P. v. Nash CA6

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 25, 2013
DocketH037740
StatusUnpublished

This text of P. v. Nash CA6 (P. v. Nash CA6) 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
P. v. Nash CA6, (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Filed 7/25/13 P. v. Nash CA6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, H037740 (Santa Cruz County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. F18291)

v.

RICHARD NELSON NASH,

Defendant and Appellant.

A jury convicted defendant Richard Nelson Nash of possession of child pornography (Pen. Code, § 311.11, subd. (a)), and possession of methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code, § 11377, subd. (a)).1 During trial, defendant admitted the allegations that he had suffered five prior violent or serious felony “strike” convictions. In December 2011, the court sentenced him to two indeterminate terms of 25 years to life in prison to be served concurrently. During sentencing, the court awarded a total of 82 days of presentence credits (61 days of custody credits and 21 days of conduct credits). On appeal, defendant contends that he is entitled to 41 days of additional conduct credits under the latest amendment to section 4019, effective October 1, 2011 (the October 2011 amendment). He argues that as a matter of statutory interpretation, the October 2011 amendment must be applied retroactively. He contends further that 1 Further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated. prospective application of the October 2011 amendment violates his constitutional right to equal protection of the law. Lastly, he contends that, even if the October 2011 amendment is found not to apply to his circumstances, the court erred in calculating his presentence credits and he is entitled to 63 days of custody credits and 30 days of conduct credits. We conclude that defendant’s claim of entitlement to additional conduct credits under the October 2011 amendment to section 4019 is without merit. Last year, in People v. Kennedy (2012) 209 Cal.App.4th 385 (Kennedy), we rejected statutory interpretation and equal protection arguments identical to those raised by defendant here. We agree, however, that the court erred in its calculation of presentence credits. Accordingly, we will order the judgment modified to award the proper presentence credits, will direct the clerk of the superior court to modify the abstract of judgment and transmit a certified copy thereof to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and will affirm the judgment as modified. FACTS2 Defendant was placed on probation in February 2009 after failing to register as a sex offender. The probation officer assigned to him was Santa Cruz Probation Officer Linda Perez. In May 2009, defendant was fitted with a GPS monitoring device because he was classified by the Static-99 risk assessment tool as high-risk for violent sex offenses. After Officer Perez noted from monitoring him that defendant frequented the Watsonville Public Library on three successive days, she went to the library in late May. She observed defendant viewing on a public computer various images of young girls between the ages of five and nine; she saw him “zoom in to what was the groin area of

2 We present an abbreviated discussion of the facts underlying the convictions because they are not germane to the claims of error on appeal.

2 the girl[s].” According to GPS data, defendant continued to frequent Santa Cruz County public libraries in June and July 2009. On July 27, 2009, Officer Perez and another probation officer conducted a probation search at the Santa Cruz residence hotel where defendant was staying. As they entered the room, defendant went over to one side of the bed and tried to cover a laptop computer with a blanket. He said he had recently purchased the laptop after previously purchasing a desktop computer—which was unplugged and on the floor in the hotel room—that he was unable to make operable. Officer Perez examined the computer, determined that it was booted up, and viewed some of the Web sites recently visited. She was concerned because some of the sites that had been visited, including sites using the term “Lolita,” were ones associated with child pornography. Officer Perez seized the computer for further examination, advising defendant that he could come to her office that afternoon to retrieve the computer. During her preliminary examination of the laptop at the office, she determined that among the images that were viewed on the computer were those of young girls (between the ages of five and nine) having sexual intercourse with adult men. Officer Perez then stopped her search and contacted the Santa Cruz Police Department, where she later delivered the laptop for further investigation.3

3 Santa Cruz Police Detective Mark Eveleth, who testified that he had received over 400 hours of training in computer forensics, performed a search of defendant’s laptop computer. He did a “forensic preview” of the computer before the arrest of defendant and determined that “it was obvious . . . that there was child pornography in there. . .” After defendant’s arrest, Detective Eveleth performed a more detailed forensic examination of the laptop computer’s contents and found over one hundred images of child pornography. Detective Eveleth also determined that several Web sites had been accessed between July 24 and July 27, 2009; on each of those sites, it was specifically stated that the sites offered child pornography illegal in most countries.

3 When Officer Perez returned to her office, defendant was in the waiting area. While she was meeting with defendant in her office, two Santa Cruz Police detectives, Mark Eveleth and Katrina Rogers, arrived. The detectives placed defendant under arrest for possession of child pornography. They conducted a search of a backpack in defendant’s possession incident to his arrest and discovered a usable quantity (.15 grams) of methamphetamine. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Defendant was charged with two felonies in an information filed October 14, 2009, i.e., possession of child pornography (§ 311.11, subd. (a)), and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code, § 11377, subd. (a)). It was also alleged as enhancements that defendant had suffered six prior violent or serious felonies, i.e., strikes (§§ 667, subds. (b) – (i); 1170.12), namely, five counts of forcible lewd act upon a child (§ 288, subd. (b)(1), and kidnapping of a child (§ 207, subd. (b)). The case proceeded to jury trial on October 4, 2011. After a seven-day trial, defendant was convicted of both counts. Defendant admitted the allegations that he had previously been convicted of six strike offenses. Defendant filed a motion to strike the enhancements under People v. Superior Court (Romero) (1996) 13 Cal.4th 497. On December 14, 2011, the court denied defendant’s Romero motion, and sentenced him to two concurrent terms of 25 years to life in prison. The court awarded defendant 61 days of custody credits and 21 days of conduct credits for a total of 82 days of presentence credits. Defendant filed a timely notice of appeal. DISCUSSION I. Claim of Additional Conduct Credits Under Section 4019 A. Summary of Contentions Defendant contends that the October 2011 amendment to section 4019 applies to his case. As discussed in greater detail below, he argues that under both statutory

4 construction and equal protection analyses, he is entitled to the benefit of the more favorable calculation of presentence conduct credits under the October 2011 amendment. Specifically, he contends that he is entitled to the more favorable calculation of conduct credits for all days he spent in custody from October 1, 2011, until his sentencing on December 14, 2011.

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