People v. Beaumaster

17 Cal. App. 3d 996, 95 Cal. Rptr. 360, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1547
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 27, 1971
DocketCrim. 18527
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 17 Cal. App. 3d 996 (People v. Beaumaster) 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. Beaumaster, 17 Cal. App. 3d 996, 95 Cal. Rptr. 360, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1547 (Cal. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

Opinion

STEPHENS, J.

Defendant Chapman (also known as Moore) was charged with nine felony counts. Defendant Beaumaster was charged with the same first seven felony counts as Chapman, and was also charged with two prior felony convictions. The counts are as follows, with each count except V, VII and IX also alleging that defendants committed the respective offense while armed with a .38 caliber revolver (a violation of Pen. Code, §§ 3024 and 12022):

Count I: Kidnaping for the purpose of robbery (a violation of Pen. Code, § 209); additionally alleging that the victim suffered bodily harm;
Count II: Oral copulation (a violation of Pen. Code, § 288a);
Count III: Robbery (a violation of Pen. Code, § 211);
Count IV: Assault with intent to commit murder (a violation of Pen. Code, § 217);
*1001 Count V; Assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer (a violation of Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (b));
Count VI: Assault with intent to commit murder (a violation of Pen. Code, § 217);
Count VII: Assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer (a violation of Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (b));
Count VIII: Assault with intent to commit murder (a violation of Pen. Code, § 217);
Count IX: Assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer (a violation of Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (b)).

Defendants pleaded not guilty, and they personally and all counsel waived trial by jury. Beaumaster denied the prior felony convictions, and his motion under Penal Code section 995 was denied. Defendants were found guilty as charged in counts I, 1 II, HI, TV, and VI, and not guilty of the other counts. Defendants were found to be armed at the time of commission of the offenses and under circumstances to bring them within Penal Code sections 3024 and 12022 for counts H, IV and VI, but not within those sections for counts I and III. Chapman was found to be armed when arrested, while Beaumaster was found not to be armed when arrested. One of Beaumaster’s prior felony convictions was found to be true. His motion for a new trial was denied. Probation was denied both defendants. Counts H, III, IV and VI were ordered merged into count I. Defendants were sentenced to state prison for the term of their natural lives, with possibility of parole, on count I, and for the term prescribed by law as to the merged counts. Beaumaster’s sentence was ordered to run concurrently with any existing federal sentence. Chapman’s sentence was ordered to run concurrently with any sentence theretofore imposed by any other court.

On the evening of May 27, 1969, Mrs. J. went to a laundromat near her home to do her laundry. While she was in the laundromat and alone, Chapman walked in, looked around, and picked up Mrs. J.’s purse from a table where she had placed it. He asked if it was hers. She told him it was, and Chapman asked her to come with him. She hesitated, and Chapman pulled out a gun and pointed it at her, causing her to fear for her life. He directed Mrs. J. to a vehicle parked directly in front of the laundromat. When she asked him why he was taking her, he said, “Be quiet, or I’ll blow your head off.” Mrs. J. then got in the vehicle, which *1002 had the motor running, and sat between the driver (Beaumaster) and Chapman. They drove onto an adjacent freeway, and Mrs. J. asked them what they wanted. Chapman’s response was, “Don’t worry, we are not going to hurt you. We just want your money.” Chapman went through her purse. Beaumaster asked Mrs. J. how much money she had and if she had any rings or jewelry of value in her purse, and she told him she only had five dollars. Beaumaster became angry and said that because she only had five dollars she would have to go down on them both. Chapman handed Beaumaster the gun, and tied Mrs. J.’s hands behind her back; Beaumaster, with the gun at her head, forced Mrs. J. to commit oral copulation. 2 While this was going on, Chapman had his hand up her dress and was fondling and caressing her thighs. Beaumaster later told her to straighten up, and handed the gun to Chapman. When she straightened up-, Mrs. J. observed the reflection of red flashing lights. The car stopped, and Los Angeles City Police Officer Proctor approached the car. He ordered Beaumaster out of the car. When Beaumaster got out, Officer Proctor noticed that Beaumaster’s pants were open. While Officer Proctor was talking to Beaumaster, Los Angeles Police Sergeant Conver arrived, in answer to Proctor’s prior call for cover. Conver walked to the passenger side of the vehicle and asked Chapman to get out. Chapman got out, pointing his revolver towards Officer Conver’s face, and said, “Don’t move, don’t move!” Conver ducked to the right and ran back to his vehicle, shouting to Proctor, “Look out, Vance, he has a gun.” Chapman fired the first shot, Proctor then drew his revolver and fired four shots in Chapman’s direction, and ducked behind his vehicle. Chapman was standing at the open passenger door when Proctor fired. An exchange of gunfire ensued. Mrs. J. managed to get out of the car just at the time of the exchange of shots, and she was struck in the neck and chest. Chapman got in the car and drove off. Mrs. J. was on her knees, in the street, with her hands tied behind her back when Chapman escaped. He was later apprehended in the manner which gave rise to the two counts (VIII and IX) of which he was found not guilty. Beaumaster was lying on the ground during the firing, and remained there until he was handcuffed.

Both defendants appeal from the judgment of conviction. Beaumaster contends: (1) there is insufficient evidence of conspiracy or aiding and abetting to sustain his conviction for assault with intent to commit murder; (2) the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction of kidnaping for the purpose of robbery; (3) he could not be convicted of both kidnaping and oral copulation since they were both a part of the same course of *1003 conduct. Chapman contends that: (1) he did not receive a fair trial because the trial judge did not disqualify himself, as was required by his having been involved in defendant’s change of plea from guilty to not guilty before trial; (2) his counsel was incompetent in that he failed to have the court disqualify itself, thereby reducing his trial to a farce and a sham.

Beaumaster’s first two contentions are based on insufficiency of the evidence. An appellate court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the prevailing party, and presume in support of the judgment the existence of every fact the trier could reasonably deduce from the evidence. (People v. Reilly, 3 Cal.3d 421, 425 [90 Cal.Rptr. 417, 475 P.2d 649]; People v. Mosher, 1 Cal.3d 379, 395 [82 Cal.Rptr. 379, 461 P.2d 659]; People v. Redmond, 71 Cal.2d 745, 755 [79 Cal.Rptr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
17 Cal. App. 3d 996, 95 Cal. Rptr. 360, 1971 Cal. App. LEXIS 1547, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-beaumaster-calctapp-1971.