People v. Forbes

182 Cal. App. 3d 676, 227 Cal. Rptr. 359, 1986 Cal. App. LEXIS 1737
California Court of Appeal·Decided June 19, 1986·No. No. D002292·Published

Opinion

[678] Opinion

LEWIS, J.

Brian Ray Forbes was convicted by a jury of robbery (Pen. Code,2 § 211) and of the use of a firearm in the commission of the robbery (§ 12022.5). The jury also found to be true the allegation Forbes had suffered a prior serious felony conviction (residential burglary) in the State of Florida. (§ 667, subd. (a), 1192.7, subd. (c)(18).) Forbes was sentenced to prison for the upper term of five years on the robbery conviction and two additional years for the firearm use. An additional five years was added to the sentence for the prior serious felony conviction. At the same hearing, Forbes was sentenced on another case of vehicle theft while released from custody on the primary offense to an additional two years and eight months consisting of one-third the two-year midterm plus a two-year enhancement. (Veh. Code, § 10851; § 12022.1; CR63492.) The vehicle theft term was ordered to run consecutively to the robbery term, making a total term of 14 years, 8 months. This sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to an uncompleted Florida sentence from which Forbes had escaped. Forbes appeals, asserting that the trial court failed to state legally proper or sufficient reasons for the 14-year, 8-month sentence to be served consecutively to the Florida prison sentence, failed to exercise discretion on whether to impose sentence for, strike or stay the prior felony conviction, and erred in finding the robbery victim “particularly vulnerable.”

I*

II

Forbes contends the decision to order the 14-year, 8-month sentence to be served consecutively to the Florida sentence was not based on “relevant criteria.” Rule 409 of the California Rules of Court provides that relevant criteria enumerated in these rules shall be considered by the sentencing judge and shall be deemed to have been considered unless the record affirmatively reflects otherwise. Forbes in effect argues that the record does affirmatively reflect otherwise in that the decision of the trial court to make the California sentence consecutive to the Florida sentence was an afterthought of the court after the prosecutor raised the issue and was based on “a lack of assurance” as to the time he would actually serve in Florida. It is true that the trial court observed: “We don’t know. We don’t know. I [679] have no assurance of that. That’s exactly what I asked counsel. If you lawyers present to me an assurance that he will serve 14 years in Florida, Florida can have him, but I don’t have that assurance.” However, the trial court had previously stated, in response to the prosecutor’s argument that absent an order for consecutive sentences the defendant would automatically be allowed to go back to Florida: “No, no, no. My—I understand you now. And I’m sorry. I didn’t. My intent is that he serve this sentence here in California, the 14 years, eight months here in California, and if that requires by staying [sic] that this sentence be served consecutively to the Florida sentence that is my intent. I do not intend and I thought I made it clear during our conversation, I said, ‘If Florida’s going to take him and he’s going to serve 24 years, I would be very happy to have the citizens of Florida pick up the tab. But then I asked you and you said, ‘No, we have no assurance of that.’ So my intent is that he serve his California sentence here and then—.” This court has previously held that the desire to have the defendant serve his full sentence for California crimes in the State of California is a legitimate reason for the imposition of consecutive sentences. (People v. Seaman (1978) 86 Cal.App.3d 815, 816-817 [150 Cal.Rptr. 430].) The court considered and relied on the record of appellant’s prior convictions and sentences as reflected in the probation report which is appropriate and required under section 1203, subdivision (b), and California Rules of Court, rules 418, 419 and 433.

Only one aggravating factor is needed to support the imposition of consecutive sentences. (People v. Bishop (1984) 158 Cal.App.3d 373, 382-383 [204 Cal.Rptr. 502].) The court noted that the California and Florida crimes were separate crimes, invoking California Rule of Court, rule 425(a)(2), and then also stated the court’s desire to have the appellant serve his full sentence for the California crimes in the prisons of California. Both were valid reasons to support the consecutive-sentence choice. The court did not err. Forbes inferentially argues he was taken by surprise by the court’s consideration. This argument does not succeed. He requested both in writing and in oral argument before the court that the California and Florida sentences be made concurrent to each other and he was well aware of the issues to be considered by the court.

Finally, Forbes argues the consecutive sentence was contrary to law in that the court would be required to return Forbes to Florida to serve the Florida sentence first. Forbes relies on California Rules of Court, rule 451(b), which states in part: “When a defendant is sentenced under section 1170 and the sentence is to run consecutively to a sentence imposed by . . . another state . . . , the judgment shall . . . order that the determinate term shall be served commencing upon the completion of the sentence imposed by the other jurisdiction.”

[680] It is a fundamental tenet of statutory construction that statutes should be construed so as to give a reasonable result consistent with the legislative purpose. (People v. Veasey (1979) 98 Cal.App.3d 779, 790 [159 Cal.Rptr. 755]; People v. Superior Court (1969) 70 Cal.2d 123, 132 [74 Cal.Rptr. 294, 449 P.2d 230].) The obvious purpose here is to require the specific statement of the consecutive nature of the sentence. It is not the purpose of this rule to require the trial court to contravene or ignore existing law regarding extradition or laws governing the transfer of prisoners from state to state. California cannot unilaterally require another state to take custody of a prisoner during the pendency of his California sentence. (In re Tomlin (1966) 241 Cal.App.2d 668, 669 [50 Cal.Rptr. 805]; People v. Superior Court (Lopez) (1982) 130 Cal.App.3d 776, 785 [182 Cal.Rptr. 132].) There must be a request for the prisoner from the foreign state (§ 1548.2) and the Governor of California may then surrender the prisoner or hold the prisoner until the California sentence has been completed. (§ 1553.1, subd. (a).)

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People v. Forbes, 182 Cal. App. 3d 676, 227 Cal. Rptr. 359, 1986 Cal. App. LEXIS 1737 (Cal. Ct. App. 1986).

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Related

People v. Superior Court
449 P.2d 230 (California Supreme Court, 1969)
People v. Bishop
158 Cal. App. 3d 373 (California Court of Appeal, 1984)
People v. Superior Court (Lopez)
130 Cal. App. 3d 776 (California Court of Appeal, 1982)
People v. Veasey
98 Cal. App. 3d 779 (California Court of Appeal, 1979)
People v. Seaman
86 Cal. App. 3d 815 (California Court of Appeal, 1978)
In Re Tomlin
241 Cal. App. 2d 668 (California Court of Appeal, 1966)