Can a defendant plead guilty to premeditated murder in order to prove that another defendant committed murder rather than manslaughter?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Montanez, B255385 (Cal. App. 2015):

8. The converse of defendant's argument is helpful to understand its fallacy. A prosecutor would not be able to introduce evidence that Defendant A pled guilty to premeditated murder in order to prove that Defendant B had also committed murder rather than manslaughter. (People v. Cummings (1993) 4 Cal.4th 1233, 1322 [one defendant's guilty plea is inadmissible to prove that another defendant participated in the crime]; see United States v. Halbert (1981) 640 F.2d 1000, 1004 ["As a principle of general acceptance, guilty plea or conviction of a codefendant may not be offered by the government and received over objection as substantive evidence of the guilt of those on trial."].) Doctrinally, we see no difference to introduction of such evidence by the defense.

9. All future undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

10. Former section 12280, subdivision (b) was repealed and replaced by section 30605, subdivision (a), which reads: "Any person who, within this state, possesses any assault weapon, except as provided in this chapter, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170." Section 30605 became operative on January 1, 2012.

11. Black, supra, was later overruled on other grounds by Cunningham v. California (2007) 549 U.S. 270.

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