People v. Foster CA4/2

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 16, 2016
DocketE062795
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Foster CA4/2 (People v. Foster CA4/2) 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. Foster CA4/2, (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Filed 5/16/16 P. v. Foster CA4/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent, E062795

v. (Super.Ct.No. FWV1402270)

FREDERICK ALAN FOSTER, OPINION

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. Colin J. Bilash,

Judge. Affirmed with directions.

Marianne Harguindeguy, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney

General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Lynne G. McGinnis and Eric A.

Swenson, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

A jury found defendant and appellant Frederick Alan Foster guilty of being a

sexual offender who (1) failed to inform the law enforcement agency with which he last

1 registered that he had moved away from that city (Pen. Code, § 290.013);1 and

(2) failing to register with the law enforcement agency in the city where he was living

(§ 290, subd. (b)). The trial court sentenced defendant to prison for a term of three

years eight months.

Defendant raises three issues on appeal. First, defendant contends the trial court

erred by denying his motion to dismiss the charges (§ 995) because defendant was not

legally required to register as a sexual offender. Second, defendant asserts the trial

court erred by not staying his sentence for failing to register in his current city of

residence (§ 290, subd. (b)). (§ 654.) Third, defendant contends the trial court erred by

not inquiring into his reasons for wanting to file a motion for new trial. We affirm the

judgment with directions.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. 2004 CONVICTIONS

Defendant was charged with petty theft (§ 666) and indecent exposure (§ 314,

subd. (1)). The crimes were alleged to have occurred on or about June 6, 2004. On

August 18, 2004, defendant pled guilty to both offenses. The trial court withheld

pronouncement of judgment and ordered defendant conditionally released on probation

for a period of 24 months. One of the conditions of defendant’s release was that he

serve 270 days in the county jail. The advisement of rights and waiver form did not

include information about sex offender registration. The minute order from defendant’s

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise indicated.

2 plea and sentencing does not reflect information about sex offender registration. The

minute order reflects defendant accepted probation and was given a copy of the terms

and conditions.

B. 2012 CONVICTIONS

Defendant was charged with being a transient who failed to register as a sexual

offender every 30 days. (§ 290.011, subd. (a).) The crime was alleged to have occurred

“on or about July 26, 2012.” On August 8, 2012, defendant pled no contest to the

charge. The trial court found defendant guilty. The trial court withheld pronouncement

of judgment and granted defendant conditional release on probation for a period of 36

months. One of the conditions of the release was that defendant serve 30 days in the

county jail. Other than the substantive charge of failing to register, the August 8 minute

order does not include information about sexual offender registration.

C. CURRENT CASE

An Upland City Police Department records specialist (the records specialist)

meets with sexual offenders and handles the data entry for their registrations in Upland.

The records specialist is able to see a person’s registration requirements by looking at a

state database.

The records specialist had met with defendant. Defendant had registered

annually in Upland, on his birthday. Defendant last registered on June 8, 2012. As part

of the 2012 registration process, defendant initialed next to a box that read, “‘My

responsibility to register as a sex offender in California is a lifetime requirement, unless

imposed solely as a probation condition.’” Defendant also signed the form with the

3 above language. Defendant did not register in Upland after June 8, 2012. Defendant

also did not inform Upland police that he had moved away from Upland.

On June 21, 2014, a City of Ontario police officer was dispatched to address a

disturbance. When the officer arrived at the location of the disturbance, he spoke with

defendant and several other individuals. Dispatch advised the officer that defendant

was not in compliance with his sex offender registration requirements. The officer used

his computer to verify the information from the dispatcher. The officer asked defendant

where he lived. Defendant said he lived in Ontario and had been residing there for “a

couple years.”

A City of Ontario police technician handled sex offender registrations in Ontario.

The technician met with registrants and entered their information into the state database.

The information was retained in (1) paper form, in a locked file cabinet in the City of

Ontario Police Department, and (2) the City of Ontario’s Police Department’s electronic

systems. The City of Ontario did not have any sex offender registration records

pertaining to defendant. Defendant’s residence was within the City of Ontario.

D. MOTION TO DISMISS

Defendant was charged with being a sexual offender who (1) failed to inform the

law enforcement agency with which he last registered that he had moved away from that

city (§ 290.013); and (2) failing to register with the law enforcement agency in the city

where he was living (§ 290, subd. (b)).

Prior to trial, defendant petitioned for a writ of mandate in the trial court.

Defendant asserted that, as part of his 2004 conviction, he was not advised that he was

4 required to register as a sexual offender. Defendant argued he was not advised because

sex offender registration was never imposed upon him by the trial court. Defendant

asserted that at the time of his plea, on August 18, 2004, the case law in effect held that

requiring sex offender registration for an indecent exposure conviction constituted cruel

and unusual punishment, in violation of the Constitution. (In re King (1984) 157

Cal.App.3d 554, 557-558 (King I).) Thus, defendant asserted the trial court could not

have imposed a sex offender registration requirement. Defendant requested that his

2004 conviction for indecent exposure (§ 314, subd. (1)) be vacated.

The People opposed defendant’s writ petition. First, the People asserted the trial

court did not have jurisdiction to issue a writ of mandate to another department in the

trial court. Second, the People contended defendant was legally required to register as a

sexual offender. The People asserted that, in 2004, indecent exposure was an offense

for which sex offender registration could be required. Additionally, the People asserted

the trial court could legally require registration because there was a split of authority

among the courts of appeal.

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