In Re Solis

274 Cal. App. 2d 344, 78 Cal. Rptr. 919, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2058
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 25, 1969
DocketCrim. 3625
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 274 Cal. App. 2d 344 (In Re Solis) 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
In Re Solis, 274 Cal. App. 2d 344, 78 Cal. Rptr. 919, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2058 (Cal. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

McCABE, P. J.

Having entered a plea of guilty to a charged violation of Health and Safety Code, section 11531, the imposition of sentence was suspended and on May 16, defendant was placed on probation with one of the conditions being that he be confined in the county jail for a period of six months. On November 1, upon the receipt of a violation of probation report from the probation officer, the court set a hearing date for November 14. At the hearing defendant was represented by his counsel and had a copy of the probation officer’s report. Testimony was received, including testimony of defendant, regarding the acts and conduct of defendant from May 16 to the date of the hearing. During this period of time, defendant had been at a minimum security industrial farm facility. The trial judge found defendant in violation of his probation terms and conditions, revoked probation, then entered an order reinstating defendant on probation with at least one condition not in the previous order granting probation, i.e., defendant Solis was to serve an additional 60 days in the county jail.

Defendant filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus which was set down for hearing before a different judge than the one who revoked his probation. At the hearing, defendant contended: (1) he was not informed in advance of the charges against him; (2) his violations of rules of the jail did not constitute a violation of the terms of probation; and (3) the *347 judge who revoked his probation did not have a right to have an ex parte conference with the probation officer at which time he read a letter from the manager of the industrial farm facility; therefore, the trial judge abused his discretion finding him in violation and revoking his probation. The trial judge, hearing the petition for the writ, agreed with defendant’s contentions and issued the writ of .habeas corpus. In the issuing order, the trial judge having been informed an appeal would be sought, ordered the defendant released from the county jail and set bail with penalty assessment. This appeal by the People followed the entry of the issuance of the writ.

On this appeal, the People’s contentions are in direct opposition to those contended for by defendant at the hearing, and amount to a claim that the trial judge who issued the writ of habeas corpus and released the defendant abused his discretion.

At the revocation of probation hearing the trial judge had before him the May 16 probation officer’s report and the letter from the farm manager, a report from the probation officer, testimony of the farm manager and defendant. From the testimony and documents before the trial judge, there was evidence that defendant had on numerous occasions violated the rules and regulations of the jail. It was defendant’s position that his violations were not in any way related to his probation.

In total effect the ruling of the trial judge who granted the petition for a writ of habeas corpus was that the trial judge who revoked probation and then reinstated defendant on probation abused his discretion and acted arbitrarily and capriciously.

The People on this appeal contend the judge who issued the writ of habeas corpus abused his discretion.

It has been held that an appeal lies from an order revoking and modifying the terms of probation. (In re Bine, 47 Cal.2d 814, 817 [306 P.2d 445].) Thus, Mr. Solis’ proper remedy would have been an appeal from the November 14 order entered by the judge who revoked and then reinstated probation. Habeas corpus should not issue where appeal constitutes a plain, adequate and speedy remedy. Further, the People contend since appeal was available to Mr. Solis, the trial judge who issued the writ abused his discretion by considering Mr. Solis’ contentions in a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

Habeas corpus is available to a petitioner in cases *348 where appeal represents an alternative method of obtaining review, but does not constitute a plain, speedy and adequate remedy. (In re Osslo, 51 Cal.2d 371 [334 P.2d 1]; see Witkin, Cal. Criminal Procedure (1963) § 797, p. 770.) Wide discretion is vested in the issuing court to determine whether appeal is an adequate remedy in the particular case before it. The exercise of this discretion will not be upset absent a clear showing that the lower court abused it, i.e., that under no legally permissible construction of the facts could the lower court have found appeal to be an inadequate remedy. In the instant ease, Mr. Solis was due to commence serving the additional 60 days jail time imposed by the court on November 14 almost immediately following that hearing. Were Mr. Solis compelled to seek his remedy by appeal, he would have long since completed his 60 days jail term before the case could come up for consideration. Habeas corpus constitutes the only means by which Solis might obtain review of the November 14 order prior to its execution. Habeas corpus is available where recourse- to normal appellate review will not avail respondent relief in time to avoid serving his sentence. (In re Newbern, 53 Cal.2d 786, 790 [3 Cal.Rptr. 364, 350 P.2d 116]; In re Sweet, 113 Cal.App.2d 413, 414 [248 P.2d 94].)

The trial judge who issued the writ of habeas corpus thus used the procedure as an ultra-extraordinary writ to hear and determine the matter before the expiration of the newly invoked term in jail, thereby avoiding a delay on an appeal from the order revoking probation.

The People now propose there was an implication that the rules and regulations of the jail would have to be obeyed by defendant and hence a violation of the rules and regulations amounted to a violation of the probation. We need not take this approach to reach a resolution of the problem.

“ Probation is an act of clemency and may be withdrawn if the privilege is abused. An abuse of privilege is shown where a defendant practices a deception upon the court at the time probation is granted [citation] or violates any of the terms or conditions of probation. (Pen. Code, § 1203.2.) In such case the court is specifically authorized to modify and change any and all of the terms.and conditions of probation. (Pen. Code, § 1203.1.) While it has a wide discretion in imposing or modifying the terms of probation, it may not act arbitrarily or capriciously. [Citations.] Its determination must be based upon the facts before it.” (In re Bine, supra, 47 Cal.2d 814, 817; see also People v. Hainline, 219 Cal. 532 [28 P.2d 16].)

*349 It is undisputed that jail detention may be ordered as a condition of probation and when so ordered is not regarded as punishment but as a part of the whole supervised program of rehabilitation. (Petersen v. Dunbar, 355 F.2d 800, 802.)

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Bluebook (online)
274 Cal. App. 2d 344, 78 Cal. Rptr. 919, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2058, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-solis-calctapp-1969.