Ignacio v. Superior Court

114 Cal. Rptr. 2d 375, 94 Cal. App. 4th 530
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 12, 2001
DocketD038164
StatusPublished

This text of 114 Cal. Rptr. 2d 375 (Ignacio 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
Ignacio v. Superior Court, 114 Cal. Rptr. 2d 375, 94 Cal. App. 4th 530 (Cal. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

114 Cal.Rptr.2d 375 (2001)
94 Cal.App.4th 530

IGNACIO R., Petitioner,
v.
The SUPERIOR COURT of San Diego County, Respondent;
The People, Real Party in Interest.

No. D038164.

Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One.

December 12, 2001.
Review Denied March 13, 2002.[*]

Steven J. Carroll, Public Defender, and Jo Pastore, Deputy Public Defender, for Petitioner.

No appearance for Respondent.

Paul J. Pfingst, District Attorney, Thomas F. McArdle and Peter J. Cross, Deputy District Attorneys, for Real Party in Interest.

*376 McDONALD, J.

Petitioner Ignacio R. was adjudicated a ward of the juvenile court under Welfare and Institutions Code section 602[1] and placed on probation. While on probation, petitioner engaged in a fight that violated his probation and allegedly violated Penal Code section 245, subdivision (a)(1). The San Diego County Probation Department filed a motion alleging petitioner violated probation and seeking modification of the previous dispositional order. At the hearing on this motion, petitioner admitted to violating probation by engaging in two fights; the court then set a dispositional hearing.

Before the dispositional hearing, the prosecuting attorney filed a new section 602 petition alleging petitioner's fight violated Penal Code section 245, subdivision (a)(1). Petitioner moved to dismiss the section 602 petition, arguing that double jeopardy principles barred the prosecuting attorney from pursuing the new section 602 petition because the probation department's motion to modify the previous probation dispositional order was based on the same criminal conduct and placed him in jeopardy for that conduct. The court denied petitioner's motion to dismiss.

In the current writ proceeding, petitioner seeks an order requiring the court to dismiss the new section 602 petition. We conclude that, whatever distinctions may exist between adult and juvenile probation revocation proceedings, the reasons double jeopardy protections are inapplicable to adult probation revocation proceedings pertain also to juvenile probation revocation proceedings. Accordingly, we deny the petition.

I

BACKGROUND

In October 2000 petitioner was adjudicated a ward of the juvenile court under section 602 based on a violation of Penal Code section 242 (first offense). He was placed on probation but remained in the physical custody of his mother. In December 2000 he was continued as a ward but removed from his mother's custody; petitioner's probationary status was continued and he was placed in the Breaking Cycles program at a juvenile ranch facility. Petitioner engaged in two fights while at that facility, including a fight on February 1, 2001, in violation of the terms and conditions of his probation. The February 1, 2001, fight also allegedly violated Penal Code section 245, subdivision (a)(1).

The probation department filed a motion alleging petitioner had violated the terms of his probation and recommending his placement be changed from the juvenile ranch facility to juvenile hall. At that "detention/violation of probation" hearing, petitioner admitted to fighting in violation of his probation; the court then scheduled a dispositional hearing. However, before the dispositional hearing was held, the prosecuting attorney filed a new section 602 petition alleging petitioner's February 1, 2001, fight violated Penal Code section 245, subdivision (a)(1); the dispositional hearing on his probation violation was continued.

Petitioner moved to dismiss the section 602 petition. He argued that because the crime alleged in the section 602 petition was based on the same fight that was alleged as a probation violation in the probation revocation proceeding, and jeopardy had attached in the probation revocation *377 proceeding, double jeopardy principles barred a new section 602 petition based on that fight. The court denied the motion to dismiss the new section 602 petition.[2]

II

ANALYSIS

A. Revocation of Adult Probation

The double jeopardy clause of the United States Constitution (U.S. Const., 5th Amend.) provides three types of protections to defendants: it bars a later prosecution for the same offense after an acquittal, it bars multiple convictions for the same offense, and it bars multiple punishments for the same offense. (Illinois v. Vitale (1980) 447 U.S. 410, 415, 100 S.Ct. 2260, 65 L.Ed.2d 228, abrogated on other grounds in United States v. Dixon (1993) 509 U.S. 688, 704, 113 S.Ct. 2849, 125 L.Ed.2d 556, as recognized in United States v. Brackett (5th Cir.1997) 113 F.3d 1396, 1400, fn. 6.) The double jeopardy ban against double punishment does not prohibit the state from using the same current criminal conduct to both revoke an adult's probation and prosecute the adult separately for the current offense. The courts have reasoned that punishment imposed because of the probation revocation is attributable to the prior conviction rather than to the current offense, and therefore the defendant may be separately punished for the new offense without violating double jeopardy principles. (Johnson v. United States (2000) 529 U.S. 694, 698-699, 120 S.Ct. 1795, 146 L.Ed.2d 727; In re Coughlin (1976) 16 Cal.3d 52, 61, 127 Cal.Rptr. 337, 545 P.2d 249.)

Here, petitioner's first offense resulted in a dispositional order that included probation. He then allegedly engaged in new criminal conduct that exposed him to a new section 602 petition and also violated the terms of his probation. Unless the nature of a section 602 wardship requires an analysis different from an analysis of proceedings in adult court, the state may revoke petitioner's probation and pursue a new section 602 proceeding without violating double jeopardy principles.

B. Revocation of Juvenile Probation

Double jeopardy principles can apply in juvenile wardship proceedings. (See, e.g., Richard M. v. Superior Court (1971) 4 Cal.3d 370, 375-376, 93 Cal.Rptr. 752, 482 P.2d 664.) Petitioner argues the ban against multiple punishments for the same offense is violated here.[3] However, unless a juvenile whose probation is revoked can suffer as a result of the probation revocation added punishment not attributable to the offense for which probation was granted, double jeopardy principles will not bar the state from pursuing a new section 602 petition and also seeking to revoke the juvenile's probation.

Petitioner relies on In re Arthur N. (1976) 16 Cal.3d 226,127 Cal.Rptr. 641, 545 P.2d 1345 to argue that when a section 602 ward's probation is revoked because of a new criminal offense, the ward can be subjected as a result of the probation revocation to additional punishment attributable to his new conduct rather than to the original offense. This distinction from *378 adult proceedings, argues petitioner, makes cases like Johnson v. United States

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Related

United States v. Brackett
113 F.3d 1396 (Fifth Circuit, 1997)
Illinois v. Vitale
447 U.S. 410 (Supreme Court, 1980)
United States v. Dixon
509 U.S. 688 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Johnson v. United States
529 U.S. 694 (Supreme Court, 2000)
Richard M. v. Superior Court
482 P.2d 664 (California Supreme Court, 1971)
Ford v. Arthur N.
545 P.2d 1345 (California Supreme Court, 1976)
In Re Coughlin
545 P.2d 249 (California Supreme Court, 1976)
In Re Gullatt
445 P.2d 292 (California Supreme Court, 1968)
People v. Hatch
991 P.2d 165 (California Supreme Court, 2000)
People v. Ford
345 P.2d 354 (California Court of Appeal, 1959)
People v. Hayes
16 Cal. App. 3d 662 (California Court of Appeal, 1971)
People v. Eggleston
255 Cal. App. 2d 337 (California Court of Appeal, 1967)
People v. Kazuo G.
22 Cal. App. 4th 1 (California Court of Appeal, 1994)
In Re Ernest R.
76 Cal. Rptr. 2d 453 (California Court of Appeal, 1998)
People v. Johnny R.
33 Cal. App. 4th 1579 (California Court of Appeal, 1995)
People v. Marco A.
50 Cal. App. 4th 1516 (California Court of Appeal, 1996)
People v. Ernest R.
65 Cal. App. 4th 443 (California Court of Appeal, 1998)

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Bluebook (online)
114 Cal. Rptr. 2d 375, 94 Cal. App. 4th 530, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ignacio-v-superior-court-calctapp-2001.