People v. Carmical

258 Cal. App. 2d 103, 65 Cal. Rptr. 504, 1968 Cal. App. LEXIS 2396
California Court of Appeal·Decided January 22, 1968·No. Crim. 6219·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

CHRISTIAN, J.

After a trial by jury, defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction of two counts of felony: possession of heroin (Health & Saf. Code, § 11500) and possession of a concealable weapon by a felon (Pen. Code, § 12021). It is contended on appeal that the conviction rests upon illegally obtained evidence, that the evidence was insufficient as to the narcotic count, and that the judge erred in responding to the jurors’ requests for further instructions and for the rereading of certain testimony. We have concluded that the only error made by the trial judge was not prejudicial.

On the afternoon of January 7, 1966, narcotic enforcement officers received information, through an anonymous telephone call, that appellant was in possession of “more heroin than he could swallow” at a certain address in Oakland. Going there to investigate, the officers at first lurked in places of concealment. After a time they saw appellant come outside and enter a vehicle parked in front. A few minutes later, while the officers were approaching appellant with the intention of questioning him, appellant took a pistol and holster from under his sweater and placed it on the seat of the ear. The officers knew that appellant had suffered a prior conviction of felony; they therefore instantly arrested him for violation of Penal Code, section 12021. An immediate search of appellant’s pockets produced a balloon containing a quantity of *106 heroin. Other balloons, and milk sugar such as might be used in preparing heroin for sale, were found on appellant’s person and in the trunk of his car.

Appellant testified that the pistol was not his, that he did not have it concealed on his person, and that he was only-putting it in his ear for a woman friend who wanted him to transport it to another place. He denied having any heroin in his pocket and accused one of the arresting officers of attempting to “plant” the contraband on him. He attempted to explain the presence of milk sugar (commonly used in diluting heroin) by explaining that he used it in preparing a nonnarcotic dangerous drug for his own consumption. The jury found appellant not guilty of possessing heroin for sale but guilty of the included offense of possessing the drug. Appellant was also found guilty of being a felon in possession of a concealable weapon.

On appeal it is contended that appellant’s arrest, the seizure of the pistol, the ensuing search, and the seizure of the narcotic contraband were unlawful. But this is not a case comparable to Badillo v. Superior Court (1956) 46 Cal.2d 269 [294 P.2d 23], or Gascon v. Superior Court (1959) 169 Cal. App.2d 356 [337 P.2d 201], where the presence of contraband was disclosed when the suspect attempted to rid himself of it under threat of an immediate unlawful search. Here appellant himself testified that he was not aware of the officers’ approach until after the gun had been placed in the car. Moreover, there was no evidence contradicting the testimony of the officers that they approached appellant without any intention of arresting or searching him unless probable cause fortuitously emerged. The officers were entitled to question appellant in the course of their investigation of the information they had received from the informant. (People v. Stout (1967) 66 Cal.2d 184, 191 [57 Cal.Rptr. 152, 424 P.2d 704]; see also People v. Jolke (1966) 242 Cal.App.2d 132, 147 [51 Cal.Rptr. 171].) It is elementary that evidence produced in a search incidental to a lawful arrest is admissible. (People v. Harris (1965) 62 Cal.2d 681, 683 [43 Cal. Rptr. 833, 401 P.2d 225].)

The further contention that the evidence should have been suppressed because of physical brutality practiced by one of the officers (citing Rochin v. California (1952) 342 U.S. 165 [96 L.Ed. 183, 72 S.Ct. 205, 25 A.L.R.2d 1396]) is not supported by the evidence. The officer who actually made the arrest was not armed; he therefore moved very .quickly *107 when he saw that appellant had a pistol. The officer did collide with appellant, but there is no evidence of brutality-constituting a violation of due process.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

People v. Carmical, 258 Cal. App. 2d 103, 65 Cal. Rptr. 504, 1968 Cal. App. LEXIS 2396 (Cal. Ct. App. 1968).

258 Cal. App. 2d 103 (People v. Carmical) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

People v. Polk
California Court of Appeal, 2019
People v. Polk
248 Cal. Rptr. 3d 335 (California Court of Appeals, 5th District, 2019)
People v. Singleton CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2015
People v. Rubacalba
859 P.2d 708 (California Supreme Court, 1993)
Gardner v. State
569 S.W.2d 74 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1978)
Pueblo v. Rodríguez Martínez
101 P.R. Dec. 503 (Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1973)
People v. Superior Court
20 Cal. App. 3d 384 (California Court of Appeal, 1971)
People v. Shipstead
19 Cal. App. 3d 58 (California Court of Appeal, 1971)
Carmical v. Craven
314 F. Supp. 580 (N.D. California, 1970)
People v. Case
270 Cal. App. 2d 712 (California Court of Appeal, 1969)
People v. Jackson
268 Cal. App. 2d 306 (California Court of Appeal, 1968)