In what circumstances will a defendant be found guilty of a charge of perverting the course of justice by admitting to a prior crime?

In People v. Alcala (1984) 36 Cal.3d 604, 205 Cal.Rptr. 775, 685 P.2d 1126, our high court confronted the admission of prior crimes evidence in a case where the defendant, who kidnapped the victim, subsequently murdered her. ( Id. at pp. 614-616, 634, 205 Cal.Rptr. 775, 685 P.2d 1126.) The high court explained that "[c]ommon sense indicates that one who commits a felony upon another wishes to avoid its detection. That may lead him to the calculated murder of his victim. Here, the jury could consider the possibility that [the] defendant killed [the victim] in cold blood to prevent her from naming him as her kidnaper." (

[279 Cal.Rptr.3d 544]