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Appellant, William Satele, Reply Brief - California Courts - State of ...

Appellant, William Satele, Reply Brief - California Courts - State of ...

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the facts indicate that only one defendant acted in that role.<br />

It is the possibility <strong>of</strong> inconsistent factual theories that was the evil in In re<br />

Sakarias (2005) 35 Ca1.4th 140, and the argument appellant has presented is that<br />

the findings that both defendants personally fired the weapon violates the<br />

principles discussed in Sakarias. However, in spite <strong>of</strong> the fact that this is the<br />

essence <strong>of</strong> claim asserted here, respondent does not address Sakarias at all in<br />

discussing this issue. (Respondent only discusses Sakarias in a subsequent section<br />

<strong>of</strong> Respondent's <strong>Brief</strong> dealing with the issue <strong>of</strong> prosecutorial misconduct. (See<br />

RB at pp.142-145.) However, the Sakarias analysis is critical to an understanding<br />

<strong>of</strong>this issue.<br />

Sakarias held it was contrary to principles <strong>of</strong> fundamental fairness for the<br />

prosecution to attribute to two defendants, in separate trials, a criminal act only<br />

one defendant could have committed. (Sakarias, supra, 35 Ca1.4th at pp. 155-156,<br />

italics added in RB at pp. 142-143.) <strong>Appellant</strong>'s point is that ifonly one defendant<br />

could have committed the act in question the fundamental unfairness <strong>of</strong>attributing<br />

that act to two defendants is the same whether the prosecution does so in one trial<br />

or two. While Sakarias discussed the result in the context <strong>of</strong>two trials, there is no<br />

reason in law or policy to limit the principles underlying Sakarias to a two-trial<br />

situation.<br />

Sakarias is based on the premise that the prosecutor's use <strong>of</strong> inconsistent<br />

factual theories "surely does not inspire public confidence in our criminal justice<br />

system." (Id. at p. 159, quoting Thompson v. Calderon (9th Cir. 1997) 120 F.3d<br />

1045, 1072 (dis. opn. <strong>of</strong> Kozinski, J).) <strong>Appellant</strong> submits that the foregoing<br />

rationale applies with equal force whether the two inconsistent results are obtained<br />

in two trials or in one trial as a result <strong>of</strong>a poorly worded verdict form.<br />

For the foregoing reasons, respondent's contentions are premised on<br />

misunderstanding <strong>of</strong>the issue and, accordingly, are flawed.<br />

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