People v. Ramos
People v. Ramos
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal by the defendant from a judgment upon a verdict of conviction of the crime of grand larceny. The motion of the defendant for a new trial was denied.
The point urged upon appeal is that the court erred in allowing the district attorney to read to the jury the transcript of the testimony of the prosecuting witness which was taken in the police court upon the preliminary examination. The respondent contends that the transcript of this testimony was admissible under the provisions of section 686 of the Penal Code, for the reason that the witness could not be found within the state. The objection by the appellant to the application of said section in the present case is that there was not sufficient showing of diligence on the part of the people to locate the witness and secure his attendance at the trial.
Rubio was also examined and stated that he had gone with the police officer to the Chilean consul and the consul had stated that Aranda had told him “that he was going on a boat, also that he got a job, but he didn’t say where. He got a job on a boat.” Rubio also testified that Aranda had stated at the preliminary examination that he wanted to take a trip around on a boat and did not know how long he would be gone—perhaps five or six months. This witness also testified that he did not know of any relative or any person in any way connected with Aranda who could give any information about him.
It did not appear, therefore, that the police officer had any clue to follow which would lead to a discovery of the whereabouts of this missing witness.
The" trial court held that the showing was sufficient to permit the reading of the testimony given at the preliminary examination. While the testimony in that transcript was no part of the showing made upon the question of due diligence, it may not be amiss to say that a perusal of it abundantly corroborates the position of the district attorney that Aranda was at sea at the time of the trial.
In the case of People v. Boyd, 16 Cal. App. 130, 133, 134, [116 Pac. 323, 324], the court said: “As is said in Heintz v. Cooper, 104 Cal. 670, [38 Pac. 512], ‘diligence is a relative term incapable of exact definition. What would amount to due diligence under one state of facts would fall absolutely short of it under another and different state of facts. It depends, therefore, so essentially upon the particular circumstances of each case, with all their distinct and varying *494 phases and bearings, as they have appeared to the lower court at the trial and throughout the conduct of the cause, in determining whether- diligence has been used in any particular instance, that this court should hesitate to disturb a ruling upon this ground where it has any substance whatever upon which to rest. The presumption is that the discretion has been properly exercised, and that presumption must be overcome by a clear want of facts before the order will be disturbed.’ (See Jones v. Singleton, 45 Cal. 92; Baker v. Joseph, 16 Cal. 180; Kenezleber v. Wahl, 92 Cal. 202, [28 Pac. 225]; People v. Johnson, 13 Cal. App. 779, [110 Pac. 965].)”
Under all the circumstances of this case, we think there was no abuse of discretion by the trial court.
The judgment is affirmed.
Nourse, J., and Sturtevant, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The PEOPLE, Respondent, v. ROSENDO RAMOS, Appellant
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published