People v. Dasilva

207 Cal. App. 3d 43, 254 Cal. Rptr. 563, 1989 Cal. App. LEXIS 6
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 10, 1989
DocketD006598
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 207 Cal. App. 3d 43 (People v. Dasilva) 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. Dasilva, 207 Cal. App. 3d 43, 254 Cal. Rptr. 563, 1989 Cal. App. LEXIS 6 (Cal. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

*46 Opinion

BENKE, J.

Following denial of a motion to suppress evidence (Pen. Code, § 1538.5), Thomas Edward Dasilva entered a negotiated plea of guilty to possessing methamphetamine for sale. (Health & Saf. Code, § 11378). The court sentenced him to serve the middle term of two years in prison. Dasilva appeals.

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on April 10, 1986, El Cajon Police Officer Michael Hook stopped Dasilva for a defective taillight. Dasilva identified himself as James Cain and could not produce a driver’s license or vehicle registration for the car he was driving. The car had Oregon license plates. Dasilva told the officer a friend had loaned him the car to drive to San Diego. When Hook ran a records check on the name given by Dasilva and on the automobile, he learned the car was registered to a business and received a negative response to the name James Cain. Hook told Dasilva he was suspicious whether Dasilva was giving correct information and obtained permission to search the interior of the car. After finding no registration or other information, Hook asked if he could look through Dasilva’s wallet for identification. Dasilva denied permission but went through the wallet himself, taking out papers, looking at them and placing them on the car hood. None supported Dasilva’s statement his name was James Cain. During this process, Dasilva looked at one piece of paper, crumbled it into a ball and put it behind his back. Hook ordered Dasilva to put the paper on the car hood. When he did not comply, Hook grabbed Dasilva’s hand, pulled it to the hood of the car and told Dasilva to drop the paper. He did so. The paper was an invoice from “R.J.M.”

Dasilva then became apologetic, telling Hook he had given an erroneous name and ultimately admitted his name was Dasilva. Hook arrested him for giving a false name and, after checking with the marshal’s office, learned he had two outstanding warrants. Hook advised Dasilva he was still suspicious about ownership of the vehicle and asked to search the trunk. Dasilva told the officer he could look in the trunk but the only thing there that was his was a guitar case. Upon opening the trunk, Hook found a guitar case, a TWA bag and a small cardboard box. When Hook asked if Dasilva had any objection to his searching the items, Dasilva stated the only thing that was his was the guitar case and he did not know anything about the other items in the trunk. Hook searched the items.

He found no contraband in the guitar case but found an unloaded revolver, bottles of chemicals, and controlled substance paraphernalia in a suitcase; methamphetamine in bindles in a cardboard box; and another gun and more paraphernalia and liquid in a tote bag.

*47 In opposition to the motion to suppress, the prosecution argued Dasilva consented to the search and the search was a lawful attempt to obtain information concerning ownership of the vehicle.

In denying the motion to suppress, the trial court stated: “Defendant lacks standing to object to the search of the containers in the trunk, by virtue of his disclaimer at the scene. He may not regain standing by reversing his position now. The defendant has standing with respect to the car, but consented to access to the trunk. The consent was not coerced. The detention was lawful and was not unduly prolonged, given the circumstances. The subsequent arrest was likewise lawful.”

Dasilva contends the trial court erred in denying the motion because of lack of standing and in finding he voluntarily consented to the search and detention was not of unlawful duration.

I

At the outset, Dasilva argues the trial court erred in basing its denial of the motion to suppress on lack of standing, a ground not argued by the prosecution. Dasilva’s argument is based in part on the principle expressed in Mestas v. Superior Court (1972) 7 Cal.3d 537, 540, 542 [102 Cal.Rptr. 729, 498 P.2d 977], Mesías held the prosecution cannot raise an argument on appeal in support of an otherwise erroneous trial court ruling, if the argument is not supported by evidence produced in the trial court. It is inapposite here since lack of standing is supported by the testimony reported in the preliminary hearing transcript.

Citing United States v. Santana (1976) 427 U.S. 38, 41 [49 L.Ed.2d 300, 304, 96 S.Ct. 2406], and Steagald v. United States (1981) 451 U.S. 204, 209 [68 L.Ed.2d 38, 43-44, 101 S.Ct. 1642], and a line of California cases consistent with Santana and Steagald, Dasilva argues the prosecution must object to standing in the trial court in order to raise the issue on appeal. In Santana, the Supreme Court merely mentioned in a footnote it would not consider the standing issue because it had not been raised below. Similarly, in Steagald, the Supreme Court held the government was precluded from raising lack of standing for the first time on appeal when it had not been raised below. Here, the court below raised the issue of standing in its tentative ruling and the parties chose not to argue the issue after the court raised it. Dasilva notes the principle expressed in Steagald, Santana and the California cases is “merely an application of the doctrine that objections not made or theories not argued at trial cannot be raised for the first time on appeal.” However, when the reason behind this principle is analyzed, its inapplicability here is clear. Raising an issue for the first time on appeal is *48 precluded because the opposition has been denied the opportunity to make a record on the matter and cure the defect at trial. (People v. Belmontes (1988) 45 Cal.3d 744, 766 [248 Cal.Rptr. 126, 755 P.2d 310].) “ ‘Because of [his] failure to make a timely and specific objection . . . the point must be deemed waived.’ ” (Id. at pp. 766-767, quoting People v. Green (1980) 27 Cal.3d 1, 22 [164 Cal.Rptr. 1, 609 P.2d 468].) Here, once the court issued the tentative ruling, Dasilva had the opportunity to make a record on the standing issue. He chose not to do so. He was not denied an opportunity to make a record or cure a defect below.

Generally, evidence obtained in a warrantless search shall be excluded only if one having a legitimate expectation of privacy in the area searched shows deprivation of Fourth Amendment rights. (Rakas v. Illinois (1978) 439 U.S. 128, 143, 148 [58 L.Ed.2d 387, 401, 404, 99 S.Ct. 421].) “It is settled law that a disclaimer of proprietary or possessory interest in the area searched or the evidence discovered terminates the legitimate expectation of privacy over such area or items.” (People v. Stanislawski

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Bluebook (online)
207 Cal. App. 3d 43, 254 Cal. Rptr. 563, 1989 Cal. App. LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-dasilva-calctapp-1989.