain why defendant’s diary should not have been turned over to the prosecution. It is up to counsel on appeal to explain why the evidence should or should not have been turned over to the prosecutor.
The majority seeks to avoid a rehearing on this issue by claiming defense counsel’s duty to relinquish the evidence is not the basis of its holding and, in any event, this is a nonissue because defense counsel did relinquish the evidence. If I mistook the lengthy discussion of an attorney’s duty to turn over evidence (maj. opn., ante, at pp. 1018-1020) for a holding when it was merely dictum, I stand corrected. For the record, however, I would note it is clear defense counsel did not relinquish the evidence to the prosecution or there would have been no need for the prosecution to file a motion to produce.