People v. Bolden

44 Cal. App. 4th 707, 52 Cal. Rptr. 2d 485, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2752, 96 Daily Journal DAR 4475, 1996 Cal. App. LEXIS 342
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 17, 1996
DocketNo. B091974
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 44 Cal. App. 4th 707 (People v. Bolden) 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. Bolden, 44 Cal. App. 4th 707, 52 Cal. Rptr. 2d 485, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2752, 96 Daily Journal DAR 4475, 1996 Cal. App. LEXIS 342 (Cal. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

Opinion

WOODS (Fred), J.

Convicted by jury of arson of a structure (Pen. Code, §451, subd. (c); statutory references, unless otherwise noted, are to the Penal Code) and exploding a destructive device (§ 12303.3), appellants Donyell A. Bolden and Kevin L. Wesson contend the trial court: (1) committed Miranda error (Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 [16 L.Ed.2d 694, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 10 A.L.R.3d 974]); (2) committed Aranda error (People v. Aranda (1965) 63 Cal.2d 518 [47 Cal.Rptr. 353, 407 P.2d 265]) (3) admitted hearsay evidence; (4) failed to instruct on a lesser included offense; (5) wrongfully allowed the information to be amended; (6) misinstructed the jury on the elements of arson; and (7) miscalculated custody credits.

We find merit only in the last contention, modify the (Bolden) judgment accordingly, and affirm the judgments.

Factual Background

There being no insufficiency of evidence claim, the facts may be stated simply. Our perspective favors the judgment. (People v. Barnes (1986) 42 Cal.3d 284, 303-304 [228 Cal.Rptr. 228, 721 P.2d 110].)

Latisha Barry lived with her godmother Travestin Griffin and other family members at 7011 Orange Avenue, Long Beach, an apartment building managed by Ms. Griffin. To the rear of the building was a two-car detached garage which abutted an alley.

Appellant Bolden was Latisha’s boyfriend and had been to her residence. Ms. Griffin disapproved of him and told Latisha to tell appellant Bolden he was not welcome at their house. Sometime in mid-September 1994, Latisha did so.

Thereafter, appellant Bolden made three molotov cocktails—glass bottles filled with gasoline, two with rag wicks, one with a paper wick—and with appellant Wesson, Michael Lynks,1 and driver Andre Tribble2 went to the alley near Latisha’s residence. They arrived shortly after midnight on October 1, 1994. Andre Tribble remained by his car while the others walked [712]*712down the alley toward the two-car garage. Michael Lynks and appellant Bolden threw their lit molotov cocktails at the wood garage door. Both struck the ground at the base of the door, broke, exploded, and set fire to the door.

Before appellant Wesson threw his lit molotov cocktail he noticed he had caught on fire. He dropped the molotov cocktail and his companions removed his burning letterman’s jacket. They took appellant Wesson to the Long Beach Memorial Hospital.

The Long Beach Fire Department responded to the scene and Fire Investigator Kean saw a blue and white Jordan high school letterman’s jacket lying about 24 feet from the charred garage door. The jacket was partially burned. In a pocket was a partially burned wallet containing appellant Wesson’s driver’s license, social security card, and other identification. Investigator Kean first went to appellant Wesson’s residence and then to Long Beach Memorial Hospital.

At the hospital Investigator Kean saw appellant Wesson being treated for bums, arrested him, advised him of his rights, and obtained his confession. He also arrested Michael Lynks in the waiting room.

Investigator Kean then went to appellant Bolden’s Bellflower residence and arrested him.

Discussion

1. Appellant Bolden contends the trial court committed Miranda error.

Defense counsel objected to the admissibility of appellant Bolden’s statements and, before ruling, the trial court conducted a hearing. (Evid. Code, § 402.)

At the hearing, Investigator Kean testified he advised appellant Bolden of his rights while transporting him to the Long Beach jail. When he asked appellant Bolden if he understood his rights he answered “Yes.” When he asked appellant Bolden if he waived his rights he answered, “Yeah. Can I talk to you later?”

Investigator Kean further testified that while booking appellant Bolden, about 30 minutes after the advisement, he asked him about the garage fire.

Defense counsel called Long Beach Fire Captain Munson who also testified appellant Bolden, when asked if he waived his rights, answered “Yeah. Can I talk to you later?”

[713]*713Appellant Bolden did not testify at the hearing.

Defense counsel argued appellant Bolden’s response was ambiguous and did not constitute a waiver. The trial court disagreed, found no ambiguity, and admitted the statements. We find no error.

“It is the function of the trial judge to determine whether the defendant did in fact knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to remain silent and his right to have the assistance of counsel. This determination is to be made based on the totality of the circumstances surrounding the interrogation. . . . The assertion of privilege or its waiver constitutes a question of fact which can only be decided after taking into account the special circumstances of each case. . . . Where the evidence is in conflict, the trial court’s findings in this regard will be accepted by the appellate court unless it is palpably erroneous or entirely unworthy of belief. . . .” (People v. Bestelmeyer (1985) 166 Cal.App.3d 520, 526 [212 Cal.Rptr. 605], citations omitted; People v. Siripongs (1988) 45 Cal.3d 548, 575 [247 Cal.Rptr. 729, 754 P.2d 1306]; People v. Boyer (1989) 48 Cal.3d 247, 263 [256 Cal.Rptr. 96, 768 P.2d 610]; People v. Kelly (1990) 51 Cal.3d 931, 950 [275 Cal.Rptr. 160, 800 P.2d 516].) “ 1 “[T]he trial court’s ruling on a Miranda [ ] issue may not be set aside by us unless it is ‘palpably erroneous.””” (People v. Siripongs, supra, 45 Cal.3d 548, 575, italics omitted.)

According to the undisputed evidence, appellant Bolden unqualifiedly said “yeah” when asked if he waived his rights and also said “Can I talk to you later?” There was no evidence appellant Bolden was undecided whether to talk to investigator Kean, only when to do so. Nor was there any evidence that, 30 minutes after being advised, appellant Bolden had any reservations about discussing the garage fire. We conclude the trial court properly admitted appellant Bolden’s statements.

2. Appellant Bolden contends the trial court committed Aranda error.

The trial court denied defense severance motions and edited the statements of each defendant. Appellant Bolden contends the editing of appellant Wesson’s extrajudicial statements was inadequate because those statements, when linked with other evidence, implicated him. The contention does not bear scrutiny.

As edited, appellant Wesson’s statements (testified to by investigator Kean) were the following: on the evening in question he left his house with [714]*714some friends and, in Andre’s3 car, drove to an alley off Orange Avenue, exited, went down the alley with the three explosive devices, realized he was on fire before he could throw his explosive device, fell to the ground, and his friends

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Related

People v. Bolden
44 Cal. App. 4th 707 (California Court of Appeal, 1996)

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44 Cal. App. 4th 707, 52 Cal. Rptr. 2d 485, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2752, 96 Daily Journal DAR 4475, 1996 Cal. App. LEXIS 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-bolden-calctapp-1996.