People v. Brennan

53 P. 1098, 121 Cal. 495, 1898 Cal. LEXIS 941
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 21, 1898
DocketCrim. No. 364
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 53 P. 1098 (People v. Brennan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Brennan, 53 P. 1098, 121 Cal. 495, 1898 Cal. LEXIS 941 (Cal. 1898).

Opinion

TEMPLE, J.

An information was filed in the superior court of the city and county of San Francisco which accused defendant “of the crime of felony,” to wit, extortion, in that he, with intent to extort money from one Theresa Tarpey, willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously, sent her a letter which expressed and implied a threat to do her person an unlawful injury. The letter is set out in full.

The defendant was convicted, and this appeal is taken from the judgment and from the order denying his motion for a new-trial. At the proper time the defendant moved the court to. set aside the information because it did not comply with certain sections of the Penal Code, hut he did not demur.

It is now contended that the information attempts to charge two offenses, and charges neither effectively. This claim is founded upon the use of the word “extortion” in the general designation of the offense with which the accusation opens. The word can he eliminated and the information will still he good. Regarded as a charge of sending a threatening letter with intent of extorting money, the information seems all that can he re[497]*497quired. And it is plain that there is no attempt to charge any other offense. The defendant could not have been, and was not, misled by the unnecessary use of the word “extortion.”

The charge was fully and accurately explained to the jury by the learned judge of the court. He said: “The real accusation as set forth in the information, though denominated therein as ‘extortion/ is not an accusation of an extortion committed— an accusation that money was actually obtained by extortion— but that a threatening letter was sent by the accused with intent 'to extort money/’ etc.

The defendant had been held upon three criminal charges, in each of which it was alleged that Theresa Tarpey was the victim of the crime charged. The complaints in the several cases, though put in evidence, are not in the transcript. Counsel and the court, in speaking of them, designated them respectively as the charge of rape, or the rape case; the charge of extortion, and “taking a female by inducements for the purposes of prostitution, in which Theresa Tarpey is named as the female.”

The complaint charging the defendant with rape was filed December 4,1896. The preliminary examination was commenced on the 15th of the same month, and, after some testimony had' been taken on the charge of rape, officer Handley verified and filed with the magistrate the so-called charge of extortion. Mr. Vernon, the stenographer, was examined as a witness, and testified that a stipulation was made to the effect that the testimony taken in the rape case should be considered the evidence in the extortion case. It was made in open court and entered by him in his notes. As to the time or the stage in the proceedings when the stipulation was entered into, the following evidence was given:

“Mr. Black.—What was the date of that stipulation; that is, on the charge of extortion? A. That occurred twice. Mr. Van Duzer agreed to that at the time he took the testimony at the house, I believe.
“Q. What was the stipulation on that very day, though; what date was that? A. That was the fifteenth day of December; the examination of witness was entered on the 28th of December; it was continued once or twice before that; the examination of witnesses on the charge of extortion was commenced on the 28th [498]*498of .December, and it was after two witnesses had been examined that this stipulation was entered of record and taken down by me, referring to the testimony that had already been taken on the other charge; that was the stipulation entered into by Hr. Long, who subsequently came into the case.
“Mr. Forster.-—Mow, Mr. Yernon, what papers—what record —are you taking that stipulation from? A. I was looking at the extortion charge then; I find a stipulation in the extortion charge here. It is: ‘Mr. Mogan.—It is stipulated that the testimony taken in the rape case be considered as the testimony in this case. Mr. Long.—Yes; that is the case for the defense in the extortion matter.’
“Q. Well, now, wasn’t there a stipulation in the record of the rape case, also, Mr. Yernon, to that effect? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And isn’t that stipulation in the extortion record there a copy; isn’t that a part of the same record that is in the rape case? A. Mo; this is just at the end of the extortion case, before the testimony in the rape case comes on. That is the last thing before the testimony in the rape case comes on.
“Q. Well, isn’t there a good portion of the record in the extortion case exactly the same as the record in the rape case? A. Well, there was additional testimony in the extortion case, and then the whole of the testimony in the rape case went in in the extortion case.
“Q. So the stipulation you are reading now from the extortion case is not the stipulation as would appear in the rape case, and as having been transferred from one record to the other? A. There was just the one stipulation made at that time—that was the time that the extortion case was through—that is, the additional testimony was through; then that stipulation was made, but Mr. Yan Duzer had previously made a stipulation at the house to that effect.”

Against the objections of defendant the court then permitted the deposition to be read. It is not obj’eetedthatthedepositions were not properly certified. It is contended that this deposition does not come within the statute because it is not a deposition taken upon preliminary examination of the defendant upon the charge upon which he was being tried.

The evidence was offered under the provisions of section 686 [499]*499of the Penal Code, which, so far as material here, reads as follows: “in a criminal action the defendant is entitled.....3. To produce witnesses on his behalf, and to be confronted with the witnesses against him, in the presence of the court, except that where the charge has been preliminarily examined before a committing magistrate, and the testimony taken down by question and answer in the presence of the defendant, who has, either in person or by counsel, cross-examined or had an opportunity to cross-examine the witness; or where the testimony of a witness on the part of the people, who is unable to give security for his appearance, has been taken conditionally in the like manner in the presence of the defendant, who has, either in person or by counsel, cross-examined or had an opportunity to cross-examine the witness, the deposition of such witness may be read, upon its-being satisfactorily shown to the court that he is dead or insane, or cannot with due diligence be found within the state.”

As to that portion of the deposition which was taken before the stipulation was entered into, I can conceive of no theory upon which it can be brought under the provisions of the code. Such testimony was not taken in the presence of the defendant upon the charge then on trial.

The contention that none of the testimony was taken upon a preliminary examination of the charge upon which he was being tried is based upon the proposition that the examination was upon a charge for extortion, while the trial was held to be upon a charge for sending a threatening letter with intent to extort money. The complaint upon which the examination was held is not in the record.

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Related

People v. Morris
237 Cal. App. 2d 773 (California Court of Appeal, 1965)
People v. Terry
180 Cal. App. 2d 48 (California Court of Appeal, 1960)
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111 P. 271 (California Court of Appeal, 1910)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
53 P. 1098, 121 Cal. 495, 1898 Cal. LEXIS 941, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-brennan-cal-1898.