Section 1042 Of Article 9. Official Information And Identity Of Informer From California Evidence Code >> Division 8. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 9.
1042
. (a) Except where disclosure is forbidden by an act of the
Congress of the United States, if a claim of privilege under this
article by the state or a public entity in this state is sustained in
a criminal proceeding, the presiding officer shall make such order
or finding of fact adverse to the public entity bringing the
proceeding as is required by law upon any issue in the proceeding to
which the privileged information is material.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), where a search is made
pursuant to a warrant valid on its face, the public entity bringing a
criminal proceeding is not required to reveal to the defendant
official information or the identity of an informer in order to
establish the legality of the search or the admissibility of any
evidence obtained as a result of it.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in any preliminary hearing,
criminal trial, or other criminal proceeding, any otherwise
admissible evidence of information communicated to a peace officer by
a confidential informant, who is not a material witness to the guilt
or innocence of the accused of the offense charged, is admissible on
the issue of reasonable cause to make an arrest or search without
requiring that the name or identity of the informant be disclosed if
the judge or magistrate is satisfied, based upon evidence produced in
open court, out of the presence of the jury, that such information
was received from a reliable informant and in his discretion does not
require such disclosure.
(d) When, in any such criminal proceeding, a party demands
disclosure of the identity of the informant on the ground the
informant is a material witness on the issue of guilt, the court
shall conduct a hearing at which all parties may present evidence on
the issue of disclosure. Such hearing shall be conducted outside the
presence of the jury, if any. During the hearing, if the privilege
provided for in Section 1041 is claimed by a person authorized to do
so or if a person who is authorized to claim such privilege refuses
to answer any question on the ground that the answer would tend to
disclose the identity of the informant, the prosecuting attorney may
request that the court hold an in camera hearing. If such a request
is made, the court shall hold such a hearing outside the presence of
the defendant and his counsel. At the in camera hearing, the
prosecution may offer evidence which would tend to disclose or which
discloses the identity of the informant to aid the court in its
determination whether there is a reasonable possibility that
nondisclosure might deprive the defendant of a fair trial. A reporter
shall be present at the in camera hearing. Any transcription of the
proceedings at the in camera hearing, as well as any physical
evidence presented at the hearing, shall be ordered sealed by the
court, and only a court may have access to its contents. The court
shall not order disclosure, nor strike the testimony of the witness
who invokes the privilege, nor dismiss the criminal proceeding, if
the party offering the witness refuses to disclose the identity of
the informant, unless, based upon the evidence presented at the
hearing held in the presence of the defendant and his counsel and the
evidence presented at the in camera hearing, the court concludes
that there is a reasonable possibility that nondisclosure might
deprive the defendant of a fair trial.