People v. Crayton

91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 488, 77 Cal. App. 4th 307
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 29, 2000
DocketB125826, B136548
StatusPublished

This text of 91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 488 (People v. Crayton) 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. Crayton, 91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 488, 77 Cal. App. 4th 307 (Cal. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

91 Cal.Rptr.2d 488 (1999)
77 Cal.App.4th 307

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Timothy CRAYTON, Defendant and Appellant.
In re Timothy Crayton, on Habeas Corpus.

Nos. B125826, B136548.

Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Four.

December 29, 1999.
Review Granted March 29, 2000.

*489 Wolff & Ellis, Gregory R. Ellis, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for defendant and appellant.

Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, David P. Druliner, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Carol Wendelin Pollack, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Kenneth C. Byrne, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Jaime L. Fuster, Deputy Attorney General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Certified for Partial Publication.[*]

EPSTEIN, Acting P.J.

California law requires that defendants who appear for felony arraignment without counsel be informed of their right to the assistance of counsel and, if they desire counsel but cannot employ an attorney, to have counsel appointed. This statutory mandate complements a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel. The Supreme Court has held that, in felony cases, a waiver of the right to counsel taken pursuant to this statutory mandate does not carry from municipal court to superior court.

This case considers the ramifications of the trial court's failure at arraignment in superior court to readvise an unrepresented defendant of his right to counsel and to obtain a new waiver of that right when the case reached that court. In the published portion of this opinion, we conclude that the Sixth Amendment does not require a new admonishment and waiver. The applicable statute provides greater protection of a defendant's rights, but violation of its prescription does not always require reversal. Instead, such error should be analyzed *490 under the prejudicial error provision of the California Constitution (article VI, section 13), as that provision has been applied by our Supreme Court. Under the totality of the circumstances in this case, we conclude that the error was harmless. In the unpublished portion of this opinion, we consider appellant's other claims of error. Other than errors in calculation of sentence, failure to impose a parole fine, and a mistake in imposing a restitution order, we find no basis for reversal or modification. Accordingly, we shall affirm the judgment as modified.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Defendant Timothy Crayton appeals his judgment of conviction on kidnapping, robbery, forcible oral copulation, assault with a deadly weapon, and other offenses. A detailed recounting of the facts is not essential to the disposition of the issues. In summary, defendant accosted Ms. H. on the early morning of August 21, 1997 as she entered her car after purchasing rock cocaine in Venice. Ms. H. remained in his custody or under his control until the next day. Defendant ordered Ms. H. to drive as he directed, twice forced her to withdraw money from automatic teller machines, beat her, and forced her to orally copulate him while he smoked the drugs that she had purchased. Defendant moved Ms. H. to several locations, the last of which was a house in Santa Monica where Irwin Campbell and Chanta Payne were present. They too became victims of defendant. After sharing rock cocaine with them and Ms. H., defendant became enraged at the three individuals. He accused all of them of stealing Ms. H.'s bank card and claimed that they all owed him money. Defendant pointed a shotgun at them, beat them, and threatened to kill all of them. Finally, he ordered the three to disrobe and lie in a pile, covered them with a blanket and chair, poured a liquid on them, and flicked a lighter. Defendant then sat down and fell asleep. Police were summoned and arrested defendant.

At trial, a jury convicted defendant of forcible oral copulation (Pen.Code, § 288a, subd. (c)),[1] kidnapping for robbery (§ 209, subd. (b)), two counts of first-degree robbery (§ 211), assault with intent to commit a felony (§ 220), possession of a firearm by a felon (§ 12021, subd. (a)(1)), three counts of assault with a firearm (§ 245, subd. (a)(2)), three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(1)), and three counts of making terrorist threats.[2] (§ 422.) It found several special allegations to be true: personal use of a firearm on one robbery count (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)), personal use of a firearm on the three assault with a firearm counts (§ 12022.5, subd. (a) & (d)), and personal use of a firearm within the meaning of section 12022.5, subdivision (a)(1) on the three terrorist threat counts.

The jury also found that defendant had three prior convictions for the serious felony of robbery (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)); and found true the special allegations that defendant suffered prior serious and violent felony convictions for six counts of robbery and one count of assault with a deadly weapon pursuant to sections 1170.12, subdivisions (a) through (d) and 667, subdivisions (b) through (i).

The trial court imposed sentence in accordance with the "Three Strikes" law, added prison time for the special allegations and for prior convictions, and ordered that the sentences on each count run consecutively. Defendant thus received a total prison sentence of 510 years to life. The trial court also ordered him to pay a *491 restitution fine of $10,000. Defendant filed this timely appeal and a related petition for writ of habeas corpus. We consider both matters together.

We conclude that defendant's claims on direct appeal lack merit, except for his argument that the trial court incorrectly calculated his sentence on one count and thus mistakenly added 50 years to his sentence. We shall order the judgment modified in that regard. The People seek two modifications of the abstract of judgment as it pertains to mandatory restitution and parole revocation fines, and we shall order those corrections. We also conclude that defendant has not established that the trial court prejudicially excluded evidence relevant to part of his defense, as he contends in his petition for writ of habeas corpus. Accordingly, while ordering three modifications to the abstract of judgment, we affirm the judgment in all other respects and we deny the petition for writ of habeas corpus.

DISCUSSION

I

Defendant represented himself at his preliminary hearing and at trial. His principal contention is that the trial court committed per se reversible error by failing to readvise him of his right to counsel and in failing to obtain a new waiver of that right at his arraignment in superior court.

Defendant appeared for arraignment in municipal court on September 7, 1997. He was without counsel and expressed the intention of representing himself. The court commissioner then presiding warned defendant that he was charged with a felony and "you're risking a lot if you don't have guidance of counsel. And would you allow the public defender to represent you at this stage and perhaps readdress the issue when you get into the settlement conference?" Defendant responded, "Your Honor, I will stand on my F[aret]ta ... rights and represent myself. I don't need the services of the public defender's office." He then requested that a judge, rather than a commissioner, hear the matter. The court honored that request.

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Bluebook (online)
91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 488, 77 Cal. App. 4th 307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-crayton-calctapp-2000.