People v. Goree

195 Cal. App. 2d 616, 15 Cal. Rptr. 844, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 1497
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 14, 1961
DocketCrim. No. 1281
StatusPublished

This text of 195 Cal. App. 2d 616 (People v. Goree) 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. Goree, 195 Cal. App. 2d 616, 15 Cal. Rptr. 844, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 1497 (Cal. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

GRIFFIN, P. J.

Defendant and appellant was charged in count one of an information with violating Health and Safety Code, section 11531; that on April 2, 1959, he sold, furnished and gave away marijuana; and in count two with violating Health and Safety Code, section 11530, on August 8, 1959 (possession of marijuana). He was also charged with prior convictions of a felony (armed robbery and receiving stolen property). He admitted the prior convictions and plead not guilty to the offenses charged. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on both counts.

The evidence at the trial disclosed that James D. Massey, an undercover agent for the sheriff, purchased one marijuana cigarette from defendant on April 2, 1959. This was the offense charged in count one. At the completion of Massey’s undercover investigation, defendant and numerous other persons were arrested August 8, 1959. Defendant was asleep on a porch attached to his mother’s home in Bakersfield when the arresting officers apprehended him. He was asked to put on his clothes and come along with the officers. He did so. At the jail, his clothing was searched and traces of debris were found in his shirt pockets. Analysis of this debris showed it to be marijuana. This was the offense charged in count two.

Defendant testified that he had never talked to Massey except once when Massey asked him for narcotics and defendant said he refused the request. Defendant admitted that he had previously used marijuana but said that he had stopped doing so some years before. He testified that on April 2, 1959, he was employed as a handyman at a mortuary and he worked that morning and was so working at the time Massey claimed to have purchased the marijuana cigarette from him. Defendant’s employer testified that defendant worked under his supervision at the mortuary and was paid for working on April 2, 1959; that, however, defendant did not punch a time clock and his duties required him to take ears out to be serviced and lubricated and that occasionally he was given [618]*618time off to attend to personal affairs during the morning working hours.

The defense made no objection to the physical evidence and no issues with regard to search and seizure were involved at the trial. During cross-examination of Massey, he was asked whether he had been convicted of a felony and he said that he had not. Then he was asked if he had been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and he admitted he had been so convicted. At one point in the trial, the defense attorney referred to Massey as a “professional liar” and the court ordered the comment stricken. The defense attorney then cut short his cross-examination of Massey.

Massey testified that he had approached defendant and attempted to purchase a marijuana cigarette from him because he had heard that defendant was selling narcotics. On cross-examination, it was pointed out that at the preliminary hearing Massey had testified that he had never heard from any source that defendant sold marijuana. On redirect examination, Massey testified that he had heard from a person named Buchanan that defendant was selling marijuana, and Massey then testified that he himself had purchased marijuana from Buchanan and that Buchanan had been charged with and pleaded guilty to selling marijuana. Massey testified that Buchanan was a friend of defendant. At this point, the defense attorney objected to this testimony and this line of questioning was dropped.

Somehow the defendant acquired what appears to be the P.B.I. arrest record of the undercover agent, Massey, and he attempted to have this record made a part of the transcript on appeal. This procedure is not authorized. The record was not offered or admitted in evidence or referred to at the trial. Defendant’s request was denied. He then, without right, appended to his opening brief a record which indicates that Massey had been convicted of grand theft, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and theft, the latter two convictions occurring after defendant’s arrest. However, in each ease, it appears that Massey was sentenced to the county jail or industrial road camp and no felony offense was indicated. Massey’s testimony, therefore, that he had never been convicted of a felony appears to have been true.

At the time of the arguments to the jury, the district attorney and defense attorney stipulated that the court reporter need not make a record of the arguments. The court reporter, nevertheless, apparently took notes during the [619]*619argument. Defendant requested that the opening statements of counsel and their closing arguments be made a part of this record on appeal, which request was generously granted by this court over objection of the attorney general. The supplementary transcript contained a transcript of the court reporter’s notes made during the closing argument and no indication of error or prejudicial misconduct is contained therein.

Defendant contends that: (1) the refusal to appoint counsel to represent him on his appeal constituted a denial of his constitutional rights and relies on the concurring opinion in the ease of People v. Brown, 55 Cal.2d 64 [9 Cal.Rptr. 836, 357 P.2d 1072]; (2) the trial court erroneously refused to permit him to present evidence for the purpose of impeaching Massey and to show perjured testimony; (3) the transcript on appeal was fraudulently prepared in that the opening and closing arguments were not initially included therein.

Defendant had counsel representing him at the trial. After conviction he filed a notice of appeal in propria persona. Subsequently he applied to this court for appointment of counsel. This court, as is usual, sent a letter to defendant’s former counsel, stating that defendant had appealed his ease and was seeking the appointment of an attorney. His counsel was requested to point out to this court within 10 days any substantial grounds of appeal which he believed the record indicated and which would justify a reversal. The letter then stated that if we did not hear from him within said time we would assume there were no suggested points which he desired to have called to our attention. No reply was received. A similar letter was sent to defendant and a letter was received from defendant stating several grounds, including the above-noted contentions. The justices of this court made an independent investigation of the record and determined that it would not be beneficial to the defendant or to this court to have counsel appointed for him and his application was denied under authority of People v. Hyde, 51 Cal.2d 152 [331 P.2d 42], Defendant was given a reasonable time to file a brief on appeal if he so desired. He filed a voluminous brief, reiterating these points. The attorney general, after reading the record, filed a brief in reply and fully discussed the points indicated, and stated he found no reversible error. He fully and fairly answered the questions raised.

The portions of the opinion which defendant has quoted in his brief in People v. Brown, supra, 55 Cal.2d 64, [620]*620are contained in Mr. Justice Traynor’s concurring opinion, and, as such, of course do not constitute binding authority for defendant’s contention that the appointment of counsel on appeal is a matter of right. People v. Hyde, supra, 51 Cal.2d 152, was not specifically overruled by it. See also People v. Vigil, 189 Cal.App.2d 478 [11 Cal.Rptr.

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Related

People v. Brown
357 P.2d 1072 (California Supreme Court, 1960)
People v. Vigil
189 Cal. App. 2d 478 (California Court of Appeal, 1961)
People v. Brown
187 Cal. App. 2d 651 (California Court of Appeal, 1960)
People v. Hyde
331 P.2d 42 (California Supreme Court, 1958)

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Bluebook (online)
195 Cal. App. 2d 616, 15 Cal. Rptr. 844, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 1497, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-goree-calctapp-1961.