People v. Delasantos

342 P.2d 69, 172 Cal. App. 2d 213, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 1944
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 21, 1959
DocketCrim. 2952
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 342 P.2d 69 (People v. Delasantos) 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. Delasantos, 342 P.2d 69, 172 Cal. App. 2d 213, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 1944 (Cal. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

WARNE, J. pro tem. *

On March 21, 1958, a complaint was filed charging the appellant with seven counts of issuing checks without sufficient funds with intent to defraud. (Pen. Code, § 476a.) The complaint also charged two prior convictions consisting of a forgery conviction in 1947 and a robbery conviction in 1949.

Appellant, on being arraigned in the Municipal Court for the Santa Rosa Judicial District of Sonoma County, pleaded guilty as to each of the seven counts and admitted the two prior convictions. At that time he was represented by counsel appointed by the court who was also appointed to represent him in the superior court.

Upon his appearance in the superior court on April 25, 1958, appellant and his attorney requested a continuance for the purpose of permitting investigation and report of the probation officer. On May 9, 1958, the trial court heard arguments on the motion and determined that because of appellant’s two prior felony convictions he was not eligible for probation (Pen. Code, § 1203), and at that time appellant was granted one week’s continuance in order to make a motion for change of plea. On May 16, 1958, appellant’s motion to withdraw his plea of guilty and enter a plea of not guilty was denied. Probation was then ordered denied, and judgment was entered committing appellant to imprisonment in the state prison for the term prescribed by law. The trial court ordered that the sentences on all counts run concurrently. Defendant appeals from the judgment.

The record of the oral proceedings shows that on May 9 counsel, in arguing for the continuance, stated that he, as appellant’s counsel, learned after appellant had entered his plea of guilty that no complaint had been made by the persons to whom the checks had been issued, and on May 16, 1958, he stated to the trial court that following the continuance he had “talked to three other complaining witnesses ... to whom he had not talked prior to the Defendant’s plea of guilty.” He stated that “it was determined that they were *216 unaware of any criminal proceedings pending ...” pne of the witnesses had stated that he knew at the time he accepted the check that the defendant had no money and that on many prior occasions this person had always been able to obtain his money through the sheriff's office. Upon this statement alone counsel for appellant requested that appellant be permitted to change his plea, the ground being that the information then available to counsel indicated that these checks were accepted with knowledge that there were no funds to cover them. However, counsel indicated to the court that he was unable to talk with some of the remaining complaining witnesses.

Appellant first contends that he was denied the effective aid of counsel guaranteed by the Constitution; and secondly, that the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion for a change of plea. We have concluded that there is no merit in either contention.

Appellant contends that it is the duty of counsel to investigate carefully all the defenses of fact and law which may be available and to confer with the defendant about them before permitting him to plead guilty. He asserts, that his counsel in the trial court was ineffective in this respect. In support of this argument he relies upon the ease of People v. Avilez, 86 Cal.App.2d 289 [194 P.2d 829]. That case is factually different from the one before us and is clearly distinguishable. In that case the defendant was deprived of the effective aid of counsel by action of the trial court. The opinion in that case points out that private legal counsel had been retained for the defendant, and such fact was known both to the prosecution and the court. It was also known that such private legal counsel had been delayed in reaching the court. Nevertheless the proceedings there were accelerated by the court and the prosecution by the appointment of a deputy public defender to represent the defendant. This deputy public defender then merely acted pro forma and permitted the de^ fendant to enter a plea of guilty immediately without any investigation of the facts or consultation with his client other than to advise him to plead guilty.

In the instant case there is nothing to show that defense counsel had not had an opportunity to consult with and advise appellant. To the contrary, the record indicates that counsel for the appellant had represented him for some time prior to the plea of guilty. There is an indication thax *217 counsel did make some investigation of the charges prior to advising appellant. He also consulted appellant who was familiar with all the facts. It therefore may not be said that the plea of guilty was made without full knowledge of the consequences and without the advice of counsel.

In People v. Rainey, 125 Cal.App.2d 739 [271 P.2d 144], the court held that a defendant was not deprived of effective legal assistance when he was advised by his counsel to plead guilty to a robbery charge in a municipal court and stipulated in the superior court that the crime was one of first degree, in the absence of any showing that the advice and stipulation were not in accord with the facts as known to the defendant.

Similarly, in People v. Logan, 137 Cal.App.2d 331, 335 [290 P.2d 11], the court said: “When it is claimed on motion for a new trial or appeal in a criminal case that the defendant was inadequately represented by counsel at the trial, the question is whether he was substantially denied his constitutional right to be represented by counsel. The right to representation is one which our courts will maintain ‘absolutely and to the full extent’ (People v. Avilez, 86 Cal.App.2d 289 [194 P.2d 829] ; In re Major, 135 Cal.App.2d 405 [287 P.2d 359]). But where an accused is represented by counsel and the basis of his claim is that he received poor advice, indicative of poor judgment on the part of his attorney, and acted thereon to his detriment, those facts, even if substantiated, do not amount to a denial of the right of representation. (People v. Miller, 114 Cal. 10 [45 P. 986]; People v. Lennox, 67 Cal. 113 [7 P. 260]; People v. Kirk, 98 Cal.App.2d 687 [220 P.2d 976] ; People v. Gilbert, 25 Cal.2d 422 [154 P.2d 657]; People v. Ynostroza, 105 Cal.App.2d 332 [232 P.2d 913] ; People v. Morton, 100 Cal.App.2d 269 [223 P.2d 259].) ”

Further, as stated in People v. Wein,

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Related

People v. Mathews
205 Cal. App. 543 (California Court of Appeal, 1962)
People v. Roberts
197 Cal. App. 2d 354 (California Court of Appeal, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
342 P.2d 69, 172 Cal. App. 2d 213, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 1944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-delasantos-calctapp-1959.