People v. Hammond CA3

California Court of Appeal·Decided October 16, 2014·No. C072045A·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 10/16/14 P. v. Hammond CA3 Opinion following rehearing NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT (Glenn) ----

THE PEOPLE, C072045

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 12NCR09173)

v. OPINION AFTER REHEARING SCOTT JAMES HAMMOND,

Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant Scott James Hammond appeals from his conviction of transportation of methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code, § 11379, subd. (a)),1 transportation of oxycodone (§ 11352, subd. (a)), and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor (§ 11364.1). The conviction and grant of probation followed a court trial in which the only evidence presented was a stipulated factual statement. The statement was read into

1 Further undesignated statutory references are to the Health and Safety Code.

1 the record by the prosecutor and, without objection, was augmented by defense counsel before argument by both counsel. Defendant filed an opening brief asserting the trial court committed reversible error in failing to advise him, and obtain his waiver, of his constitutional rights to confrontation and against self-incrimination, and arguing that evidence of his minimal movement of the drugs from his pocket to the floor of his car was insufficient to prove the element of carrying or conveying the substances required for transportation. Our unpublished opinion filed on December 9, 2013, was written to affirm the judgment, but thereafter, on our own motion, we ordered rehearing and directed the parties to file supplemental briefing on whether “section 11379, as amended by Statutes 2013, chapter 504, effective January 1, 2014, affects the disposition of [defendant’s] conviction.” The briefing was to address whether the amendment of section 11379 to provide that “ ‘ “transports” means to transport for sale’ ” requires modification of the judgment and in what respects. The parties agree that defendant is entitled to the benefit of the amendment of section 11379, which, as amended, requires a finding that the methamphetamine was being transported for sale. The parties also agree the record does not support such a finding so that defendant’s conviction for transportation of methamphetamine must be vacated. The parties disagree on the disposition. Defendant asserts that we must simply vacate his conviction. The People argue the case should be remanded for further proceedings. (Cf. People v. Figueroa (1993) 20 Cal.App.4th 65, 71 (Figueroa).) We conclude that remand for retrial is required not only on defendant’s conviction for violating section 11379, but also on defendant’s conviction for violating section 11352, which was amended at the same time to include the same definition. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY Defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing. When arraigned on the information, defendant waived advisement of his rights on the information. Defense

2 counsel stated that he had discussed with defendant “waiving his right to a jury trial and doing a court trial on this matter” but that they were “not stipulating” to transportation, arguing that it was “a personal use case.” The People also waived trial by jury. The court then engaged in the following colloquy with defendant: “The Court: And Mr. Hammond, I don’t know if you heard what I was mentioning to the last person who was waiving their right to a jury trial to have this issue basically before what we call our appellate courts. We’re really looking at a set of circumstances to have an area of law cleared up here. But just what I told him, based upon the current set of the law, unless there’s some substantial difference on the facts that you would be presenting me, I probably would find you guilty at a court trial. “Do you understand that? “The Defendant: Yes, sir. “The Court: You still wish to have a court trial? “The Defendant: Yes, sir. “The Court: All right. And you know the difference? You had an opportunity to talk to [defense counsel] about the difference between a court trial and a jury trial? “The Defendant: No, but I heard you talking to the last guy. “The Court: So you know the difference then? “The Defendant: Yes, sir. “The Court: Thank you, Mr. Hammond.” At the court trial, the parties submitted and “agree[d] that the Court may enter its verdict and judgment” on a stipulated factual statement. At the court’s request, the prosecutor read the stipulated factual statement into the record: “On March 25, 2012 Glenn County Sheriff’s deputies Jon Owens and Jason Holley were on patrol near the City of Orland. At approximately 9:30 p.m. they observed a car parked in the driveway at 6379 County Road 200. The car had its driving lights on and the location of the vehicle was suspicious because the house in front of which the car

3 was parked was vacant. Deputy Owens contacted the driver, subsequently identified as Scott Hammond and asked him what he was doing at the residence. Hammond, who appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine, indicated that he had just driven to a friend’s residence behind the 6379 CR 200 address and was planning on heading back to his mother’s residence on County Road G. As Owens had approached the vehicle he had observed the driver fumbling around on the front seat. Owens asked Hammond if he was on probation or parole. Hammond replied that he was on probation and that his driver’s license was suspended. Hammond was asked if he had anything illegal on his person or in the vehicle. He replied that he had a pipe in his pocket and there was some meth[amphetamine] under the front seat. Hammond was also asked what he had been doing when he saw the deputies pull up. Hammond responded that he had been trying to hide his meth[amphetamine] and a few ‘Percocet’. A search of Hammond’s person and vehicle was conducted. A meth[amphetamine] pipe was found in his pants pocket, a small baggie of white crystalline substance was found under the driver’s seat, and nine 325 mg Percocet tablets were found scattered under the seat on the floor board. Hammond was asked about the white crystalline substance and acknowledged that it was methamphetamine. Hammond stated that he had just purchased the meth[amphetamine] that date and that it was a ‘20 sack’ (street parlance for a twenty dollar bag) and that it contained approximately .2 grams. Hammond stated that he intended to use the meth[amphetamine] himself, but was planning on dropping off the Percocet at a friend’s house. “The suspected methamphetamine and Percocet was sent to the Department of Justice laboratory in Chico. It was determined that the small baggie contained .36 grams of methamphetamine and that the Percocet tablets in fact contained oxycodone (Percocet is a trade name for an acetaminophen/oxycodone combination).” The court inquired whether defense counsel had any additional stipulations. Defense counsel stated that “the methamphetamine found was of a quantity for personal

4 use and there was no intent to distribute.” The court then entertained argument from both parties. The prosecutor argued that the facts supported transportation even though the officers did not observe the car move, citing the vacant house, the car with its lights turned on, and defendant’s statement acknowledging that he had just arrived. The prosecutor argued laboratory testing established the substances found were contraband and the quantity was of a usable amount. Finally, the prosecutor argued that the methamphetamine pipe established the paraphernalia count.

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