People v. Hall

124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 806, 101 Cal. App. 4th 1009, 2002 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8198, 2002 Daily Journal DAR 10275, 2002 Cal. App. LEXIS 4607
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 5, 2002
DocketF036711
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 806 (People v. Hall) 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. Hall, 124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 806, 101 Cal. App. 4th 1009, 2002 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8198, 2002 Daily Journal DAR 10275, 2002 Cal. App. LEXIS 4607 (Cal. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

*1013 Opinion

DETJEN, J. *

Defendant appeals from a judgment following jury trial upon charges of felony assault on a public official and misdemeanor resisting, delaying and obstructing a peace officer. He claims the trial court did not have authority to order that he be tested for AIDS or other communicable diseases and that, if Health and Safety Code section 121060 is determined to cover sweat, the statute infringes on his constitutional rights. Based upon our discussion that follows, we affirm but direct that the trial court amend the abstract of judgment.

Statement of the Case

An information was filed November 23, 1999, charging Randy Aaron Hall (appellant) with one count of felony assault on a public official, i.e., Tim Donovan, a deputy district attorney (Pen. Code, § 217.1, subd. (a)) 1 and one count of resisting, delaying and obstructing a peace officer (§ 148, subd. (a)(1)). The information alleged further that appellant had two prior strike convictions pursuant to sections 667, subdivisions (b)-(i), and 1170.12, subdivisions (a)-(e), and had served two prior prison terms pursuant to section 667.5.

Jury trial began August 14, 2000. On August 15, 2000, the deputy attorney general who was prosecuting the instant case, Jeffrey Firestone, designated the district attorney investigator, Jerry Haroldsen, as the prosecution’s chief investigating officer. On August 17, 2000, appellant repeatedly spat on Investigator Haroldsen, making skin contact. Appellant also spat on Firestone many times during the trial.

On August 18, 2000, appellant was found guilty as charged. In a bifurcated jury trial, both strike and prior prison term allegations were found to be true.

Appellant was sentenced on September 18, 2000, to a total term of 27 years to life to run consecutive to his already existing 31-year-to-life term in state prison, imposed in Fresno Superior Court case No. 630410-9. Two $5,000 restitution fines were imposed pursuant to sections 1202.4, *1014 subdivision (b), and 1202.45, with the latter suspended pending successful completion of parole. The court ordered appellant be tested for any communicable diseases and the results, including AIDS test results, be made available to Haroldsen and Firestone.

This appeals follows.

Statement of the Facts

On September 8, 1999, appellant was the defendant in a criminal case in Fresno Superior Court. Upon the clerk’s reading of the word “guilty” from the jury’s verdict form, appellant jumped up, bolted from his chair sending it flying back, moved around his counsel in a hop while shackled at the ankles, and leaped towards the prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Timothy Donovan, whom he attacked. Appellant grabbed Donovan’s upper torso, repeatedly grabbed at his face and head dislodging his glasses, grabbed around his neck and shoulders, and pulled him down by his suit. Appellant’s hands were “very sweaty” and he got sweat from his hands all over Donovan’s suit collar. While appellant was attacking Donovan, two bailiffs, Daniel Davies and Bill Elliott, and Investigator Haroldsen tried to intervene. Haroldsen put his arms around appellant’s neck and head and tried to pull him backwards away from Donovan. A juror interceded by repeatedly striking appellant until Donovan could get away.

Appellant also struggled with Deputies Davies and Elliott and with Investigator Haroldsen as they tried to restrain him. Haroldsen commanded appellant to stop fighting, but appellant ignored his request. Davies warned appellant he would be shocked if he did not stop fighting. Appellant continued to struggle despite Davies’ use of an electronic immobilization device on him. Eventually appellant was brought to the floor and had both wrists restrained with handcuffs. Donovan suffered an abrasion about his eye, swelling near his wrist, and large tears to his suit jacket as a result of appellant’s attack. Deputy Elliott also suffered an abrasion and swelling on his forehead and a scrape on his elbow, and Investigator Haroldsen suffered an abrasion under his eye and a scrape to his knee. Appellant suffered no injuries.

Defense

Appellant testified that he disagreed with his conviction in the case Donovan prosecuted, which resulted in a 31-year-to-life sentence. Appellant stated Donovan had prosecuted him two or three times before but dismissed those cases after he spent thousands of dollars on lawyers. Appellant felt *1015 Donovan prosecuted him unfairly, set him up, and was playing a game with his life.

Appellant claimed he was innocent in the last case Donovan prosecuted, and he did not believe there would be a guilty verdict. Appellant claimed he did not recall what occurred from the time the word “guilty” was read until he was on the ground being handcuffed. He did recall being shocked and thinking someone was trying to hurt him. While appellant was in a holding cell, he saw a scrape on Deputy Elliott’s forehead and he apologized, saying he did not mean to hurt anyone.

Appellant testified he was bipolar and presently on an antidepressant medication, an antiseizure medication, a mood stabilizer medication, and a medication for anxiety. Appellant testified he had not taken his medication during the day of the incident or the week and a half that preceded it. Appellant then testified he was not presently on medication.

Rebuttal

Donovan testified that during mid-June 2000 he received a handwritten note purported to be from appellant. A news article also inside the envelope described an incident between a defendant and a prosecutor wherein both individuals died in the attack. The note stated: “You see what happens to your kind when they set people up and play games with other people’s lives. You reap what you sow, so you know where that leaves you.” Donovan considered the note and article a threat.

Incidents During the Trial

On August 15, 2000, Firestone was prosecuting the instant case and designated Haroldsen as the prosecution’s chief investigating officer. On August 16, 2000, outside the presence of the jury, appellant threatened Haroldsen and stated, “How does it feel to be a walking dead man?” Haroldsen replied, “Who do you mean, me or you?” and appellant responded, “you.”

During trial, appellant was tethered to the counsel table. He repeatedly pushed his chair against counsel’s chair, scooting himself closer to Harold-sen and Firestone. As a result, bailiffs had appellant move to the end of the table.

On August 17, 2000, when appellant was brought into the courtroom, he looked at Firestone and said, “You just jumped on the mother-fucking band *1016 wagon, punk.” Appellant then spat on Investigator Haroldsen but missed defense counsel. Bailiffs led appellant from the courtroom. While being led out, appellant pointed his finger toward Firestone and said, “your ass is mine.”

Later, when Firestone noted that comment for the record, appellant repeatedly spat on Haroldsen.

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Bluebook (online)
124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 806, 101 Cal. App. 4th 1009, 2002 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8198, 2002 Daily Journal DAR 10275, 2002 Cal. App. LEXIS 4607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-hall-calctapp-2002.