Cornelius v. Superior Court

25 Cal. App. 3d 581, 102 Cal. Rptr. 59, 1972 Cal. App. LEXIS 1056
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 16, 1972
DocketCiv. No. 1639
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 25 Cal. App. 3d 581 (Cornelius v. Superior Court) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cornelius v. Superior Court, 25 Cal. App. 3d 581, 102 Cal. Rptr. 59, 1972 Cal. App. LEXIS 1056 (Cal. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

[583]*583Opinion

STONE, P. J.

We granted a hearing on this writ, not because we were troubled about the lower court’s ruling on the merits, but for the reason the procedural problems presented appear to be res nova. Briefly, the facts are these: Petitioner was one of the proprietors of a used car sales lot in Bakersfield. Law officers in Kern County were told by a reliable informant that petitioner and several other men were engaged in dismantling, reassembling and selling campers and pickup trucks which had been stolen by a theft ring in Southern California. An extensive investigation corroborated that information.

The officers observed a camper on petitioner’s used car lot which had been reported stolen from the owner, Mr. McLain. They arranged for him to come from his home in Glendale to Bakersfield where, on July 11, 1970, he accompanied Officer Hall to petitioner’s lot. He identified the camper as his. Officer Hall kept the camper under surveillance and late in the afternoon of July 13 he observed it being placed on a Chevrolet pickup. About 6:30 p.m. the unit was driven away, and Officer Hall and Sergeant Bell of the Kern County sheriff’s office followed and stopped it when out of sight of petitioner’s lot. Earl Moore, the driver, told them he bought the camper from. Ken-Lon Auto Brokers (petitioner’s company) and paid for it with a cashier’s check.

About 8 o’clock the next morning, July 14, Hall, Bell and two Glendale police officers went to the Ken-Lon office. The only persons present were the bookkeeper and a salesman. The officers talked with them and were told the Moores had paid for the camper by a cashier’s check. Detective Bell asked to see the check and Sonny Oscars, the bookkeeper, handed it to) him. After examining it, Bell took the check with him. Further discussion disclosed some records of the car lot were located at Sonny Oscars’ home. The officers asked if they could see these records and Sonny said she would go get them. Accompanied by one of the Glendale officers, she went to her home. The officers who remained at the Ken-Lon office examined, gasoline receipts, checks and ledgers. Sonny and the officer returned with two stock jackets containing information concerning two camper sales. The items taken by the police at this time were the two stock jackets and the cashier’s check.

The Attorney General argues that the search was valid under the doctrine of “emergency search” because the cashier’s check was negotiable and could be cashed as currency at any time; it was for Mr. Moore’s protection that they obtained possession of it. The seizure of the two stock jackets is [584]*584justified under the consent theory, the Attorney General asserting that the bookkeeper who had custody voluntarily delivered possession of the stock jackets to the officers.

That evening, July 14, 1970, the officers obtained a search warrant and conducted a search about 7 o’clock. They seized an International forklift and a Shoreline camper, both in plain view on the sales lot which was open to the public. There was another search pursuant to a warrant issued July 31, 1970; the search was executed August 7, and the return was filed August 10, 1970. In this search certain check stubs and other records were obtained, which petitioner sought to have suppressed pursuant to motions made during trial.

Petitioner was acquitted on all but one count, possession of stolen property, to wit, the forklift seized pursuant to the writ on July 14. The jury could not agree as to this count, and a mistrial was declared. Apparently no motions under Penal Code section 1538.5 to suppress evidence were made prior to trial.

It is quite apparent that in drafting section 1538.5 the Legislature did not have in mind situations where a mistrial is ordered or a new trial is granted, and there is no appeal before the second trial is had. The question how a defendant can proceed to obtain a review of an order or a motion to suppress in petitioner’s situation appears to be one of first impression. In the usual case where there has been a trial, if the defendant is acquitted that ends it, if he is found guilty he can obtain a review of an order relating to the suppression of evidence as part of his appeal, under subdivision (m). Here, petitioner was acquitted on all but one count and as to that count there was a mistrial, so there is no appeal pending. The logical answer to how he may obtain a review of an order made during trial would seem to be by filing a motion for a writ of review, analogous to the procedure outlined in subdivision (i). Of course subdivision (i) provides that a petition for a writ of review must be filed within 30 days after denial of motion to suppress. Following this analogy, a petition for writ of review must be filed within 30 days after the order declaring a. mistrial is filed or, in the case of granting a new trial, within 30 days after the order granting a new trial becomes final.

Petitioner did not file a petition for writ of review within 30 days after entry of the order, and it would appear at first blush that he lost his right to review by a writ. However, he asserts that under section 1538.5, subdivision (i), he is entitled to one pretrial hearing on a motion to suppress, and that a motion made during trial of the case cannot be deemed such a pretral motion if a new trial is ordered.

[585]*585Several cases, including People v. O’Brien, 71 Cal.2d 394 [78 Cal.Rptr. 202, 79 Cal.Rptr. 313, 455 P.2d 138, 456 P.2d 969], and People v. Superior Court, 4 Cal.3d 605 [94 Cal.Rptr. 250, 483 P.2d 1202], as well as the legislative history of section 1538.5, convey the idea that the purpose of the statute is to achieve an expeditious disposition of questions of suppression of evidence before trial with only one appellate review. This philosophy militates against repetitious hearings and reviews of the same matters, which is in accord with the Attorney General’s theory that petitioner is out of court for failing to seek review within the 30 days after filing the mistrial order. (Subd. (i).)

Penal Code section 1538.5 was enacted largely for the purpose of settling troublesome questions of the admissibility of evidence before trial. Therefore, if during the first trial new grounds for moving for the suppression of evidence develop it is reasonable, and in keeping with the purposes of section 1538.5, that a defendant should move for the suppression of evidence before the retrial commences. The grounds which justify such a rehearing are spelled out in subdivision (h) (People v. Superior Court, 4 Cal.3d 605, 611 [94 Cal.Rptr. 250, 483 P.2d 1202]), which provides “If . . . opportunity for this motion did not exist or the defendant was not aware of the grounds for the motion, the defendant shall have the right to make this motion during the course of trial in the municipal, justice or superior court.” Petitioner tells us that the case at bench is within the ambit of subdivision (h), but we do not find a sufficient showing of changed circumstances or developments that would warrant a new hearing. The motion before us, made after trial, rests largely upon the record of the first trial. The second superior court judge was actually passing upon a matter already passed upon by another judge of the same court.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Cortez
California Court of Appeal, 2017
People v. Cortez
223 Cal. Rptr. 3d 890 (California Superior Court, 2017)
People v. Ramos
938 P.2d 950 (California Supreme Court, 1997)
People v. Belleci
598 P.2d 473 (California Supreme Court, 1979)
People v. Manning
33 Cal. App. 3d 586 (California Court of Appeal, 1973)
People v. Fitzgerald
29 Cal. App. 3d 296 (California Court of Appeal, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 Cal. App. 3d 581, 102 Cal. Rptr. 59, 1972 Cal. App. LEXIS 1056, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cornelius-v-superior-court-calctapp-1972.