People v. Anthony C.

42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 370, 138 Cal. App. 4th 1493, 2006 Daily Journal DAR 5181, 2006 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3626, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 618
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 28, 2006
DocketC048529
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 370 (People v. Anthony C.) 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. Anthony C., 42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 370, 138 Cal. App. 4th 1493, 2006 Daily Journal DAR 5181, 2006 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3626, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 618 (Cal. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinions

[1499]*1499Opinion

BLEASE, Acting P. J.

Anthony C. (hereafter Anthony) appeals from the judgment of extended commitment to the California Youth Authority (CYA)1 pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 1800 et seq.2 That scheme allows for a two-year extension of a CYA commitment if a jury finds that upon discharge, the ward “would be physically dangerous to the public because of [the ward’s] mental or physical deficiency, disorder, or abnormality. . . .” (§ 1801.)

The jury was instructed, consistent with the constitutional requirements of In re Howard N. (2005) 35 Cal.4th 117 [24 Cal.Rptr.3d 866, 106 P.3d 305] (Howard N.) and People v. Williams (2003) 31 Cal.4th 757 [3 Cal.Rptr.3d 684, 74 P.3d 779] (Williams), that to find Anthony physically dangerous within the meaning of section 1800 it must find his mental disorder makes it likely, i.e., “presents a substantial danger,” that he will commit future sexually criminal acts.

On appeal, Anthony challenges his order of commitment on the grounds the evidence at trial was insufficient to prove he has serious difficulty controlling his dangerous behavior. He also raises constitutional challenges, errors in the pleadings and at the probable cause hearing, and trial court error involving the admission of prejudicial evidence and the insufficiency of the evidence to support the commitment order.

We agree with Anthony’s claim the evidence is insufficient to sustain the charge and shall reverse the commitment order.

In light of this disposition, we requested supplemental briefing on the question whether double jeopardy bars retrial at an extended commitment hearing held pursuant to section 1800. Section 1803 authorizes “[t]he appellate court [to] affirm the order of the lower court, or modify it, or reverse it and order the appellant to be discharged.” Section 1801.5 mandates that if trial is ordered for extended commitment, the defendant is “entitled to all rights guaranteed under the federal and state constitutions in criminal proceedings.” We read section 1803 in the light of the constitutional principle against double jeopardy and find that discharge is the appropriate remedy.

[1500]*1500After considering the parties’ arguments and these provisions, we conclude retrial is barred and shall direct that Anthony be discharged from confinement. Because this disposition disposes of the matter, we do not reach Anthony’s remaining claims.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Original Commitment

Anthony was bom in November 1983. He was committed to the CYA as a ward of the court on June 19, 2002, pursuant to section 725, subdivision (b), based upon his admission he committed an act of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under the age of 14. (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a).)3 Additional charges of illegal sex acts with a child under the age of 14 years were dismissed with a Harvey waiver.4 Anthony entered the CYA’s formal sex offender treatment program at O.H. Close Youth Correctional Facility (O.H. Close) on or about October 31, 2002, and remained in the program until institution of the extended commitment proceedings.

CYA jurisdiction was set to expire on Anthony’s 21st birthday in November 2004. (§ 1769, subd. (a).) A petition was filed on July 26, 2004, to extend his commitment pursuant to section 1800 and a jury trial was held to determine that question.

B. Extended Detention Hearing

At the extended detention hearing (EDH), Dr. Steven Herskovic, a CYA staff psychologist who worked with Anthony in the sex offender treatment program (the program), testified that the wards in the program are divided into therapy groups of about seven and that Anthony is a member of one of his groups. Dr. Herskovic sees his wards once a week in a three-hour group cognitive-therapy session, which is the primary treatment for sex offenders. Additionally, the wards attend several different resource groups involving anger and stress management and issues relating to gangs and drug and alcohol abuse. Dr. Herskovic explained that the primary goal of the program is to prepare the wards so that when they are released from the program, they do not reoffend by committing new sex offenses or any other criminal acts on members of the public.

[1501]*1501The program generally takes about 30 months to complete, although some wards take longer; and wards who complete the program have a reduced risk of recidivism when compared to wards who do not complete the program.

Progress through the program is measured in stages and phases. The stages, of which there are 10, are the progressive treatment portions of the program. The initial stages stress honesty and self-disclosure. In stages one through three, the wards are oriented into the program, they are required to explore and disclose their entire sexual history, to write victim letters5 and reverse victim letters to see how they have impacted their victim, and to present these letters to the group and the doctor. In stages four through six, the wards learn about the assault cycle in general6 and their own assault cycle in particular, including the triggers that affect the various parts of their cycle. In stages seven through nine, the wards learn techniques for intervening into their assault cycle and for relapse prevention. The 10th stage requires that the ward demonstrate leadership by sponsoring new wards and assisting them through the program. By this stage, the ward is expected to be relatively stable and to act as a role model for other wards. Anthony was in stage four and was working on the beginning stages of his assault cycle.

The phases of the program reflect a qualitative assessment of the ward’s progression in the program. The ward’s placement in a phase is determined from month to month based primarily on his general behavior as well as his participation and performance in treatment and education. Phase one is the lowest phase and the ward’s progress through the phases is adversely affected by rule violations. Wards who are performing well in all areas are assigned to phase four, while those who are doing pretty well are assigned to phase three. All privileges are based on the phase attained by the ward, and Anthony was in group three.7

Anthony was in one of Dr. Herskovic’s groups. The doctor prepared a report on Anthony in which he diagnosed him as having pedophilia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He defined pedophilia as a mental disorder involving a person over the age of 16 who has an intense attraction to prepubescent children who are five years younger and the individual has acted on those urges. ADHD is a disorder in which the [1502]*1502individual has problems with inattentiveness or impulsivity, although Anthony had difficulty with both inattentiveness and impulsivity. However, he was taking medication for the ADHD, which made him less impulsive.

As part of a committee at CYA, Dr. Herskovic and others determined that Anthony required more time to complete the program and that an extension hearing was required.

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42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 370, 138 Cal. App. 4th 1493, 2006 Daily Journal DAR 5181, 2006 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3626, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 618, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-anthony-c-calctapp-2006.