Lawson v. Kolender

658 F.2d 1362, 32 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 962
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit·Decided October 15, 1981·No. Nos. 79-3629, 79-3633, 79-3641, and 79-3685·Published·Cited by 24 cases

Opinion

BOOCHEVER, Circuit Judge.

This case involves the constitutionality of section 647(e) of the California Penal Code,1 a vagrancy statute, and whether a pro se litigant has a right to jury trial in spite of his failure to file proposed jury instructions seven days in advance of trial as required by local rules of court.

On approximately fifteen occasions between March, 1975 and January, 1977, Edward Lawson was stopped by law enforcement officials. On each occasion, he was detained or arrested on the basis of California Penal Code § 647(e). Lawson was prosecuted only twice for the alleged offenses; one resulted in dismissal, the other in conviction. Lawson filed a complaint seeking: (1) a declaratory judgment that section 647(e) is unconstitutional; (2) a mandatory injunction restraining the enforcement of the section; and (3) compensatory and punitive damages against the various officers who arrested him because they deprived him of his constitutional rights.

Following a trial, the district court filed a memorandum opinion and judgment. The district court found that the statute was [1364] overbroad, noting that “a person who is stopped on less than probable cause cannot be punished for failing to identify himself.” The court therefore enjoined enforcement of the statute. The court held, however, that Lawson could not recover damages because each officer had a good faith belief that each “contact and/or arrest was lawful.” H. A. Porazzo, the named state official, appeals contending that the statute is constitutional.2 Lawson cross-appeals contending that the district court erred in denying him a jury trial. We affirm the district court ruling that the statute is unconstitutional but reverse the court’s denial of a jury trial.

1. CONSTITUTIONALITY OF SECTION 647(e)

A. VAGUENESS

1. Introduction

In Powell v. Stone, 507 F.2d 93 (9th Cir. 1974), rev’d on other grounds, 428 U.S. 465, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976), we struck down a vagrancy ordinance from Henderson, Nevada, that was virtually identical to section 647(e). The ordinance was void for vagueness both because it failed to give a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice that his contemplated conduct was forbidden and because it encouraged arbitrary and erratic arrests and convictions. Id. at 95. We also held that the ordinance violated the fourth amendment by permitting arrests without probable cause. Id. at 96. See also Anderson v. Nemetz, 474 F.2d 814, 817 (9th Cir. 1973). For the reasons expressed in Powell, section 647(e) is also unconstitutional unless the California appellate courts have authoritatively construed the statute so as to cure its defects. We will assess the constitutionality of the statute in light of the California courts’ interpretations of it.3

The California courts have considered the constitutionality of section 647(e) on several [1365] occasions. Each time the statute has been upheld.4 The most recent and extensive discussion is contained in People v. Solomon, 33 Cal.App.3d 429, 108 Cal.Rptr. 867 (1973), cert. denied, 415 U.S. 951, 94 S.Ct. 1476, 39 L.Ed.2d 567 (1974). Solomon held that section 647(e) did not violate the federal constitution because: (1) it was not vague, 33 Cal.App.3d at 435-36, 108 Cal. Rptr. 867; (2) the requirement of identification did not infringe upon the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, id. at 436, 108 Cal.Rptr. 867; (3) the identification requirement did not violate the right against selfrincrimination, id. at 436-38, 108 Cal.Rptr. 867; and (4) the statute was not invalid as susceptible to arbitrary enforcement, id. at 438-39, 108 Cal. Rptr. 867.

Section 647(e)5 contains three essential elements: (1) loitering on the streets; (2) refusal to identify and account for one’s presence on request by a police officer; and (3) in circumstances involving public safety. The courts have placed the following limitations on the essential elements. “Loitering” means “lingering in ... designated places for the purpose of committing a crime as opportunity may be discovered”, while “wandering” means “movement for evil purposes.” People v. Caylor, 6 Cal. App.3d 51, 56, 85 Cal.Rptr. 497, 501 (1970). The term “identification and accounting” is not satisfied by mere identification but “comprehends a genuine identification . . . carrying reasonable assurance that the identification is authentic and providing means for later getting in touch with the person who has identified himself.” Solomon, 33 Cal.App.3d at 438, 108 Cal.Rptr. 867.6 The phrase “surrounding circumstances . . . indicate to a reasonable man that public safety demands such identification” is comparable to the standard set forth in Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 30, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 1884, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968), justifying a brief detention. Solomon, 33 Cal. App.3d at 435, 108 Cal.Rptr. 867.

We must decide whether the statute as interpreted by the California courts violates the vagueness doctrine 7 because: (1) it is in [1366] violation of the fourth amendment proscription against searches and seizures; (2) it contains a vague enforcement standard which is susceptible to arbitrary enforcement; or (3) it fails to give fair and adequate notice of the type of conduct prohibited. We will address each issue separately.

2. Fourth Amendment

The statute, in essence, requires a person to provide reliable identification when requested by a police officer who has a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity under the standard of Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968).8 Whether such a requirement violates the fourth amendment’s proscription against unreasonable searches and seizures was specifically left open by the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Texas, 443 U.S. 47, 53 n.3, 99 S.Ct. 2637, 2641, 61 L.Ed.2d 357 (1979) (holding that a person could not be required to furnish identification if not reasonably suspected of any criminal conduct).

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Lawson v. Kolender, 658 F.2d 1362, 32 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 962 (9th Cir. 1981).

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Lawson v. Kolender
658 F.2d 1362 (Ninth Circuit, 1981)