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Anna
Jeannette HUMISTON
By Kenneth Ofgang -
MetNews.com
Friday, April 7, 2006
The California Supreme Court
yesterday unanimously upheld the death sentence imposed on a young San
Diego man for the murder of a pregnant woman who may have planned to
reveal a plot to kill a drug dealer.
In an opinion by Justice Joyce
L. Kennard, the court rejected the contention that Robert Jurado Jr.’s
confrontation rights were violated when testimony given in an earlier
proceeding by a key witness was admitted at his trial for the murder
of Teresa Holloway.
Jurado was 20 years old when
Holloway, 26, was strangled and beaten to death May 15, 1991. Her body
was found in a culvert beneath Highway 163 in San Diego County two
days later.
Prosecutors alleged that
Jurado; his girlfriend Anna Humiston; and Denise Shigemura killed
Holloway after she learned of their plan to kill Doug Mynatt.
Witnesses testified that Mynatt sold methamphetamine and that his
customers included Jurado and Brian Johnsen, who had been living with
Holloway up until about a month before she was killed.
Humiston, a 17-year-old
Patrick Henry High School student at the time of the murder, became a
suspect after she bragged to her friends at school that she held the
victim while Jurado strangled her. Humiston was sentenced to 25 years
to life in state prison, as was Shigemura, who shared an apartment
with Jurado.
The plan to kill Mynatt, to
whom Jurado allegedly owed money, allegedly came about after the drug
dealer supposedly stole Shigemura’s purse. Jurado allegedly shared
details of the plot with Johnsen, who was in custody on drug charges
at the time.
Prosecutors charged Jurado
with first degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in
wait, and initially said they would not seek the death penalty. They
later added the conspiracy charge.
Following a preliminary
hearing, the defense moved to dismiss the special-circumstance
allegation under Penal Code Sec. 995. The prosecution, in the
meantime, moved to have Johnsen testify at a conditional examination,
saying he was in fear of his life.
San Diego Superior Court Judge
David Gill Gill granted the motion, and Johnsen testified that he and
the defendant had discussed a plan to kill Mynatt and that Jurado
later admitted killing Holloway because “it had to be done.”
Later, the judge dismissed the
special circumstance allegation and the defendant pled guilty to the
remaining charges.
Prior to sentencing, however,
the prosecution petitioned the Court of Appeal for a writ of mandate,
and that court eventually reinstated the special-circumstance
allegation and rejected Jurado’s argument that his guilty plea barred
a trial on that allegation under double jeopardy principles.
Jurado then withdrew his
guilty plea, pled not guilty, and denied the lying-in-wait allegation.
Prosecutors then announced that they had changed their mind about
seeking the death penalty, and the judge rejected a defense bid to bar
them from doing so.
Jurors found the defendant
guilty, determined the special allegation to be true, and returned a
death penalty verdict at the end of the penalty phase.
State Public Defender Michael
Hersek, who represented Jurado on appeal, argued that a conditional
examination cannot be taken by the prosecution in a death penalty
case. Deputy Attorney General Marvin Mizell responded that the
examination was proper, and that, in any event, the prosecution was
not seeking the death penalty at the time of the examination.
Kennard said the prosecution
had the better of the argument, reasoning that Penal Code Sec.
1335(a), which allows a conditional examination in any case but bars
the prosecution from seeking one in a capital case, does not apply
when the examination is sought under Sec. 1336(b). Sec. 1336(b)
applies only to serious felony cases and only when there is reason to
believe the life of the witness is in danger.
The justice went on to say
that there was sufficient reason for Johnsen’s testimony to be taken
by conditional examination, even though he had not been threatened.
Saying the trial judge had
broad discretion in the matter, the justice wrote:
“Because of the evidence that
defendant, Shigemura, and Humiston had killed Holloway to prevent her
from exposing a plot to kill Mynatt, the trial court...could
justifiably conclude that defendant and the persons with whom he
associated would be likely to use deadly force against anyone
perceived as a threat, and that the substance of Johnsen’s proposed
testimony made him an actual or potential threat to defendant and his
codefendants....”
The justice also rejected the
argument that the prosecution had impermissibly changed its position
and asked for the death penalty in retaliation for the defendant
challenging the special-circumstance allegation. While that may have
been a factor, the justice wrote, it was not improper for the
prosecution to consider it.
Besides, Kennard said, it
cannot be assumed that this was the only reason for the prosecution’s
shift. Between the time it announced its original position and the
time it changed it, she noted, the prosecution case had been bolstered
by Johnsen’s testimony at the conditional examination and by the
presentation of evidence at Humiston’s trial.
The case is People v. Jurado,
06 S.O.S. 1732.
Supreme Court of California
People v. Humiston (1993) 20 Cal.App.4th 460 ,
24 Cal.Rptr.2d 515
[No. D017124. Fourth Dist., Div. One. Nov 23,
1993.]
THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
ANNA JEANNETTE HUMISTON, Defendant and Appellant.
[Opinion certified for partial publication.
fn. 1 1]
(Superior Court of San Diego County, No.
CR124438, David M. Gill, Judge.)
(Opinion by Huffman, J., with Todd, Acting P.
J., and Benke, J., concurring.)
COUNSEL
Lynda A. Romero, under
appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.
Daniel E. Lungren, Attorney
General, George Williamson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Gary W.
Schons, Assistant Attorney General, Robert M. Foster and Douglas P.
Danzig, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
OPINION
HUFFMAN, J.
A jury convicted Anna
Jeannette Humiston of conspiracy to commit murder (Pen. Code,
fn. 2 ? 182, subd. (a)(1)) and first
degree murder (? 187, subd. (a)). The court sentenced Humiston to
prison for 25 years to life on each count but stayed imposition of
sentence on the conspiracy count under section 654 and ordered that
she be housed at the California Youth [20 Cal.App.4th 466]
Authority (CYA). fn. 3 In the
published portion of this opinion, we hold the court properly allowed
Humiston to be cross-examined with statements she made to mental
health professionals in anticipation of a juvenile court fitness
hearing and properly admitted evidence of Humiston's drug use since
the age of 13. We further hold that although the court erred in
admitting evidence Humiston used the number 187 on a pager to
communicate with her coconspirator a year before the crime, such error
does not require reversal.
In the unpublished portion of
this opinion, we hold substantial evidence supports the verdict, the
court properly admitted certain testimony as rebuttal evidence, the
court properly restricted evidence of statements Humiston made to a
rebuttal witness, commitment to CYA was proper, Humiston's sentence
was not cruel and unusual punishment and the reasonable doubt
instruction read to the jury is constitutional.
Facts
About 7:30 a.m. on May 17,
1991, the body of Teresa Ann Holloway was found in a drainage ditch on
the side of Highway 163 near San Diego's Balboa Park. The cause of
death was determined to be blunt force head injuries and
strangulation. Holloway's skull was shattered and her jaw was broken.
Her injuries included numerous track-like abrasions on her face, arms,
hands, legs and feet caused by a threaded device such as a pipe or
scissors jack, lacerations on her head, a human bite mark on her back
and ligature marks around her neck. The wounds showed Holloway was
trying to cover herself as she was being hit. She also had hairs
clutched in her fingers. fn. 4
Holloway was 15 or 16 weeks pregnant.
The day before Holloway's body
was found, 17-year-old Humiston telephoned her friend Melissa Andre
and told her she had killed Holloway because Holloway got Humiston
into a lot of trouble. Humiston said Holloway did not die fast enough
and had struggled. She said she had straddled and punched Holloway
while Humiston's boyfriend, Robert Jurado, choked her. Humiston said
she did not think she would get caught. She asked Andre to go with her
to see Holloway's body but they never went. In a later [20
Cal.App.4th 467] conversation, Humiston told Andre that Robert
would take the blame if they got caught. She also said if she did not
get caught this time she would kill someone again.
That same morning, Humiston
told her friend Mia Rodrigues that she and Jurado had killed a girl
named Terry. She said Denise Shigemura had been driving Humiston's car
while Jurado strangled Holloway. When Holloway would not die fast
enough from strangulation, Jurado hit her over the head with a jack
from the car until she died. Humiston told Rodrigues she saw the jack
take off part of Holloway's face and that after the beating they left
the body in a ditch. She also said she had held Holloway's arms down
to prevent her from scratching Jurado's face. Humiston thought she
might have broken Holloway's arm because she heard a "snap" while she
was holding her. She said she did this to Holloway because Holloway
had been threatening Humiston's family. She said there was no chance
she would be caught for this murder. Humiston also told Rodrigues she
had beaten Holloway up several months earlier.
On May 17, 1991, the police
talked to Humiston and Jurado about Holloway's murder. Humiston said
she hardly knew Holloway and had seen her only once or twice. However,
the next day, the police arrested Humiston, Jurado and Shigemura after
receiving information that Humiston had told Andre about the murder.
The events leading to
Holloway's murder began in 1990. Humiston met Jurado in March 1990
when she was 16 years old and Jurado was 18 years old. They soon
established a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Through Jurado,
Humiston met Shigemura, Holloway and Brian Johnsen. Holloway and
Johnsen, both drug users, lived together when Humiston met them but
Johnsen made Holloway move out when Holloway became pregnant and
refused to stop using drugs. Johnsen took in a roommate, Doug Mynatt.
In March 1991, Johnsen introduced Mynatt to Jurado. Mynatt sold Jurado
drugs which Jurado then resold.
By April 1991, several people,
including Mynatt, Johnsen and Shigemura, were angry with Jurado for
various reasons. fn. 5 On one
occasion, Mynatt and Johnsen forced Jurado to go to Johnsen's house
where they confronted [20 Cal.App.4th 468] Jurado with their
grievances. Because Jurado owed Mynatt some money for drugs, Mynatt
initially threatened to beat him up but then agreed to supply him with
more drugs to sell with the understanding the profit would be given to
Mynatt. fn. 6
While Johnsen was in jail in
May 1991 for reasons unrelated to the present crime, Mynatt began
causing problems. fn. 7 Johnsen
decided Mynatt had to be killed. On May 14, 1991, Johnsen telephoned
Shigemura and discussed his idea. He also told Shigemura he wanted to
talk to Jurado about it. Shigemura used a three-way calling feature on
the telephone to talk to Jurado at Humiston's house. Humiston answered
the telephone and then Jurado took the call which lasted two hours and
forty-four minutes. Jurado, Johnsen and Shigemura discussed killing
Mynatt. Jurado acknowledged he had already been thinking about killing
Mynatt himself. Jurado, Johnsen and Shigemura decided to keep Holloway
out of their plan because she asked too many questions and was not a
"good liar."
On Wednesday, May 15, 1991,
Jurado, Shigemura and Holloway were at Jurado's apartment when
Humiston arrived in her car between 7:30 and 8 p.m. Another friend,
Mark Schmidt, also arrived and said Johnsen had telephoned Schmidt's
apartment earlier and asked him to bring Jurado there so Johnsen could
call back and speak to Jurado. They all went to Schmidt's apartment.
When they got there, Humiston sat down on the floor and had a worried
look on her face. Jurado and Shigemura went into the bedroom.
Johnsen telephoned and spoke
to Jurado first. Jurado said he had to "take care of" Mynatt before
Johnsen got out of jail. Johnsen agreed to let Jurado take care of
Mynatt on his own. Johnsen then spoke to Shigemura. She warned him he
had better speak to Holloway because Holloway apparently knew about
the plan to kill Mynatt and had been asking a lot of questions.
Holloway then spoke to
Johnsen. They talked about the plan to kill Mynatt. Meanwhile, Jurado
whispered to Shigemura, saying Holloway was going to tell Mynatt what
was being planned. Jurado said he wanted to kill Holloway to prevent
her from "snitching." Jurado went into the living room and told
Humiston "we're going to have to do Terry, take her out." Jurado made
some chopping gestures with his hand and shook Humiston. Humiston
looked upset or worried. [20 Cal.App.4th 469]
In Humiston's presence, Jurado
asked Schmidt for some "weed-eater wire," saying he needed it because
Johnsen had asked him to secure his motorcycle. Schmidt gave Jurado
some plastic wire and straps. Jurado wrapped the wire around his neck
and said, "That will do." At this point, Holloway was still in the
bedroom talking to Johnsen on the telephone.
Shigemura had to be back at
the private furlough facility where she was staying by 9 p.m. Humiston
and Jurado were going to drive her there. Humiston, Jurado and
Shigemura yelled at Holloway to get off the telephone and come with
them. Holloway did not want to go, saying she wanted to continue
talking on the telephone to Johnsen and there was no reason she had to
go. Finally, Schmidt told Holloway she had to leave because he was
leaving also and had to lock the apartment.
After Jurado told Shigemura
about the plan to kill Holloway, he said something to Humiston. Jurado
and Humiston then approached Shigemura, and Jurado said Humiston did
not want to drive. Jurado told Shigemura to drive. Standing within an
arm's length of Humiston, Shigemura told Jurado he could not "do this,
this is a friend." She said she did not want anything to do with
killing Holloway. Jurado said he would "do it" after he dropped off
Shigemura and would throw Holloway's body off Waring Road. Humiston
was present when these statements were made. She handed Shigemura her
car keys. Shigemura drove while Humiston sat in the back seat behind
Shigemura, Holloway sat in the front passenger seat and Jurado sat
behind Holloway.
Shigemura drove down 40th
Street onto the freeway. A few minutes later, Jurado wrapped the
plastic wire around his hands, leaned forward and began strangling
Holloway. Holloway fought back and started to scream. Both Humiston
and Shigemura yelled something like, "Rob, what are you doing?" and
yelled at him to stop. After about a minute, Jurado pulled Holloway
into the backseat with him and Humiston. The car was swerving and
Holloway was screaming, "Why are you doing this to me, why are you
doing this to my baby?" Shigemura heard Holloway being struck several
times with fists. Jurado reached into the back of the car and got a
scissors jack. Eventually, Humiston made her way to the front seat. By
this time, Holloway was on the floor in the back and there was no
sound coming from her.
Humiston's car began to break
down. Jurado told Shigemura to pull over and Humiston offered to
drive. Shigemura got out and walked around to the passenger side while
Humiston slid over to the driver's seat. Humiston got the car moving
back onto the freeway but the car soon experienced more problems and
Humiston had to pull off to the side of the road. Humiston and [20
Cal.App.4th 470] Shigemura got out, went to the back of the car
and pretended they were changing a tire. Jurado pulled Holloway out of
the car, dragged her three or four feet off the road and threw her
into a drainage ditch. He then jumped into the ditch and began beating
her with the jack, striking eight or nine blows. Sometimes he missed
and the sound of the jack hitting concrete could be heard.
When Jurado came out of the
ditch, he, Humiston and Shigemura pushed the car away from where they
left the body. They left the car and walked up a freeway off-ramp to a
7-Eleven. On the way, Jurado threw the jack off the side of the road.
Humiston, Shigemura and Jurado washed their hands with ice Shigemura
had obtained inside the store. Jurado telephoned a friend, David
Silva, to ask for a ride. While they waited for Silva, Jurado decided
to go back to the car to get a wallet. While he was gone, Shigemura
asked Humiston if she had hit Holloway. Humiston said, "Yeah, she
pissed on me."
Silva arrived and drove
Humiston, Jurado and Shigemura to Silva's girlfriend's apartment.
Humiston, Jurado and Shigemura seemed "[k]ind of shaken, kind of
stirred up a little bit." Humiston looked like she had been crying.
Silva then drove Humiston home.
The next day, Humiston left
her high school campus and drove her mother's car to Jurado's
apartment where she met Jurado and Shigemura. Jurado telephoned a
towing company and arranged to have Humiston's car towed from where
they left it the night before. They drove to meet the tow truck there.
There was blood on the passenger side door and the carpet of
Humiston's car. Humiston watched as Shigemura cleaned off the blood
and Jurado searched the car for Holloway's belongings. Humiston asked
Shigemura to go with her to look at Holloway's body but Shigemura
declined. Humiston set off on her own but did not get very far when
the tow truck arrived and she returned to her car.
As the car was being towed to
Jurado's apartment, Humiston joked with Shigemura about the murder.
Shigemura asked Humiston whether she thought the murder was necessary
and Humiston said yes, Holloway was a "snitch" and could have hurt
Humiston. When they arrived at his apartment, Jurado paid the tow
truck driver with money from Holloway's purse and Humiston signed a
receipt. fn. 8 Humiston and
Shigemura then cleaned more blood off the car. Later that day,
Humiston mentioned that Mynatt was going to hurt her family and
expressed a desire to have him killed, saying "[l]et's take care of
it." [20 Cal.App.4th 471]
After Jurado threw some of
Holloway's belongings in a dumpster, he, Humiston and Shigemura went
to Humiston's house where they washed clothes, including Jurado's
bloody shirt from the night before. The same day, Larissa Slusher and
Ted Meyer passed by the dumpster used by residents of Jurado's
apartment complex. Slusher had known Holloway for seven or eight
months. The night before Holloway's murder, Slusher had loaned
Holloway a dress which she put in her purse. Slusher and Meyer saw the
dress in the dumpster. It was spread out, covering some of Holloway's
possessions including her purse, wallet, driver's license, photographs
of her child, Johnsen's driver's license and one sandal identical to
one found with Holloway's body at the scene of the crime.
The next day, Humiston told
Rodrigues that she and Jurado had the car towed and paid for the tow
truck with money from Holloway's purse. Humiston said she did not feel
bad about killing Holloway. She said she had tried to talk to Holloway
about the threats Holloway had made to her family, so she did not feel
"all that guilty." Humiston told Rodrigues she was getting a new car
that day or the next and seemed happy and excited about it.
On Saturday, May 18, 1991,
Humiston drove her new car to pick up Jurado and they went to Silva's
house. Humiston, Jurado and Silva then drove to Jurado's apartment. As
they arrived, the police pulled up and arrested Humiston and Jurado.
Humiston showed the police where the jack used to murder Holloway had
been thrown. Humiston, Jurado and Shigemura were charged with murder
(? 187, subd. (a)) and conspiracy to commit murder (? 182, subd.
(a)(1)).
Humiston testified at trial,
denying any involvement in Holloway's murder. She denied knowing
anything about the plot to kill Mynatt or why Jurado killed Holloway.
She was upset the night of the murder because she thought Jurado and
Shigemura were having an affair, not because she knew Holloway was
about to be killed. Humiston admitted she disliked Holloway, in part
because Holloway supplied Jurado with drugs.
Although Humiston admitted
Jurado told her they were going to "take Terry out," she did not
understand and thought Jurado meant he was going to beat Holloway up.
Jurado said "Just forget it." When Jurado began to strangle Holloway
in the car, Humiston tried to stop him but he threatened to kill her
and ordered her to get in the front seat. Jurado then began to hit
Holloway with his fists. As Humiston crawled into the front seat,
Holloway grabbed her hair. Humiston hit Holloway once, to make her let
go. She was not trying to help Jurado or to kill Holloway, but she
knew at that point Holloway was being murdered. When her car broke
down, she drove because Jurado threatened to kill her. [20
Cal.App.4th 472]
Humiston testified she was
terrified of Jurado and Shigemura. After the murder, Humiston believed
Jurado when he threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Humiston
told her friends Andre and Rodrigues about the murder because she was
afraid and "couldn't keep it in." She was afraid to tell her parents
and hoped Rodrigues would tell them.
[1a] Humiston contends the
court committed reversible error in allowing her to be cross-examined
with statements she made to mental health professionals in
anticipation of a juvenile court fitness hearing (Welf. & Inst. Code,
? 707). She asserts the doctrine of use immunity should apply to
preclude testimony given at a juvenile court fitness hearing from
being used, both as substantive evidence and impeachment, in a
subsequent criminal trial.
A
Before trial, the defense
sought to exclude statements Humiston had made to the probation
officer and the psychologists who interviewed her for purposes of the
juvenile court fitness hearing. Specifically, the defense claimed such
evidence was precluded by the holdings in Ramona R. v. Superior Court
(1985)
37 Cal.3d 802 [210 Cal.Rptr. 204, 693 P.2d 789] and People v. Coleman
(1975)
13 Cal.3d 867 [120 Cal.Rptr. 384, 533 P.2d 1024]. The court declined
to rule at that time based on the prosecution's representation none of
the statements made in connection with the fitness hearing would be
introduced in its case-in-chief.
During direct examination of
Humiston, the defense renewed its request for a ruling on the
admissibility of this evidence, arguing the prosecution should be
precluded from cross-examining Humiston about any statements she made
to the "professionals for the express purpose of them providing it to
the probation officer" in connection with the fitness hearing. The
prosecution agreed any statements Humiston made directly to the
probation officer were precluded. However, the court determined the
statements made to the psychologists were not judicially compelled
within the meaning of [20 Cal.App.4th 473] Ramona R. v.
Superior Court, supra,
37 Cal.3d 802, and thus could be utilized during cross-examination as
stated in People v. Stanfill (1986)
184 Cal.App.3d 577 [229 Cal.Rptr. 215].
B
[2] Use immunity is a
judicially declared rule of evidence based on the privilege against
self-incrimination. (People v. Coleman, supra, 13 Cal.3d at pp. 878,
889; Ramona R. v. Superior Court, supra, 37 Cal.3d at pp. 806-807.)
Its purpose is to alleviate the difficult testimonial choice a person
must make in exercising his or her right to be heard at one judicial
proceeding which risks giving the prosecution the unfair advantage of
using that evidence on the issue of guilt at a later proceeding.
(People v. Coleman, supra, 13 Cal.3d at p. 872; Sheila O. v. Superior
Court (1981)
125 Cal.App.3d 812, 815 [178 Cal.Rptr. 418].) Use immunity was also
meant to encourage complete candor on the part of the accused in order
to assemble all available information relevant to an enlightened
judicial determination. (People v. Coleman, supra, 13 Cal.3d at pp.
893-894; In re Wayne H. (1979)
24 Cal.3d 595, 599-600 [156 Cal.Rptr. 344, 596 P.2d 1].)
The Supreme Court sanctioned
the rule of use immunity in the context of probation revocation
proceedings when it held: "[U]pon timely objection the testimony of a
probationer at a probation revocation hearing held prior to the
disposition of criminal charges arising out of the alleged violation
of the conditions of his probation, and any evidence derived from such
testimony, is inadmissible against the probationer during subsequent
proceedings on the related criminal charges, save for purposes of
impeachment or rebuttal where the probationer's revocation hearing
testimony or evidence derived therefrom and his testimony on direct
examination at the criminal proceeding are so clearly inconsistent as
to warrant the trial court's admission of the revocation hearing
testimony or its fruits in order to reveal to the trier of fact the
probability that the probationer has committed perjury at either the
trial or the revocation hearing." (People v. Coleman, supra, 13 Cal.3d
at p. 889.) Thus, the prosecution must produce sufficient evidence to
establish the defendant's guilt before the defendant must decide
whether to remain silent or to testify in his own behalf. (Id. at p.
876.) The court noted, however, that once a defendant elects to
testify at trial, he must testify truthfully and remains liable to
impeachment if his testimony on direct examination contradicts his
testimony at his revocation hearing. (Id. at pp. 892-893, fn. 21.)
Use immunity rules, such as
that announced in Coleman, have also been applied in other contexts.
In Tarantino v. Superior Court (1975)
48 Cal.App.3d 465, 469 [122 Cal.Rptr. 61], the court held the
defendant's right [20 Cal.App.4th 474] against
self-incrimination had not been violated by compelling him to submit
to psychiatric evaluations for purposes of determining his competency
to stand trial. The court applied the rule of use immunity to
statements the defendant made to court-appointed psychiatrists,
holding "... neither the statements of [defendant] to the
psychiatrists appointed under section 1369 nor the fruits of such
statements may be used in trial of the issue of [defendant's] guilt,
under either the plea of not guilty or that of not guilty by reason of
insanity." (Id. at p. 470; see also People v. Arcega (1982)
32 Cal.3d 504, 522 [186 Cal.Rptr. 94, 651 P.2d 338] [approving and
adopting the holding in Tarantino].)
In People v. Stanfill, supra,
184 Cal.App.3d at page 581, the defendant argued his statements made
to a psychiatrist during a mental competency examination conducted
pursuant to section 1368 were absolutely privileged and therefore it
was error to admit the psychiatrist's testimony at the guilt phase of
his trial. The court disagreed, holding the privilege against
self-incrimination is not absolute and can be waived. [3a] "A
defendant who takes the stand to testify in his own behalf waives the
privilege against self-incrimination to the extent of all inquiries
which would be proper on crossexamination and is subject to
impeachment the same as any other witness. [Citations.] Thus, the
defendant waives the privilege with respect to any matter to which he
testified expressly or impliedly on direct examination and that is
relevant to impeach his credibility as a witness. [Citation.]" (Ibid.)
fn. 11
[4] Similarly, if a defendant
testifies at a suppression hearing in superior court or a suppression
motion at a preliminary hearing, his testimony may not be used against
him by the prosecution in its case-in-chief. (People v. Drews (1989)
208 Cal.App.3d 1317, 1325 [256 Cal.Rptr. 846], citing Simmons v.
United States (1968) 390 U.S. 377 [19 L.Ed.2d 1247, 88 S.Ct. 967] and
People v. Cornejo (1979)
92 Cal.App.3d 637 [155 Cal.Rptr. 238].) "However, if a defendant's
testimony at a pretrial suppression hearing is inconsistent with his
testimony at trial, the People may use such pretrial testimony for
impeachment. [Citation.]" (People v. Drews, supra, 208 Cal.App.3d at
p. 1325.) This rule does not force a defendant to choose between a
valid Fourth Amendment claim and the Fifth Amendment right against
self-incrimination. "He may testify truthfully at his suppression
motion should he elect to do so. In the event that he chooses to
testify [20 Cal.App.4th 475] truthfully at trial, he runs no
risk of being impeached. He has, however, no right to commit perjury
and is not entitled to a 'false aura of veracity.' [Citation.] If his
trial testimony is inconsistent with that previously given at the
suppression hearing, he may be impeached therewith. (See Evid. Code,
?? 780, 1235.)" (People v. Douglas (1977)
66 Cal.App.3d 998, 1005-1006 [136 Cal.Rptr. 358], fn. omitted,
original italics.)
Use immunity has also been
applied in juvenile cases. For example, in Bryan v. Superior Court
(1972)
7 Cal.3d 575, 587 [102 Cal.Rptr. 831, 498 P.2d 1079], the court held
"... evidence of admissions made by a minor to the juvenile judge or
the juvenile probation officer should be excluded in a criminal
prosecution, for allowing this evidentiary use of the admissions would
frustrate the protective and rehabilitative philosophy of the Juvenile
Court Law and would deny to the minor the protection of exclusionary
rules which apply to all persons charged with the commission of crimes
in comparable circumstances." Similarly, in In re Wayne H., supra, 24
Cal.3d at page 602, the court held statements made by a juvenile to a
probation officer in an interview to determine whether the minor need
be further detained pending a court hearing (Welf. & Inst. Code, ?
628) are inadmissible as substantive evidence or for impeachment in
any subsequent proceeding to determine criminal guilt, although they
may be used at hearings on the issues of detention and fitness for
juvenile treatment. fn. 12
In Sheila O. v. Superior
Court, supra, 125 Cal.App.3d at page 814, the minor refused to testify
at a fitness hearing (Welf. & Inst. Code, ? 707) for fear her
testimony could be used against her in a later trial. After the
juvenile court determined the minor was not fit to be dealt with under
the juvenile court law, the minor was arraigned in municipal court.
She then sought a writ to compel the juvenile court to allow her to
testify at a fitness hearing without risking use of the testimony in a
later determination of guilt. The court issued the writ, holding "...
candid testimony by the juvenile at the fitness hearing should be
encouraged to aid in the determination of where best to try the minor;
fairness to the minor requires that this testimony not be given at the
expense of the privilege against self-incrimination." (125 Cal.App.3d
at p. 816.) Citing Coleman, Bryan and Wayne H., the court declared
"... a rule of evidence that testimony given by the juvenile at the
[20 Cal.App.4th 476] fitness hearing is inadmissible at the
jurisdictional hearing except for the purpose of impeachment." (Id. at
pp. 816-817, italics added.) fn. 13
[5] From these cases, the
following rule emerges: the privilege against self-incrimination is
violated unless a minor is provided with use immunity for statements
he or she makes to a probation officer or for testimony he or she
gives at a juvenile court fitness hearing. The exception carved out of
this rule is that the minor waives the privilege against
self-incrimination by testifying at trial inconsistently with
statements made in the context of a juvenile court proceeding to the
extent those statements are proper impeachment evidence.
C
[1b] Here, the court excluded
any statements Humiston made to the probation officer and thus no
issue of use immunity as to those statements is before us. Rather, we
deal only with the statements Humiston made to her retained
psychologists who testified on her behalf in an effort to show she was
a fit and proper subject for juvenile court treatment under the
criteria of Welfare and Institutions Code section 707, subdivision
(c). In this regard, those statements are neither legislatively nor
judicially compelled fn. 14 and thus
are more analogous to a minor's own testimony where he or she, with
advice of counsel, exercises the right to be heard at a fitness
hearing. Although Humiston's testimony in the form of statements
voluntarily made to the psychologists could not later be used as
substantive evidence of her guilt at trial, they were admissible to
impeach her once she elected to testify inconsistently with those
prior statements. (Sheila O. v. Superior Court, supra, 125 Cal.App.3d
at pp. 816-817; People v. Stanfill, supra, 184 Cal.App.3d at p. 581.)
The statements in question
were proper impeachment evidence. On direct examination, Humiston
denied any involvement in Holloway's murder. She testified she had
been afraid of Jurado throughout their entire relationship [20
Cal.App.4th 477] and did what he told her to do the night of the
murder cause she was afraid he was going to kill her.
In an attempt to impeach
Humiston on cross-examination, the prosecutor asked her about certain
statements she had made to her two retained psychologists during the
juvenile court fitness proceedings concerning her involvement in
Holloway's murder. Humiston testified she did not remember spending
eight or nine hours with Dr. Menkowski and did not remember telling
him she saw Jurado drag Holloway out of the car. She also did not
remember Dr. Menkowski testifying at the juvenile court fitness
hearing that he did not believe she participated in the offense
because she was afraid of Jurado. Humiston denied telling Dr.
Menkowski she was not afraid of Jurado during the offense or that she
voluntarily held Holloway down.
Humiston further testified on
cross-examination she did not remember being interviewed by Dr.
DiFrancesca but probably told her she was attracted to Jurado because
he was nice to her, was a character at a party and was fun. Humiston
did not recall if she told Dr. DiFrancesca that the relationship with
Jurado changed after a few months.
When weighing Humiston's
credibility, the jury was entitled to consider that her trial
testimony was inconsistent with prior statements she made to her
retained psychologists. The prosecution's line of questioning was
designed to test Humiston's truthfulness and elicited proper
impeachment evidence. Under these circumstances, the court properly
allowed use of Humiston's statements to her psychologists for this
purpose.
III
Humiston contends the court
erred in admitting evidence of (1) her use of drugs since the age of
13, and (2) her use of the Penal Code section for murder as an
identifying code to communicate with Jurado by pager at least eight
months before the crime. She asserts the evidence was irrelevant,
tended to prove only criminal disposition and thus was more
prejudicial than probative. fn. 15
A
Before trial, defense counsel
asked the court to exclude evidence of Humiston's drug use. The court
agreed this evidence would not be relevant to rebut evidence of her
peaceful and nonviolent character, but deferred [20 Cal.App.4th
478] ruling on whether it was admissible as evidence of her
participation in any conspiracy to kill Mynatt.
On direct examination,
Humiston testified she became very upset when Johnsen told her that
Holloway was selling drugs to Jurado. As a result of this information,
Humiston and Holloway had an argument and Holloway threatened to beat
up Humiston. Defense counsel later tried to clarify this testimony by
asking Humiston whether she meant to say she never used any drugs or
Jurado never gave her any drugs. Humiston answered "no" to both
questions. Defense counsel then asked the court to restrict the
prosecutor's cross-examination of Humiston as to her drug use, arguing
that fact had been established and thus was irrelevant and also
inadmissible under Evidence Code section 352. The court ruled Humiston
had opened up the issue on direct examination and the prosecution
could inquire into her drug use to impeach her credibility as well as
to show motive. The court further ruled inquiry on that point would be
limited and the court would weigh the probative value against its
prejudicial effect under Evidence Code section 352 "if we reach that
point."
On cross-examination, the
following exchange occurred without objection:
"Q. Now, were there any other
reasons you didn't like Terry Holloway?
"A. No.
"Q. Well, you testified this
morning that she was giving drugs to [Jurado] and 'that bothered me'?
"A. That's what Brian Johnsen
said that night.
"Q. Were you upset about that?
"A. A little bit, yeah. Yes.
"Q. Why?
"A. Because I wanted him to
stop.
"Q. Well, you were using drugs
from before the time you met Mr. Jurado, weren't you?
"A. Yes.
"Q. Going back to the time you
were 13? [20 Cal.App.4th 479]
"A. Yes.
"Q. But [Holloway's] giving
drugs to [Jurado] offended you to the point where you didn't like
[Holloway]?
"A. Yes."
B
Unless precluded by statute,
any evidence is admissible to attack the credibility of a witness if
it will establish a fact that has a tendency in reason to disprove the
truthfulness of the witness's testimony. (Evid. Code, ? 780; People v.
Jones (1984)
155 Cal.App.3d 153, 182 [202 Cal.Rptr. 162].) [6] Although evidence of
crimes other than those for which the defendant is being tried is
inadmissible to prove the defendant's criminal disposition (Evid.
Code, ? 1101, subd. (a)), such evidence is admissible to prove a
material disputed issue such as motive or intent. (People v. Douglas
(1990)
50 Cal.3d 468, 510 [268 Cal.Rptr. 126, 788 P.2d 640].)
[3b] If a defendant takes the
stand and generally denies the crime with which he is charged, the
permissible scope of cross-examination is "very wide." (People v.
Lanphear (1980)
26 Cal.3d 814, 833-834 [163 Cal.Rptr. 601, 608 P.2d 689].) When a
defendant voluntarily testifies, the prosecutor "may fully amplify his
testimony by inquiring into the facts and circumstances surrounding
his assertions, or by introducing evidence through cross-examination
which explains or refutes his statements or the inferences which may
necessarily be drawn from them. [Citation.]" (People v. Cooper (1991)
53 Cal.3d 771, 822 [281 Cal.Rptr. 90, 809 P.2d 865].)
[7] Here, Humiston testified
on direct examination that she had not meant to say she had never used
drugs and that, in fact, Jurado had given her drugs. By indirectly
admitting her drug use and thereby attempting to make it a nonissue,
Humiston could not preclude the prosecution from inquiring into the
facts and circumstances surrounding that admission. (See People v.
Gates (1987)
43 Cal.3d 1168, 1185 [240 Cal.Rptr. 666, 743 P.2d 301].) The
prosecutor's line of questioning was designed to show that Humiston's
admitted dislike of Holloway was for reasons other than Holloway
having supplied Jurado with drugs, since Humiston had been a drug user
herself. In this regard, Humiston's drug history
fn. 16 became relevant both to show
a possible motive for her involvement in Holloway's murder as well as
to [20 Cal.App.4th 480] impeach her credibility. (See People v.
Cooper, supra, 53 Cal.3d at p. 823; People v. Hayes (1990)
52 Cal.3d 577, 616-617 [276 Cal.Rptr. 874, 802 P.2d 376].) Contrary to
Humiston's assertion, the purpose of this evidence was not solely to
portray her in a negative light or to prove criminal disposition. The
evidence was properly admitted.
C
During the prosecutor's
cross-examination of Shigemura, she testified Jurado used a beeper
(pager) to communicate with Humiston from March or April 1990 until
September 1990 when Jurado lost the beeper and no longer used it. The
prosecutor asked Shigemura what beeper number Humiston used to
communicate with Jurado. Defense counsel, knowing the code was 187,
the Penal Code section for murder, objected on the ground the code
number was irrelevant, more prejudicial than probative and improper
character evidence.
The prosecutor argued the code
187 showed the nature of Humiston's relationship with Jurado. He
further argued the code number was relevant because it showed Humiston
was a different type of person than that portrayed by the defense and
that it was inconsistent for her to claim being battered by Jurado yet
have a ready means of getting Jurado's attention at any time. Defense
counsel clarified he was not objecting to the existence of a code
number, but only the number itself. The court overruled the objection.
Shigemura then testified that when Humiston used the beeper to reach
Jurado, she used the code 187 which Shigemura knew to be murder. She
further testified she was told Humiston selected that particular code.
On cross-examination, Humiston admitted she used a beeper to get in
touch with Jurado but denied she used the code 187.
Under Evidence Code section
1101, subdivision (a), except as otherwise provided, evidence of
specific instances of a person's conduct is inadmissible when offered
to prove his or her conduct on a specified occasion. Such evidence is
admissible, however, if relevant to prove some fact other than the
defendant's disposition to commit a crime. (Evid. Code, ? 1101, subd.
(b).) [8] One of the purposes of this rule of exclusion is to guard
against the probability that evidence having little bearing on the
crime with which the defendant is charged will assume undue
proportions and prejudice the defendant in the minds of the jurors.
(See People v. Haston (1968)
69 Cal.2d 233, 244 [70 Cal.Rptr. 419, 444 P.2d 91].) [20
Cal.App.4th 481]
Because evidence of prior bad
acts always involves the risk of prejudice regardless of its probative
value, other restrictions apply to limit its admissibility. (People v.
Thompson (1980)
27 Cal.3d 303, 318 [165 Cal.Rptr. 289, 611 P.2d 883].) Thus, under
Evidence Code section 352, the probative value of this evidence must
outweigh its prejudicial effect. (Ibid.)
[9] Here, evidence Humiston
used a beeper to communicate with Jurado may have been relevant to
show they had a close relationship and Humiston was aware of his
activities between March and September 1990, contrary to Humiston's
claim she was afraid of Jurado throughout their entire relationship.
The fact Humiston used her own code to identify herself added little
to the probative value of this evidence and was of marginal relevance.
However, evidence she used the Penal Code section for murder, eight
months before the crime, was not relevant to prove any fact other than
her disposition to commit murder. No evidence of any murder plan
between March and September 1990 was presented. The coincidence of
using the code for murder and later committing murder is precisely
what makes the evidence so prejudicial in the eyes of the jury. Thus,
evidence Humiston used the number 187 should have been excluded under
Evidence Code section 352.
D
[10] Humiston asserts the
court further erred in failing to instruct the jury under CALJIC No.
2.50 on the permissible use of this evidence. She argues this allowed
the jury to use the evidence, as intended by the prosecution, on the
question of Humiston's disposition to commit the crime. However,
Humiston failed to request the instruction and thereby waived the
right to raise it on appeal.
Where, as here, a defendant
presents evidence of uncharged criminal acts, a limiting instruction
is deemed waived unless requested. (People v. Morrisson (1979)
92 Cal.App.3d 787, 790-791 [155 Cal.Rptr. 152].) Further, the trial
court is not required to instruct sua sponte on the limited
admissibility of evidence of past criminal conduct or prior bad acts.
(People v. Collie (1981)
30 Cal.3d 43, 63-64 [177 Cal.Rptr. 458, 634 P.2d 534, 23 A.L.R.4th
776]; People v. Milner (1988)
45 Cal.3d 227, 251-252 [246 Cal.Rptr. 713, 753 P.2d 669].)
E
[11] Although the court erred
in admitting evidence that Humiston used the number 187 to communicate
with Jurado by pager, the error does not require reversal.
Introduction of evidence Humiston used the number 187 [20
Cal.App.4th 482] and Shigemura "was told" Humiston had chosen that
number, later denied by Humiston, was somewhat isolated and there was
no further use of it by the prosecution.
fn. 17 Moreover, the prosecution's case was strong. The evidence
showed Humiston knew about the plan to kill Holloway before leaving
Schmidt's apartment. Humiston, Jurado and Shigemura encouraged
Holloway to get off the telephone and accompany them in Humiston's
car. Once in the car, Jurado began to strangle Holloway while Humiston
straddled and punched her and held her down. She said she did this
because Holloway had been threatening her family and later said the
murder was necessary because Holloway was a "snitch." Humiston helped
clean blood off the car and dispose of other evidence. On this record,
we conclude there is no reasonable probability Humiston would have
received a verdict more favorable if the evidence of the beeper code
number had been excluded. (People v. Watson (1956)
46 Cal.2d 818, 836 [299 P.2d 243].)
The court is directed to amend
the abstract of judgment to reflect that imposition of Humiston's
sentence was stayed on count 1, conspiracy, rather than on count 2,
murder. In all other respects, the judgment is affirmed.
Todd, Acting P. J., and Benke,
J., concurred.
Appellant's petition for
review by the Supreme Court was denied March 3, 1994.
FN 1. Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 976.1, this
opinion is certified for publication with the exception of parts I,
IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.
FN 2. All statutory references are to the Penal Code unless
otherwise specified.
FN 3. The minute order and the reporter's transcript for June 23,
1992, reflect the court stayed imposition of sentence on the
conspiracy count, not the murder count as indicated by the abstract of
judgment. The abstract of judgment must be corrected accordingly.
FN 4. Several of the hairs were later determined to be similar to
those of Humiston.
FN 5. Johnsen was angry with Jurado because the police had
searched Johnsen's house looking for a gun Jurado had stolen and found
drugs belonging to Jurado. Jurado would not admit the drugs were his
so Johnsen was arrested. Shigemura was angry with Jurado because she
had spent seven months in federal custody after being arrested on a
military base for possessing drugs and weapons that belonged to
Jurado.
FN 6. Johnsen testified at trial he was "pretty sure" Humiston was
present during part of the discussion about Jurado's debt to Mynatt.
FN 7. For example, Mynatt had failed to pay Johnsen rent as
promised, he was going through Johnsen's personal effects and riding
Johnsen's motorcycle without a license. Mynatt also misplaced $450 and
accused Shigemura of taking it, so he stole her purse.
FN 8. The tow truck driver testified at trial there was nothing
unusual in their demeanor to cause him to become suspicious.
FN 11. In People v. May (1988)
44 Cal.3d 309, 319 [243 Cal.Rptr. 369, 748 P.2d 307], the court cited
Harris v. New York (1971) 401 U.S. 222 [28 L.Ed.2d 1, 91 S.Ct. 643]
and People v. Stanfill, supra, 184 Cal.App.3d at pages 581-582, for
the proposition that "... the privilege against self-incrimination
cannot be invoked by one who has voluntarily taken the witness stand
to testify concerning the subject matter of his prior statement." (44
Cal.3d at p. 319.)
FN 12. In Wayne H., the minor's statement to his probation officer
that he had committed the crime for which he was being detained was
admitted into evidence at the jurisdictional hearing, over objection,
as substantive evidence of the minor's guilt. (In re Wayne H., supra,
24 Cal.3d at p. 598.) Thus, the issue of whether his statements to the
probation officer could be used for impeachment was not squarely
before the court.
FN 13. The court in Ramona R. v. Superior Court, supra, 37 Cal.3d
at pages 806-807, held the exclusionary use immunities applied in
prior juvenile court decisions survived the passage of Proposition 8
which added section 28, subdivision (d) to article I of the California
Constitution. The court quoted language in Sheila O. in its discussion
of the use immunity rule and in a footnote, stated it was not reaching
"the question whether the testimony may be used for purposes of
impeachment," thus neither approving nor disapproving dictum in Sheila
O. on this point. (Ramona R. v. Superior Court, supra, 37 Cal.3d at p.
807, fn. 2.)
FN 14. In contrast, a probation officer is required to file a
report on the minor's "behavioral patterns and social history" (Welf.
& Inst. Code, ? 707, subd. (a)) and thus a minor who refuses to speak
to the probation officer prejudices his or her position by appearing
uncooperative or preventing the probation officer from determining
whether the minor can be rehabilitated. (Ramona R. v. Superior Court,
supra, 37 Cal.3d at p. 810, fn. 3.)
FN 15. In Humiston's motion for new trial, she unsuccessfully
claimed the erroneous admission of evidence of her drug use denied her
a fair trial.
FN 16. The fact the prosecutor elicited testimony that Humiston
had been using drugs since age 13 is of little import here. We note
there was no specific objection to the age when Humiston first used
drugs and thus the court was not called upon to weigh the probative
value of this evidence against any prejudicial effect. In any event,
once Humiston admitted on direct examination Jurado had given her
drugs, the prosecutor was entitled to ask her whether she had been
using drugs even before she met Jurado.
FN 17. Although the prosecutor did not talk about the beeper code
number in his closing argument, defense counsel did mention it in his
closing argument.