People v. Ferrara

122 P. 1089, 18 Cal. App. 271, 1912 Cal. App. LEXIS 333
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 21, 1912
DocketCrim. No. 371.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 122 P. 1089 (People v. Ferrara) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Ferrara, 122 P. 1089, 18 Cal. App. 271, 1912 Cal. App. LEXIS 333 (Cal. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

KERRIGAN, J.

The defendant was charged with the crime of grand larceny; he was tried, convicted and sentenced. This appeal is prosecuted by him from the judgment and from an order denying his motion for a new trial.

The defendant and the prosecuting witness, J. Yalmini, met for the first time on the morning of August 15, 1910, in a saloon in Oakland. After taking several drinks together, in company with others, these two men left the saloon and went to a restaurant. While there defendant made conditional arrangements to obtain a room in the house where Yalmini lived, and in the course of conversation with Yalmini, learned from him that he had $2,100 on deposit in a bank, and was looking for a location suitable for conducting a saloon business. Leaving the restaurant an automobile was hired, and they rode to Yalmini’s lodgings. There the defendant secured a room, and having done so suggested to Yalmini that they go down town and draw the money out of the bank, which was done. After getting the money in currency Yalmini, in company with the defendant, went back to his room, and withdrew the money from his pocket, intending to put it in his trunk. At this moment the defendant took the money out of Yalmini’s hand, saying he would wrap it up in a handkerchief ; Yalmini turned to open the trunk, and when he faced back again, the defendant handed him a package wrapped up in a handkerchief, which Yalmini took and placed in his trunk, locking it. The defendant then proposed that they go to San Francisco, but at the suggestion of Yalmini they spent the rest of the day in company with the landlady and her daughter automobile riding, returning between 6 and 7 o’clock in the evening. Defendant renewed his invita *273 tion to Valmini to go to San Francisco, and they started together for that city, but at a point en route the defendant informed his companion that it was unnecessary for him to go any farther, and suggested that they meet the following morning. Returning home Valmini discovered the loss of his $2,100. The matter was immediately reported to the police department, and in July of the following year the defendant was apprehended in Portland, Oregon, charged with the larceny of this money.

The defendant at the trial admitted a prior conviction, but pleaded not guilty to the present charge of grand larceny, and in support of his defense attempted to prove an alibi.

Valmini, the landlady and her daughter testified that the defendant was the man who was with Valmini at t£e times respectively referred to on August 15, 1910, when his money was stolen. On the other hand, a saloon-keeper, a bar-tender and a cook, all engaged in the same place of business in Portland, testified that during all the month of August, 1910, the defendant was in that place (Portland) and that they saw him daily.

Upon the redirect examination of the prosecuting witness the following took place:

“Q. Mr. Valmini, about the time you lost your money . . . did you talk with Mr. Kyle [a detective] about this case? ... A. I think I talked to Kyle the next day. Kyle took me over to the city. . . .
“Q. Did he show you anything at that time? A. He took me over to the city and showed me all the pictures. . . .
“Q. Where ?
“Mr. Wilson [defendant’s counsel] : I object to that, about taking the pictures, unless the defendant was present.
“The Court: He may answer.
“Mr. Rogers: Q. Where were those pictures? A. Over in the police court over there, in the police department over in the city. I don’t remember where the place was.
“Mr. Wilson: I want to enter another objection. The testimony is incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial, as basis for reversal, and I will make a motion now, in view of that testimony brought out, that this jury be dismissed and a new panel impaneled.
*274 “The Court: If he saw the picture of the defendant anywhere, he may testify that he saw it and recognized it. If it is prejudicial, it comes from the fact that it is in a place it has no business to be, maybe; but couldn’t he say in answer to your objection, that he didn’t recognize this man, but that he saw and recognized a picture of him, if that is the object of it? . . .
“Mr. Rogers: Now, amongst those pictures did you see any picture that you recognized? A. I recognized the picture of Steven Ferrara.”

Defendant contends that the admission of the testimony with reference to the pictures was injurious, as well as was the observation of the court that perhaps the picture was found at a place where it had no right to be.

As to the claimed misconduct of the court, no objection having been taken to the remark at the time, the possibility of injury to the defendant cannot now be considered. (People v. Walker, 15 Cal. App. 400, [114 Pac. 1009] ; People v. Mayes, 113 Cal. 618, [45 Pac. 860]; People v. Davenport, 17 Cal. App. 557, [120 Pac. 451] ; People v. Ruef, 14 Cal. App. 576, [114 Pac. 48, 54].)

As to the evidence just quoted, it is virtually conceded that the answer of the witness that the pictures were shown him at the police department was unexpected; and as no motion was made to strike it out, defendant cannot now at this time be' heard to complain unless the testimony of the witness as to the identification of the defendant’s photograph was inadmissible. (Ency. of Evidence, p. 178.)

It is important in this connection to remember that the testimony questioned was elicited upon redirect examination after counsel for the defendant had sought to break down or weaken the testimony of the witness as to the identity of the defendant. By the cross-examination of counsel for the defendant he sought to show that at all times prior to the trial the witness was doubtful as to the matter, and that it' was not until he had visited the defendant five times that he was able ,to identify him, and that at this time,the recognition was the result of remarks, intimations and suggestions of members of the police department. The purpose of the introduction of Valmini’s prior identification of defendant’s photograph was not to prove the identity of the accused as the guilty party—. *275 for which purpose it is conceded it would be incompetent (People v. Johnson, 91 Cal. 265, [27 Pac. 663]; People v. McNamara, 94 Cal. 509, [29 Pac. 953]; State v. Houghton, 43 Or. 125, [71 Pac. 982]); but rather to establish the truth and credibility of his statement that after the defendant’s arrest he could and did identify him as the guilty party. For this purpose the testimony was admissible.

In Commonwealth v. Jenkins,

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Bluebook (online)
122 P. 1089, 18 Cal. App. 271, 1912 Cal. App. LEXIS 333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ferrara-calctapp-1912.