People v. Adam CA2/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 6, 2022
DocketB322614
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Adam CA2/1 (People v. Adam CA2/1) 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
People v. Adam CA2/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 12/6/22 P. v. Adam CA2/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

THE PEOPLE, B322614

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Kern County Super. Ct. No. BF171318A) v.

DEREK CHANNING ADAM,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Kern County, John W. Lua, Judge. Affirmed in part and reversed in part. Stephen M. Hinkle, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Michael P. Farrell, Assistant Attorney General, Eric L. Christoffersen and Sally Espinoza, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. __________________________________ Derek Channing Adam appeals from a judgment entered after a jury found him guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child (count 2) and two specific (discrete) sexual offenses: oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child who is 10 years of age or younger (count 1) and committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child who is under 14 years of age (count 3). Adam contends Penal Code section 288.5, subdivision (c)1 precludes his convictions for both continuous sexual abuse of a child and specific sexual offenses committed against the same victim during the same time period. He is correct. The remedy is to either reverse the conviction for continuous sexual abuse or the convictions for the specific sexual offenses. For the reasons explained below, under the rationale of applicable caselaw, we conclude the appropriate remedy is to reverse the conviction for continuous sexual abuse, leaving Adam convicted of the offenses providing the greater punishment, commensurate with his culpability (a 15-year-to-life sentence on count 1 and a stayed term on count 2, as opposed to a 16-year sentence on count 2). Adam also contends the trial court erred in failing to determine his ability to pay various fines and assessments before imposing them. He did not object in the trial court to the imposition of the fines or assessments; nor did he request a determination of his ability to pay. Thus, he forfeited his challenge to the fines and assessments. BACKGROUND An information filed June 22, 2018, charged Adam with oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child who is 10 years of age or younger (§ 288.7, subd. (b); count 1); continuous sexual

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 abuse of a child (§ 288.5, subd. (a); count 2); and committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child who is under 14 years of age (§ 288, subd. (a); count 3). The information alleged the three offenses were committed against the same victim and occurred “on or about and between September 8, 2014 and February 15, 2018.” A lengthy recitation of the facts and circumstances of the offenses is not necessary because Adam does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions. The prosecution presented evidence at trial indicating that, beginning when his niece was six or seven years old, and continuing to when she was eight or nine years old, Adam placed his penis in his niece’s mouth when he babysat her. On these occasions, he took her into a closet or a bedroom, and he usually draped something over her, such as a blanket. The child could not state the exact number of times this occurred, but she confirmed it occurred more than 10 times. On February 10, 2021, the jury found Adam guilty of the charged offenses. On March 15, 2021, the trial court sentenced him. The court deemed count 1, oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child who is 10 years of age or younger, to be “the primary sentence,” and noted it “require[d] a sentence by law” of 15 years to life in prison, which the court imposed. The court imposed and stayed under section 654 the following terms on the other counts: the middle term of 12 years on count 2, continuous sexual abuse of a child; and the middle term of six years on count 3, committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child who is under 14 years of age. In imposing these terms on counts 2 and 3, the court referenced a circumstance in mitigation (Adam had no prior record of criminal conduct) and a circumstance in aggravation (as

3 the victim’s uncle and babysitter, Adam took advantage of a position of trust to commit the offenses). Without objection from Adam, the trial court imposed the following fines and assessments: a $30 court facilities assessment for each of the three convictions, or $90 (Gov. Code, § 70373); a $40 court operations assessment for each of the three convictions, or $120 (§ 1465.8); the minimum restitution fine of $300 (§ 1202.4, subd. (b)); a $300 parole revocation fine, which was stayed unless parole was revoked (§ 1202.45); and, as to count 1, a $300 fine for sex offenders (§ 290.3), plus statutory penalty assessments on the fine of $930, or $1,230.2 Accordingly, the total amount due was $1,740. DISCUSSION I. Under Section 288.5, Subdivision (c), Adam Cannot Stand Convicted of Both Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child and Other Specific Sexual Offenses The parties agree, as do we, that Adam’s convictions for continuous sexual abuse of a child and the two other specific sexual offenses committed against the same victim during the same time period cannot all stand under the prohibition in section 288.5, subdivision (c), defined below. They disagree as to which convictions we should reverse. Adam urges us to “dismiss” his convictions on counts 1 and 3 (the two specific sexual offenses), leaving him convicted of continuous sex abuse of a child (count 2) and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Attorney General argues the appropriate remedy is to “vacate” Adam’s convictions on counts 2 and 3, leaving him convicted of oral

2As to counts 2 and 3, the trial court stayed the fine imposed under section 290.3.

4 copulation or sexual penetration of a child who is 10 years of age or younger (count 1) and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. For the reasons explained below, we reverse Adam’s conviction on count 2 for continuous sexual abuse of a child and conclude Adam’s convictions on counts 1 and 3 (the specific sexual offenses) may stand.3 Section 288.5, subdivision (c) provides, in pertinent part: “No other act of substantial sexual conduct, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1203.066, with a child under 14 years of age at the time of the commission of the offenses, or lewd and lascivious acts, as defined in Section 288, involving the same victim may be charged in the same proceeding with a charge under this section unless the other charged offense occurred outside the time period charged under this section or the other offense is charged in the alternative.” In Johnson, supra, 28 Cal.4th at page 248, our Supreme Court interpreted section 288.5, subdivision (c) to mean prosecutors “may not obtain multiple convictions” for “continuous sexual abuse and specific sexual offenses, pertaining to the same victim over the same period of time.” As set forth above, Adam was charged in count 1 with oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child who is 10 years of age or younger, an act of substantial sexual conduct (§§ 288.7, subd. (b), 1203.066, subd. (b)), in count 2 with continuous sexual abuse

3 We use the term “reverse” rather than “vacate” to describe our disposition, following the terminology our Supreme Court used in People v. Johnson (2002) 28 Cal.4th 240, 248 (Johnson). Courts appear to use these two terms interchangeably.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Adam CA2/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-adam-ca21-calctapp-2022.