People v. DeYoung

228 Cal. App. 2d 331, 39 Cal. Rptr. 487, 1964 Cal. App. LEXIS 1086
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 6, 1964
DocketCrim. 9956
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 228 Cal. App. 2d 331 (People v. DeYoung) 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. DeYoung, 228 Cal. App. 2d 331, 39 Cal. Rptr. 487, 1964 Cal. App. LEXIS 1086 (Cal. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

KINCAID, J. pro tem. *

The People of the State of California, plaintiff and appellant, having filed application, and the Appellate Department of the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County, pursuant to the provisions of rules 62 and 63, California Rules of Court, article VI, section 4e, of the Constitution, and section 988t of the Code of Civil Procedure of the State of California, having certified to the effect that a transfer of the appeal in the above entitled action to *333 the District Court of Appeal appears necessary to settle a new and important question of law; and good cause appearing therefor, the said appeal being from the Municipal Court of the Santa Barbara Judicial District in and for the County of Santa Barbara, No. 71069, by order duly made, was transferred to the District Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division One.

Plaintiff appeals herein from a judgment, after demurrer, dismissing a criminal complaint which accused the respondent of violation of section 32.11 of the City Code of Santa Barbara in that “said defendant on or about the 10 day of November, 1963, in the City of Santa Barbara, ... did wilfully then and there appear on private premises in a state of intoxication to the annoyance of another person....”

The judgment of the appellate department was filed April 13, 1964, affirming the judgment of dismissal made by the judge of the municipal court on December 16, 1963.

Section 32.11 of the City Code of Santa Barbara provides: “No person shall be upon any public street, or in any public place in a state of drunkenness or intoxication, and no person shall be on any private premises or in any private house in a state of drunkenness or intoxication to the annoyance of any other person. ’ ’

The respondent, at the time of her arrest, was intoxicated in the presence of her children within the confines of the private home of her husband from whom she was separated. He complained that her presence in his home in her state of intoxication annoyed him.

This is the sole question necessary for us to determine: Has the state adopted a general scheme for the regulation of the criminal aspects of being intoxicated? It is our conclusion that the answer is yes.

In a series of cases our Supreme Court has set forth the governing principles here applicable. (In re Lane, 58 Cal.2d 99 [22 Cal.Rptr. 857, 372 P.2d 897]; In re Moss, 58 Cal.2d 117 [23 Cal.Rptr. 361, 373 P.2d 425]; In re Koehne, 59 Cal. 2d 646 [30 Cal.Rptr. 809, 381 P.2d 633]; In re Zorn, 59 Cal.2d 650 [30 Cal.Rptr. 811, 381 P.2d 635]; and People v. Lopez, 59 Cal.2d 653 [30 Cal.Rptr. 813, 381 P.2d 637].)

As said in In re Zorn, 59 Cal.2d 650, 651 [30 Cal.Rptr. 811, 381 P.2d 635]: “A municipal ordinance is invalid if it attempts to impose additional requirements in a field that has been preempted by the general law. (In re Koehne, 59 Cal.2d 646, 648 [2] [30 Cal.Rptr. 809, 381 P.2d 633]; In *334 re Moss, 58 Cal.2d 117, 118 [2] [23 Cal.Rptr. 361, 373 P.2d 425].)

“Whenever the Legislature has seen fit to adopt a general scheme for the regulation of a particular subject, the entire control over whatever phases of the subject are covered by state legislation ceases as far as local legislation is concerned. (In re Koehne, supra, at p. 648 [3] ; In re Moss, supra, at p. 118 [3].)

“In determining whether the Legislature intended to occupy a particular field to the exclusion of all local regulation, we may look to the ' “whole purpose and scope of the legislative scheme” ’ and are not required to find such an intent solely in the language used in the statute. (In re Koehne, supra, at p. 648 [4]; In re Moss, supra, at p. 118 [4].)”

Legislative enactments covering the criminal aspects of intoxication are found in several of the codes and are so extensive in their scope that they clearly show an intention by the Legislature to adopt a general scheme for the regulation of this subject. Pertinent code sections relating thereto are: Penal Code, sections 273g (habitually drunk in the presence of any child in his custody); 367d (driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated); 367e (causing injury to a person by reason of driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated); 397 (selling intoxicating liquors to any habitual or common drunkard or insane person) ; 647, subdivision (f) (intoxicated in a public place). Vehicle Code, sections 21958 (intoxicated pedestrian walking upon a roadway); 23101 (driving vehicle while intoxicated causing injury to person); 23102 (driving vehicle while intoxicated) ; 23121 (drinking intoxicants in a motor vehicle upon a highway); 23122 (possession of alcoholic liquor in an opened container in a privately owned motor vehicle upon a highway); 23123 (storage in a privately owned motor vehicle upon a highway of liquor in an opened container). Probate Code, section 401 (intoxication will disqualify an estate representative). Business and Professions Code, section 25608 (prohibits consumption of intoxicants in a public school or on school grounds). Labor Code, section 1639 (intoxicated persons not permitted to frequent labor agencies). Pish and Game Code, section 3001 (prohibits taking of birds or mammals with firearms or bow and arrow when intoxicated). Government Code, sections 3001 (proscribes intoxication by public officers); 19572 (intoxication on duty of civil service employee a ground for *335 discipline). Welfare and Institutions Code, sections 5400-5408 (provides program for arrest, commitment, care, treatment and probation of chronic dipsomaniacs and inebriates). Health and Safety Code, sections 427-427.5 (provides program for rehabilitation of alcoholics).

Subsequent to the decision in In re Newbern, 53 Cal.2d 786 [3 Cal.Rptr. 364, 350 P.2d 116] which declared the state “common-drunk” law unconstitutionally vague, the Legislature conducted a study toward revising former Penal Code section 647, which concerned certain misdemeanors including vagrancy and drunkenness. (In re Koehne, supra, 59 Cal.2d 646, 648.) A new section 647 of the Penal Code was thereupon adopted (added Stats. 1961, ch. 560, p. 1672, § 2) classifying some eight acts as disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.

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Bluebook (online)
228 Cal. App. 2d 331, 39 Cal. Rptr. 487, 1964 Cal. App. LEXIS 1086, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-deyoung-calctapp-1964.