People v. Hamilton CA4/2

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 6, 2016
DocketE064030
StatusUnpublished

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

Opinion

Filed 7/6/16 P. v. Hamilton 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NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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, E064030

v. (Super.Ct.No. INF1301035)

ROBERT THOMAS HAMILTON III, OPINION

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Becky Dugan, Judge.

Reversed with directions.

Patricia L. Brisbois, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and

Appellant.

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

General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, A. Natasha Cortina, Alastair J.

Agcaoili and Christen E. Somerville, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and

Respondent.

1 Defendant Robert Thomas Hamilton III petitioned the superior court under

Proposition 47, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, to reclassify and resentence as

misdemeanors his felony convictions for second degree burglary and receiving stolen

property. (Pen. Code, § 1170.18.) The trial court granted the petition with respect

defendant’s conviction for receiving stolen property. However, the court denied the

petition with respect to defendant’s second degree burglary conviction, concluding

defendant’s act of entering a Walmart with another person’s identification and credit card

did not constitute shoplifting as defined by Proposition 47. (Pen. Code, § 459.5)

On appeal, defendant contends his conviction for second degree burglary involved

a larceny and, therefore, is eligible for reclassification and resentencing as shoplifting

under Proposition 47. Defendant also argues that, if and when he is resentenced under

Proposition 47, the trial court may not reimpose a sentence enhancement for committing

his burglary while out on bail for another felony offense. We reverse the order and

remand for the trial court to determine whether the value of the property acquired during

the burglary did not exceed $950 and to determine whether defendant poses an

unreasonable risk of danger to public safety. If the trial court resentences defendant

under Proposition 47, it shall not reimpose the out-on-bail enhancement.

I.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

By felony complaint, the People charged defendant with two counts of second

degree burglary (Pen. Code, § 459, counts 1-2; all additional undesignated statutory

references are to the Penal Code), one count of receiving stolen property (§ 496,

2 subd. (a), count 3), three misdemeanor counts of fraudulently using access card account

information (§ 484g, subd. (a), counts 4, 5, 7), and one count of attempting to

fraudulently use access card account information (§§ 664, 484g, subd. (a), count 6). The

People also alleged defendant committed the crimes while on bail for another crime

(§ 12022.1), that defendant suffered two prior convictions for serious or violent felony

strikes (§§ 667, subds. (c), (e)(1), 1170.12, subd. (c)(1)), and that defendant suffered six

prison priors (§ 667.5, subd. (b)).

Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, defendant pleaded guilty to second

degree burglary as alleged in count 1, receiving stolen property as alleged in count 3, and

to misdemeanor fraudulent use of access card account information as alleged in counts 4

and 7. Defendant also admitted to being out on bail when he committed his crimes and

admitted to suffering a strike prior. When pleading guilty to second degree burglary as

alleged in count 1, defendant admitted he “willfully and unlawfully enter[ed] a . . .

Walmart, with the intent to commit a theft or felony therein.” The trial court sentenced

defendant to one year four months for count 1; one year four months for count 3, to run

consecutively with the sentence on count 1; 180 days in county jail each for counts 4

and 7, to run concurrently with the sentence on count 1; and two years for the out-on-bail

enhancement to run consecutively with the sentence on count 1, for a total of four years

eight months in state prison. The trial court dismissed the remaining counts and special

allegations.

After the passage of Proposition 47, defendant petitioned the trial court to

reclassify and resentence his convictions for second degree burglary and receiving stolen

3 property. Using the mandatory form created by the superior court, defendant alleged he

“believ[ed] the value of the . . . property [did] not exceed $950.” The People opposed the

petition. According to the People, defendant was not entitled to resentencing on his

burglary conviction on count 1 because he used a stolen credit card to make a purchase at

a Walmart, and defendant was not entitled to resentencing on his conviction for receiving

stolen property on count 3 because the credit limit on the stolen credit card was

approximately $10,000. The court found defendant was not eligible for resentencing on

his burglary conviction because he “entered Walmart and used another person’s ID and

credit card.” However, the court found defendant was eligible for resentencing on his

conviction for receiving stolen property and resentenced defendant to 364 days in county

jail on count 3.

Defendant timely appealed.

II.

DISCUSSION

A. Standard of Review

Whether Proposition 47 applies to defendant’s conviction for second degree

burglary based on false pretenses theft is a question of statutory interpretation we review

de novo. (People v. Prunty (2015) 62 Cal.4th 59, 71.) “When we interpret an initiative,

we apply the same principles governing statutory construction. We first consider the

initiative’s language, giving the words their ordinary meaning and construing this

language in the context of the statute and initiative as a whole. If the language is not

ambiguous, we presume the voters intended the meaning apparent from that language,

4 and we may not add to the statute or rewrite it to conform to some assumed intent not

apparent from that language. If the language is ambiguous, courts may consider ballot

summaries and arguments in determining the voters’ intent and understanding of a ballot

measure.” (People v. Superior Court (Pearson) (2010) 48 Cal.4th 564, 571.)

B. Proposition 47 Applies to the Offense of Second Degree Burglary Based on

False Pretenses Theft When the Value of the Property so Acquired Is $950 or Less

Defendant argues his second degree burglary conviction would have been

misdemeanor shoplifting in violation of section 459.5 had Proposition 47 been in effect at

the time of his offense and, therefore, he is entitled to resentencing under section

1170.18. According to defendant, his crime of producing another person’s credit card

with the intent to obtain products from a Walmart store qualifies as larceny within the

meaning of section 459.5. The issue of whether theft by false pretenses satisfies an intent

to commit larceny within the meaning of section 459.5 is currently pending before our

Supreme Court. (People v. Gonzales (2015) 242 Cal.App.4th 35, review granted Feb. 17,

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People v. Hamilton CA4/2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-hamilton-ca42-calctapp-2016.