People v. Acosta

228 Cal. Rptr. 3d 822, 20 Cal. App. 5th 225
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedFebruary 6, 2018
DocketD071575
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 228 Cal. Rptr. 3d 822 (People v. Acosta) 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
People v. Acosta, 228 Cal. Rptr. 3d 822, 20 Cal. App. 5th 225 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

BENKE, Acting P. J.

*227Defendant Brian Isaiah Acosta pleaded guilty to two counts of felony vandalism and admitted the gang enhancement attached to each count. ( Pen. Code,1 § 594, subds. (a) & (b)(2)(A) & § 186.22, subd. (d).) Pursuant to the plea agreement, Acosta was placed on formal probation for three years on the condition he serve 365 days in custody with the possibility of work furlough, if eligible, after serving 90 days.

Relevant to this appeal, the court also imposed terms and conditions of probation, four of which Acosta challenges in this proceeding: the search of his electronic devices (electronic search condition) (no. 6n); the requirement he stay away from the private residences he had vandalized with graffiti (stay-away condition) (no. 14); the treatment, therapy, and counseling condition (no. 7); and the alcohol (no. 8) and drug (no. 9) conditions. Respondent, the People, concede the treatment, therapy, and counseling condition should be struck, but otherwise contend the remaining terms and conditions were properly imposed.

As we explain, we conclude there is insufficient evidence in this record to support the imposition of the drug condition on Acosta. Accepting respondent's concession, we thus strike the drug and the treatment, therapy, and counseling conditions, but otherwise affirm the judgment of conviction.

*228FACTUAL OVERVIEW2

Acosta was a known member of the San Diego Varrio Market Street gang (VMS)

*825who went by the monikers "Thakas" and "Thakas1." In mid-November 2016, an eight-count felony complaint was filed against Acosta charging him with "unlawfully and maliciously defac[ing] with graffiti" real and personal property between March and October 2016 causing damage of less than $400 per incident. The complaint alleged all counts were punishable as felonies because Acosta committed the offenses "for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with, a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members," inasmuch as he "tagged" the properties with variations of his gang monikers. The total estimated cost to remove the graffiti was $1,017.

In December 2016, Acosta pleaded guilty to counts 1 and 2, as noted. In return for his plea, the balance of the counts was dismissed.

As relevant to this appeal, at his January 2017 sentencing Acosta objected to the imposition of various probation conditions, including the electronic search condition, the alcohol and drug conditions, and the stay-away condition.

DISCUSSION

I

Electronic Search Condition

Probation condition number 6n provides that Acosta shall "[s]ubmit person, vehicle, residence, property, personal effects, computers and recordable media ... to search at any time with or without a warrant, and with or without reasonable cause, when required by P.O. [i.e., a probation officer] or law enforcement officer." Acosta at sentencing opposed the italicized portion of this condition, as noted. In refusing to modify or delete this condition, the court found Acosta committed the crime for the "benefit of a street gang. It is also spray painting. It is the type of behavior that often times taggers photograph those types of crimes and share them and have them on their phone and/or computers. So, I think that is a reasonable link/nexus to the crime under People versus Lent [ (1975) 15 Cal.3d 481, 124 Cal.Rptr. 905, 541 P.2d 545 ( Lent ) ]."

*229A. Guiding Principles

A grant of probation is an act of clemency in lieu of punishment. ( People v. Moran (2016) 1 Cal.5th 398, 402, 205 Cal.Rptr.3d 491, 376 P.3d 617.) Probation is a privilege, and not a right. A court has broad discretion to impose "reasonable conditions, as it may determine are fitting and proper to the end that justice may be done, that amends may be made to society for the breach of the law, ... and generally and specifically for the reformation and rehabilitation of the probationer ...." (§ 1203.1, subd. (j); People v. Carbajal (1995) 10 Cal.4th 1114, 1121, 43 Cal.Rptr.2d 681, 899 P.2d 67 ( Carbajal ).) "If a probation condition serves to rehabilitate and protect public safety, the condition may 'impinge upon a constitutional right otherwise enjoyed by the probationer, who is "not entitled to the same degree of constitutional protection as other citizens." ' " ( People v. O'Neil (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 1351, 1355, 81 Cal.Rptr.3d 878 ( O'Neil ).)

A condition of probation will not be upheld, however, if it (1) has no relationship to the crime of which the defendant was convicted, (2) relates to conduct that is not criminal, and (3) requires or forbids conduct that is not reasonably related to future criminality. ( People v. Olguin (2008) 45 Cal.4th 375, 379-380, 87 Cal.Rptr.3d 199, 198 P.3d 1 ( Olguin ); see Lent , supra , 15 Cal.3d at p. 486, 124 Cal.Rptr. 905, 541 P.2d 545

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Bluebook (online)
228 Cal. Rptr. 3d 822, 20 Cal. App. 5th 225, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-acosta-calctapp5d-2018.