People v. Angus

114 Cal. App. 3d 973, 171 Cal. Rptr. 5, 1980 Cal. App. LEXIS 2648
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 30, 1980
DocketCrim. 20472
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 114 Cal. App. 3d 973 (People v. Angus) 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. Angus, 114 Cal. App. 3d 973, 171 Cal. Rptr. 5, 1980 Cal. App. LEXIS 2648 (Cal. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

*977 Opinion

COLVIN, J.

Paul Ray Angus appeals from a judgment sentencing him to state prison following revocation of his preexisting probation. He contends (1) that the revocation and sentence constituted an abuse of the court’s discretion and (2) that the sentence imposed improperly penalized him for demanding a revocation hearing.

Appellant was convicted, upon his guilty plea, of assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)). On May 25, 1978, imposition of sentence was suspended and he was admitted to formal probation for five years upon several specified conditions. On May 22, 1979, upon the probation department’s report and recommendation, the trial court by ex parte order revoked probation and ordered a bench warrant for appellant’s arrest. Following a probation revocation hearing, on October 9, 1979, the trial court found that appellant had violated his probation and sentenced him to state prison. He filed a timely notice of appeal on November 7, 1979.

Facts

The essence of appellant’s first contention is that the evidence did not warrant probation revocation or the prison sentence. He does not contest the admissibility of any of the documents or testimony presented to the trial court; this evidence contained a substantial number of pertinent facts.

A. The underlying conviction.

Appellant had been charged in February 1978 with two counts of aggravated assault (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)), by an information which also alleged that he had suffered two prior felony convictions (for robbery and for possession of marijuana).

A probation report prepared in April 1978 indicates that the charges arose out of an incident at a bar: Appellant arrived late in the evening, apparently already drunk, and demanded and consumed three drinks in quick succession. When the bartender refused to serve him more alcohol, appellant reportedly threw a glass at the bartender (count two), knifed a customer (count one), and then was dragged out of the place by his companions.

*978 At a pretrial hearing, appellant pleaded guilty to the knifing and admitted both priors. The plea was entered pursuant to a plea bargain for dismissal of the second count, and upon the condition that appellant be admitted to probation. The second count was dismissed.

B. Appellant’s background.

The probation report reflects that appellant was a 28 year old with a noteworthy record of criminal (8 convictions including the 2 prior felonies), juvenile (22 arrests “for such offenses as assault with a doadly weapon, battery, disturbing the peace, malicious mischief, robbery, grand theft, incorrigibility, truancy, curfew, and failure to comply with a court order,” and more than 3 years on juvenile probation), and traffic (25 offenses including 3 drunk driving convictions and 2 license suspensions) troubles. He had spent time in prison and in jail, as well as on probation and on parole. He was on parole at the time of the knifing.

Appellant’s performance on a previous probation, in the early 1970s, had been poor. The probation report recites among other things that he had reported only sporadically, had moved several times without informing the probation department, had actively resisted supervision, and had refused to keep appointments.

The probation report reflects that appellant was at one time a heavy drinker and that he had abused other drugs as well. The report summarizes information received from appellant’s parole officer and two special police investigators, who described appellant as an “enforcer” for drug dealers who pistol-whipped and knifed adversaries, had “no conscience or qualms about hurting people,” and “is a constant criminal problem within the community and chronically violent.”

C. The probation order.

Based on the information summarized above, the reporting probation officer recommended that appellant be committed to state prison. Nevertheless, on May 25, 1978, over the prosecutor’s objection that appellant was ineligible for probation absent a showing that “the interests of justice would best be served if the person is granted probation” (cf. Pen. Code, § 1203, subd. (d) [now subd. (e): Stats. 1979, chs. 1174, 1175]), the trial court admitted appellant to probation for five years on a number of terms and conditions of which the following are relevant to this appeal: “3. The defendant immediately following his *979 release from custody involve himself in a rehabilitation program at Delancey Street or a similar residential program which requires the commitment of two years;...

“[T]he defendant shall abide by the standard terms of probation set forth in the printed Order of Probation.” The “standard terms of probation” required in pertinent part that appellant “1) Conduct himself in all respects according to the requirements of the Probation Officer of Contra Costa County and, upon termination of any period of confinement in the County Jail, continue under the charge of said Probation officer. 2) Report in person to the Probation Officer once each month or at such other times and in such manner as directed by the Probation Officer. 3) Seek and maintain employment and immediately notify the Probation Officer of any change in employment status. 4) Not change his place of residence nor leave the State of California without written permission of the Probation Officer.... 8) Maintain an address with the Probation Officer where notice of any further proceedings may be mailed.”

D. The ex parte revocation order.

On May 22, 1979, Probation Officer McDoniels filed with the trial court a “report & recommendation for revocation of probation” which recited that appellant had served his county jail condition from May 25, 1978, until April 14, 1979, and had accumulated 10 infractions (including intoxication and threats against other inmates) during that time, and continued as follows: “The defendant held a variety of jobs at the Rehabilitation Center while incarcerated. Staff comments about the defendant were unfavorable—often in the extreme. Some deputies wondered why an inmate such as the defendant who has done so much institutional time could not do the county jail time with greater facility and ease.

“Because of the loss of Good and Work Time, law changes in time computation, and confusion over his parole hold, the defendant’s release date varied from February 23, 1979, to April 22, 1979. Because of this, the defendant left the jail without being screened for his mandatory involvement in a two (2) year residential program.

“This agent’s efforts to find the defendant since his jail release have been futile. Letters have been returned marked ‘Moved, Unable to Forward’ and ‘No Such Address.’ Addresses given by the defendant to the investigation officer have either been nonexistent or the persons residing there now claim to know nothing about the defendant.

*980

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
114 Cal. App. 3d 973, 171 Cal. Rptr. 5, 1980 Cal. App. LEXIS 2648, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-angus-calctapp-1980.