People v. Bosby

256 Cal. App. 2d 209, 64 Cal. Rptr. 159, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 1844
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 21, 1967
DocketCrim. 11579
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 256 Cal. App. 2d 209 (People v. Bosby) 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. Bosby, 256 Cal. App. 2d 209, 64 Cal. Rptr. 159, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 1844 (Cal. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

HERNDON, J.

Each of the defendants Bosby, Cooper, Harrington and Rhone has appealed from the judgment entered upon the verdict of a jury finding him guilty of *211 murder in the first degree. 1 The jury fixed each appellant’s sentence at life imprisonment.

Appellants contend (1) that their extrajudicial statements were obtained without compliance with the rules enunciated in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 [16 L.Ed.2d 694, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 10 A.L.R.3d 974]; (2) that their extrajudicial statements were not edited to prevent “cross-incrimination” as required by the retroactively applicable standards established in People v. Aranda, 63 Cal.2d 518 [47 CaI.Rptr. 353, 407 P.2d 265] ; and (3) that the court erred in instructing on premeditated murder when, absent the application of the felony-murder doctrine, the evidence was insufficient to sustain a verdict of first degree murder. We find no merit in these contentions.

The evidence is Avithout material conflict. Defendants Bosby, Cooper and Harrington offered no defense, neither testifying themselves nor calling any witnesses to testify in their behalf. Defendant Rhone did take the stand but his version of the events in issue did not differ in any substantial Avay from that presented by the prosecution.

In summary, the evidence in support of the judgment establishes that appellants Avere seen to transfer from one car to another a short distance from the combination liquor and grocery store OAvned and operated by Mrs. Robbins and her brother, Darrell Ashcraft. The time was approximately 2 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 1964, when Mrs. Robbins would have a large amount of cash on hand to enable her to cash the pay checks of the employees of the several businesses located near her store.

Appellants Cooper and Bosby entered the store at or about the samo time. Cooper asked Mrs. Robbins if she Avould cash a pay roll cheek. She indicated that she would but would have to examine it first. Cooper, after reaching into his pocket, stated that he must ha\re left his check in his car and went outside to get it. In the interim, Bosby engaged Mr. Ashcraft in conversation regarding a particular size bottle of wine. When Cooper returned he was accompanied by Harrington and Rhone aaIio took positions within the front of the store. Mrs. Robbins remembered seeing them a few moments earlier *212 outside her store recalling in particular Harrington’s bright red hair. 2

Although Mrs. Robbins testified that the check presented to her by Cooper and the accompanying identification appeared to be in order, she intuitively felt something was amiss. As she expressed it: “Yes, he [Cooper] handed it to me and I looked at it and I knew it was a good check. I had cashed this company’s cheeks before, but, I don’t know, there was something about the way Mr. Rhone looked or something, I knew I wasn’t going to open that box.” By “box” she referred to a “check cashing register” in which the large sums of money were kept in addition to the regular amounts within the “main cash register.’’

At this point Mrs. Robbins heard and observed what appeared to her to be a “collision” between Bosby, who was in the rear of the store, and an elderly employee, Ben Serna. She testified that both men fell and when they arose she saw Mr. Serna moving towards her in a jerking fashion as if being prodded by Bosby whom she heard say, ' ‘ Man, I told you not to give me any trouble. ’ ’

While Mrs. Robbins’ attention was diverted in the direction of Bosby and Mr. Serna, her brother, who could not see them from his position nearer the front of the store, observed Cooper and Harrington each draw a gun. Harrington told him to “Hold it.” Mrs. Robbins testified that she continued to watch Bosby and Mr. Serna as they approached her, and observed that Bosby had a gun pressed against Mr. Serna’s body. Mrs. Robbins then reached for her own gun which was kept in a drawer beneath the cash register but as she drew it out Rhone moved forward and seized her wrist and either he or Cooper removed the gun from her hand.

Mr. Ashcraft also saw his sister disarmed, and when he was told to move to the rear of the store, he complied and tried , to push his sister on ahead of him. At this point a shot was heard and while Mr. Ashcraft could not see who fired the shot, Mrs. Robbins testified that she saw Bosby shoot Mr. Serna at point-blank range. Serna took a few steps forward with blood running from his mouth and shirt front and then fell dead upon the floor. Both Mrs. Robbins and Mr. Ashcraft complied with the orders to move to the rear of the store but in the confusion of their exit the electric cord that supplied power to *213 the register was pulled from its socket which prevented it from being opened. They exited through the rear of the store and when they returned appellants had departed.

Other witnesses saw appellants run to the car in which they had arrived and drive rapidly away, running a red light in the process. They were next seen moments thereafter when they again switched cars at the spot nearby where their second car waited with another man behind the wheel and the motor running.

The license number of the ear used to leave the store was obtained by witnesses who had observed appellants’ flight. Although appellant Cooper later asserted that the car “belonged” to him, it was registered to a third person in another part of Los Angeles. Subsequently, each of the appellants was arrested and each gave statements after being fully advised of their constitutional rights in accordance with the rules enunciated in People v. Dorado, 62 Cal.2d 338 [42 Cal.Rptr. 169, 398 P.2d 361].

The statements of Cooper, Bosby and Rhone were tantamount to confessions that they were attempting to rob the store when the shooting occurred but each denied committing the murder itself. Each statement involved all four defendants. Harrington admitted only that he had driven to the market with three Negroes but originally had remained in the car until he decided to follow them in order to purchase cigarettes. He admitted fleeing with “Jesse and Rhone” and spending the night with them in a motel in Pasadena where he dyed his hair from red to black and shaved off his moustache.

Appellants’ initial assignment of error, of course, was based upon the hope that California would choose to apply the additional requirements of Miranda v. Arizona, supra, 384 U.S. 436, retroactively as People v. Dorado, supra, 62 Cal.2d 338, had applied the ruling in Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U.S. 478 [12 L.Ed.2d 977, 84 S.Ct.

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121 P.3d 243 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2005)
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556 S.W.2d 322 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1977)
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395 U.S. 250 (Supreme Court, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
256 Cal. App. 2d 209, 64 Cal. Rptr. 159, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 1844, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-bosby-calctapp-1967.