People v. Arguello

423 P.2d 202, 65 Cal. 2d 768, 56 Cal. Rptr. 274, 1967 Cal. LEXIS 385
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 8, 1967
DocketCrim. No. 10129
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 423 P.2d 202 (People v. Arguello) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Arguello, 423 P.2d 202, 65 Cal. 2d 768, 56 Cal. Rptr. 274, 1967 Cal. LEXIS 385 (Cal. 1967).

Opinion

BURKE, J.

Defendant was found guilty by a jury of first degree murder, and the penalty was fixed at death. On appeal, the judgment was reversed insofar as it related to penalty but affirmed in all other respects. (People v. Arguello, 61 Cal.2d 210 [37 Cal.Rptr. 601, 390 P.2d 377].) At the second penalty trial the death sentence was again imposed. On appeal we recalled the remittitur in People v. Arguello, supra, 61 Cal.2d 210, vacated our judgment, and reversed the judgment appealed from in its entirety. (People v. Arguello, 63 Cal.2d 566 [47 Cal.Rptr. 485, 407 P.2d 661].) A jury again found defendant guilty of first degree murder and fixed the penalty at death. Motions for a new trial and for reduction of sentence were denied, and defendant’s third automatic appeal is now before us. (Pen. Code, § 1239, subd. (b).)

Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict, that evidence was erroneously admitted, that the prosecutor was guilty of misconduct, and that the court erred in its instructions to the jury. We have concluded that none of these contentions can be upheld and that the judgment should be affirmed.

Much of the evidence at the prior trials was introduced at the present trial and may be summarized in a similar manner to that employed on defendant’s prior automatic appeals.

The body of Marie Chapman, an 82-year-old widow, was found by a neighbor in the bathroom of her home in San Diego about 5 o’clock in the afternoon on November 9, 1961. According to the autopsy surgeon, death resulted from multiple skull fractures and lacerations of the brain and throat. Mrs. Chapman ordinarily kept the doors to her house locked and was cautious in admitting persons into her home. A police inspection of the house revealed nothing to indicate a forced entry. About 9 a.m. on the day Mrs. Chapman was killed a neighbor heard her talking to someone in a raised voice. Mrs. [772]*772Chapman’s sister-in-law telephoned her at 11 a.m. and got no answer.

Defendant had worked for Mrs. Chapman periodically for several years as a handyman. About 11:30 a.m. on the day Mrs. Chapman was killed he arrived at the home of his friend, Mrs. Josephine Mendoza, who lived in the same neighborhood as Mrs. Chapman. He changed his clothes at Mrs. Mendoza's home and gave his trousers to her daughter to wash. The police found blood on the trousers, and there was evidence that defendant cut his finger while wearing the same kind of trousers a few days before. However, it was determined that the blood was not defendant’s type and that it was the same type as decedent’s. Soon after arriving at Mrs. Mendoza’s home on November 9 defendant wiped his hands on a towel that may have been used by others and tests revealed a substance on the towel that “very probably was blood. ’ ’

A chemical analysis of a brick found in Mrs. Chapman’s closet revealed “the probable presence of blood,” and the autopsy surgeon testified that a brick could have caused one of her skull fractures. There was soil on the brick and on Mrs. Chapman’s body, which tests disclosed was the same as that found in the yard behind the house of defendant’s uncle, and the soils all contained distinctive characteristics not commonly found in soil. The police while searching the yard, discovered what appeared to be an impression made by the narrow side of the brick, and the brick found in Mrs. Chapman’s closet had soil on its narrow side. Defendant’s uncle testified that defendant did not sleep at his house on the night of November 8, 1961, but according to Mrs. Mendoza, who testified through an interpreter, when defendant left her house on the night of November 8 he stated that he was going ‘ ‘ with his uncle. ’ ’

A knife discovered in a kitchen drawer was bloodstained, but tests were inconclusive as to whether the blood was of human origin. A hammer was found attached to Mrs. Chapman’s neck by a cord, and the autopsy surgeon testified that one of the injuries to her skull could have been inflicted with the hammer. The cord was tied to the hammer by a type of knot not commonly used, although it would be familiar to some members of certain groups such as sailors. On one occasion following his arrest defendant was asked to tie a piece of cord, and the knot he made was dissimilar to that used in fastening the cord to the hammer. Subsequently, while awaiting trial defendant tied a bundle of clothing with string, and [773]*773the knot he made this time was the same type as the one used to tie the cord to the hammer.

Mrs. Chapman had at least $58.60 in her purse six days before she was killed, but a search of her home after her death disclosed only two silver dollars in a trunk and less than 50 cents in her purse. Defendant tried unsuccessfully to borrow $5 from Mrs. Chapman’s sister-in-law on November 7, 1961, and he told Mrs. Mendoza the next day that he had $2. He had about $35 when he arrived at Mrs. Mendoza’s home on November 9, the day Mrs. Chapman was killed.

Defendant did not take the stand at the instant trial, and no witnesses were called to testify in his behalf.

At the penalty trial the parties stipulated that the evidence at the guilt trial might be considered by the jury in determining the penalty. In addition the prosecution introduced evidence that defendant was convicted of forgery in 1930 and served a term at San Quentin and that in 1956 he was again convicted of forgery. It was stipulated that the latter offense was a misdemeanor.

The evidence is clearly sufficient to support the verdict.

Over objection, the prosecution introduced testimony by Mrs. Patricia Baugh, a next-door neighbor of Mrs. Chapman, that during visits she had with Mrs. Chapman from 1959 to 1961 Mrs. Chapman stated (1) that for her own protection she did not allow strangers into the house, (2) that she had a cane “as a means of defense,” and (3) that should she be in trouble she would scream from her bedroom windows and Mrs. Baugh would hear her. Immediately after the evidence was received the court instructed the jury that it was admitted to show the state of mind of Mrs. Chapman and for that purpose only. Defendant now urges that the evidence was inadmissible hearsay. The evidence, however, was not objectionable as hearsay since it was admitted solely as evidence of the deceased’s state of mind. (People v. Brust, 47 Cal.2d 776, 784-785 [306 P.2d 480]; see also People v. Atchley, 53 Cal.2d 160, 171-172 [346 P.2d 764] ; see Witkin, Cal. Evidence (2d ed. 1966) p. 429; McCormick on Evidence, pp. 465-466, 567; 6 Wigmore, Evidence, § 1790.) The statements tended to show that the deceased was fearful especially of strangers, a matter relevant to the prosecution’s theory that the murderer was not a stranger to her.

The present case is unlike People v. Hamilton, 55 Cal.2d 881 [13 Cal.Rptr. 649, 362 P.2d 473], relied upon by defendant. There declarations by the decedent referring to past [774]*774conduct of the defendant that caused her to fear him were admitted solely to show her state of mind, and it was held that their admission constituted prejudicial error. The opinion pointed out (at p.

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Bluebook (online)
423 P.2d 202, 65 Cal. 2d 768, 56 Cal. Rptr. 274, 1967 Cal. LEXIS 385, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-arguello-cal-1967.