People v. Duran

545 P.2d 1322, 16 Cal. 3d 282, 127 Cal. Rptr. 618, 90 A.L.R. 3d 1, 1976 Cal. LEXIS 221
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 27, 1976
DocketCrim. 18573
StatusPublished
Cited by371 cases

This text of 545 P.2d 1322 (People v. Duran) 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. Duran, 545 P.2d 1322, 16 Cal. 3d 282, 127 Cal. Rptr. 618, 90 A.L.R. 3d 1, 1976 Cal. LEXIS 221 (Cal. 1976).

Opinions

Opinion

WRIGHT, C. J.

Defendant Bernardo Guiterrez Duran appeals from a judgment upon jury convictions of assault with a deadly weapon by a life-term prisoner (Pen. Code, § 4500) and possession of a dirk or dagger when confined in prison (Pen. Code, § 4502).1 He contends that the trial court committed prejudicial error in denying his motion to appear before the jury in street clothes and without handcuffs or other shackles, in prohibiting cross-examination intended to show the bias of a prosecution witness and in erroneously excluding evidence on hearsay grounds. We conclude, based upon the nature of the total evidence adduced in the [287]*287instant case, that the errors complained of by defendant were prejudicial and require reversal of the judgment.2

Some 40 inmates were present in the plaza area of the California Men’s Colony during an afternoon laundry exchange in April 1973. The inmates were supervised by guards in the plaza area, including Officers Martin and Santana. A guard in an observation tower, who had not theretofore observed any unusual activity, suddenly saw an inmate clutch his stomach and fall to his knees. Using the public address system the officer in the tower directed Martin to assist the fallen inmate and ordered Santana to stop another inmate who was running from the scene. The officer in the tower did not recognize the fleeing inmate. Santana apprehended defendant after the latter fell when he bumped a door frame through which he was attempting to flee. A single scissor blade was found approximately three feet from where defendant fell. The inmate victim, Sprague, sustained four wounds, two of which were deep punctures that could have been inflicted by the scissor blade. There were no identifiable fingerprints on the blade and the small amount of dried blood on the blade could not be identified by blood type.

No witness testified that he saw a stabbing or identified defendant as having attacked the victim with a weapon.3 Each of the guards who testified stated that defendant was the inmate who ran from the scene. Sprague testified that although he did not see who perpetrated the attack he was certain defendant was not his assailant since the only person nearby when he was stabbed had a distinguishable hair style unlike that of the defendant. Inmate Gallegos, who was standing near the victim when the stabbing occurred, testified that he saw defendant swing his arm several times in Sprague’s direction just before Sprague fell to his knees. However, Gallegos stated that he did not see a scissor blade or other weapon in defendant’s hand. Defendant testified that he hurriedly left the scene to avoid any connection with the incident after seeing Sprague stagger and fall.

[288]*288Defense counsel made a motion prior to trial that defendant and his inmate witnesses be allowed to appear before the jury in civilian clothes and without wrist and ankle restraints.4 The motion was summarily denied. Counsel then asked if defendant could have one hand freed in order to take notes during the trial. This request was granted but the court stated that defendant’s wrists and ankles would be shackled when he testified.

The rules governing the imposition of physical restraints5 upon criminal defendants find their origin in the English common law. Thus Blackstone wrote, “. .. though under an indictment of the highest nature, [the prisoner] must be brought to the bar without irons or any manner of shackles or bonds, unless there be evident danger of an escape, and then he may be secured with irons.” (4 Blackstone’s Commentaries 322; see also 2 Hale, Pleas of the Crown 219, which reiterates Blackstone’s observation and adds, “[b]ut note, at this day [prisoners] usually come with their schackles upon their legs, for fear of an escape, but stand at bar unbound, till they receive judgment”; 2 Bishop, New Commentaries on the Law of Pleading and Evidence and the Practice in Criminal Cases (2d ed. 1913) 955, which states that the prisoner should be unshackled in the courtroom so as to have “ ‘use of his reason, and all advantages, to clear his innocence’ ” Krauskopf, Physical Restraint of the Defendant in the Courtroom (1971) 15 St. Louis U.L.J. 351.)

Recognizing these common law pronouncements, we held over 100 years ago in People v. Harrington (1871) 42 Cal. 165, that “any order or action of the Court which, without evident necessity, imposes physical burdens, pains and restraints upon a prisoner during the progress of his trial, inevitably tends to confuse and embarrass his mental faculties, and thereby materially to abridge and prejudicially affect his constitutional rights of defense; and especially wduld such physical bonds and restraints in like manner materially impair and prejudicially affect his statutory privilege of becoming a competent witness and testifying in his own behalf.” (Id., at p. 168.) We held accordingly that it was prejudicial [289]*289error, a violation of the common law rule and a violation of section 13 of the Criminal Practice Act, for the trial court to refuse to allow the defendant to appear before the jury without physical restraints unless there was “evident necessity” for the restraint.6

We have subsequently adhered to the Harrington rule. In People v. Kimball (1936) 5 Cal.2d 608 [55 P.2d 483], which involved a defendant who was handcuffed to an officer throughout the trial, we held that a defendant could not ordinarily be restrained when appearing in court. However, we held the defendant’s expressed intention to escape, his threats to kill three or four witnesses, and the discovery of a homemade weapon in his boot on the first day of trial to constitute sufficient justification for the use of handcuffs. In People v. Ross (1967) 67 Cal.2d 64 [60 Cal.Rptr. 254, 429 P.2d 606] (revd. on other grounds, Ross v. California (1968) 391 U.S. 470 [20 L.Ed.2d 750, 88 S.Ct. 1850]) we stated, citing Harrington, that unless there is a danger of escape, “an accused is entitled to appear during the progress of his trial free of shackles.” (People v. Ross, supra, 61 Cal.2d 64, 72.) We noted, however, that it was permissible to transport the prisoner to court in handcuffs and to keep him in such restraints until he entered the courtroom. (Id.; see also People v. Hillery (1967) 65 Cal.2d 795, 806 [56 Cal.Rptr. 280, 423 P.2d 208].) The physical restraint issue was most recently addressed in People v. Chacon (1968) 69 Cal.2d 765 [73 Cal.Rptr. 10, 447 P.2d 106, 34 A.L.R.3d 454], wherein we stated that a “defendant may be required to undergo reasonable restraints when they are necessary to assure his detention or to maintain order in the courtroom.” (Id., at p. 778.) Chacon also emphasized the necessity of objecting to use of physical restraints and noted that not only was the limited restraint of handcuffing justified for defendant Chacon, but also that defense counsel had voiced no objections to the restraints.7 (Id.)

[290]*290Numerous Court of Appeal decisions have also adhered to a physical restraint rule which is consistent with Harrington. People v. Burnett

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
545 P.2d 1322, 16 Cal. 3d 282, 127 Cal. Rptr. 618, 90 A.L.R. 3d 1, 1976 Cal. LEXIS 221, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-duran-cal-1976.