In re Avignone

236 Cal. Rptr. 3d 744, 26 Cal. App. 5th 195
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedAugust 15, 2018
DocketD074231
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 236 Cal. Rptr. 3d 744 (In re Avignone) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Avignone, 236 Cal. Rptr. 3d 744, 26 Cal. App. 5th 195 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

HUFFMAN, Acting P.J.

*197Petitioner William Avignone is in custody awaiting trial on charges of multiple counts of grand theft of personal property ( Pen. Code, 1 § 487, subd. (a); counts 1, 3, *7465, 7, 9) and fraud in connection with the offer, purchase, or sale of security ( Corp. Code, §§ 25401, 25540, subd. (b) ; counts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10).2 Before December 2017, he had been out on bail for four years. During that time, he made all court appearances and did not engage in criminal activity.

As part of a plea deal, Avignone pled guilty to three counts of fraud and two counts of grand theft while the prosecution dismissed the remaining counts. The trial court sentenced him to five years four months to be served in the custody of the sheriff. Avignone appealed the sentence, arguing, among other things, the court abused its discretion in denying probation. This court rejected that contention, but allowed Avignone to withdraw his guilty plea. He did so, and the superior court held a bail review hearing. After multiple hearings, including a request for the court to reconsider its order following In re Humphrey (2018) 19 Cal.App.5th 1006, review granted May 23, 2018, S247278 ( Humphrey ), the court increased Avignone's bail to $300,000.

Avignone brings the instant petition, arguing the court abused its discretion in increasing his bail and setting it at an amount that violates Humphrey, supra, 19 Cal.App.5th 1006, review granted, the Eighth Amendment of the *198United States Constitution, and article 1, section 12 of the California Constitution. We agree, based on the specific facts before us, the court abused its discretion. As such, we grant the requested relief.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The charges against Avignone and his wife, Susan,3 are based on an alleged scheme wherein they stole $786,000 from numerous would-be investors. The Avignones held themselves out as money managers and arranged through their church and other places to hold meetings to persuade individuals to invest their money with SABA Investments, a company owned by the Avignones. The Avignones told prospective investors that they would purchase real property in Georgia, refurbish the property, rent the property, and sell the property at a profit.

The investors were promised 50 percent of the profits. They also were to receive eight to 12 percent interest on their investments. The Avignones moved the investors' money through several accounts before depositing the money in their personal account. A total of seven properties were purchased in Georgia. However, none of the properties were placed in the investors'

*747names as promised. The Avignones used the money to pay their personal expenses and to purchase other items. Some of the investors received back a small amount of the money they invested. In all, the Avignones took a total of $786,000 from the unsuspecting investors.

In exchange for dismissal of some of the charges, Avignone pled guilty to three counts of fraud in connection with the offer, sale, and purchase of a security (Corp. Code, §§ 25401 & 25540, subd. (b); counts 2, 8, 10) and two counts of grand theft of personal property with a value of more than $950 (§ 487, subd. (a); counts 3, 5).4 Avignone admitted a section 186.11, subdivision (a)(2) allegation attached to count 2, a section 12022.6, subdivision (a)(2) allegation attached to count 3, and a section 12022.6, subdivision (a)(1) allegation attached to count 5. At sentencing, the trial court struck the section 186.11 enhancements and denied probation. It sentenced Avignone to an aggregate term of five years four months to be served in the custody of the sheriff. The court imposed a split sentence, ordering that one year four months of the imposed sentence would be served in the community under mandatory supervision.

Avignone appealed the sentence, contending, among other issues, that the trial court abused its discretion in denying probation. As part of that appeal, *199the People asserted that Avignone's sentence was unauthorized because the trial court did not have the discretion to sentence him to county jail, rather than prison.

On appeal, we rejected Avignone's argument that the trial court abused its discretion. We also agreed with the People that the trial court imposed an unauthorized sentence. We thus reversed the judgment against Avignone and remanded the matter back to the trial court with directions to allow Avignone an opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea.5 (See People v. Avignone, supra, 16 Cal.App.5th at pp. 1237-1238, 225 Cal.Rptr.3d 61.)

After remand, the trial court held a hearing to determine whether the Avignones wished to withdraw their guilty pleas. Avignone admitted that he understood the maximum prison sentence on this case was 15 years four months. The prosecutor indicated that if Avignone did not withdraw his plea, she would strike the section 186.11 enhancements to allow Avignone to serve his time locally, which would produce a result consistent with the original plea.

Ultimately, Avignone did not accept the prosecutor's offer and withdrew his plea. The prosecutor then requested $600,000 bail for Avignone in accordance with the bail schedule, arguing that Avignone ran a sophisticated scheme that bilked victims out of $786,000. The prosecutor also maintained that Avignone, along with his wife, would continue their criminal activity and endanger the community if they were out on bail. That said, the prosecutor conceded that Avignone made all previous court hearings and had no assets or income.

Avignone's counsel argued that Avignone had remained out on $100,000 bail during the appeal, has been compliant on probation for an earlier bank fraud case, and Avignone had not been any danger to the public since 2011. Counsel also represented the Avignones were indigent. The *748court noted that the sentence recommended by the probation report was 11 years eight months custody, and without the section 186.11 allegation stricken, Avignone would serve his custody in prison. Avignone's counsel pointed out that only about $240,000 was converted for the Avignones' personal gain, and the rest was used to keep their business going and provide restitution when the business collapsed.

The court determined there were changed circumstances to support an increase in bail because Avignone now realized he was facing a lot of time in *200custody (i.e., the instant action was not just "a probation case").

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
236 Cal. Rptr. 3d 744, 26 Cal. App. 5th 195, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-avignone-calctapp5d-2018.