People v. Harris

222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 781, 15 Cal. App. 5th 47, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 770
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedSeptember 6, 2017
DocketD070711
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 781 (People v. Harris) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Harris, 222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 781, 15 Cal. App. 5th 47, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 770 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

BENKE, J., Acting P.J.

*51In December 2013, Taleia Harris pled guilty to felony grand theft from a person for stealing a wallet from the victim's person. ( Pen. Code, 1 § 487, subd. (c).) In November 2014, the voters enacted Proposition 47, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act (Proposition 47)

*52( Cal. Const., art. II, § 10, subd. (a)), which reduced certain crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and allowed a person convicted of one of those felonies before its passage to petition the court to reduce the felony conviction to a misdemeanor and be resentenced. Harris successfully petitioned to have her felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47, but the court denied her motion to expunge the DNA sample that law enforcement took by mouth swab when she was booked on her felony charge.

Harris appeals from the order denying her motion to expunge her DNA sample from the state's database. She contends that when a felony is reduced to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47, the state is not permitted to retain an adult misdemeanant's previously collected DNA sample and genetic profile, and that the state's retention of her DNA sample and genetic profile violates her state and federal constitutional right to equal protection of the laws and right of privacy. We affirm.

DISCUSSION

Harris contends that the reduction of her felony conviction to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47 required the court to grant her motion to expunge her DNA from the state's DNA database.2 Harris relies primarily on Alejandro N. v. Superior Court (2015) 238 Cal.App.4th 1209, 189 Cal.Rptr.3d 907 ( Alejandro N. ), in which this court concluded that because section *7841170.18, subdivision (k), provides that a felony that is reduced to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47 "shall be considered a misdemeanor for all purposes," DNA collected in connection with the offense is properly expunged because "the reclassified misdemeanor offense ... no longer qualifies as an offense permitting DNA collection. " ( Alejandro N., at p. 1229, 189 Cal.Rptr.3d 907, original italics.)

I. Relevant Law

A. Proposition 47

"The voters enacted Proposition 47 on November 4, 2014, effective the next day. [Citations.] As summarized by the Legislative Analyst, the proposition 'reduces penalties for certain offenders convicted of nonserious and *53nonviolent property and drug crimes' and 'allows certain offenders who have been previously convicted of such crimes to apply for reduced sentences.' " ( In re J.C. (2016) 246 Cal.App.4th 1462, 1469, 201 Cal.Rptr.3d 731 ( J.C. ).) Proposition 47 added section 490.2, which reclassifies grand theft violations under section 487 into misdemeanors when the value of the stolen property is $950 or less.3

"Proposition 47 also added section 1170.18 [citation], which provides a remedy for persons previously convicted of a felony 'who would have been guilty of a misdemeanor under [Proposition 47]' had it been in effect at the time of their offense. (§ 1170.18, subd. (a)). Under section 1170.18, subdivision (a), a person 'currently serving a sentence' for such a conviction 'may petition for a recall of sentence' and 'request resentencing' in accordance with the statutes as amended by Proposition 47. Section 1170.18, subdivision (b) specifies the procedure for a trial court to follow upon receiving such a petition. If the trial court finds 'the petitioner satisfies the criteria in subdivision (a), the petitioner's felony sentence shall be recalled and the petitioner resentenced to a misdemeanor ... , unless the court, in its discretion, determines that resentencing the petitioner would pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.' " (§ 1170.18, subd. (b).)

"Section 1170.18, subdivision (k) imposes only one qualification on the recall of these felony convictions: 'Any felony conviction that is recalled and resentenced under subdivision (b) ... shall be considered a misdemeanor for all purposes, except that such resentencing shall not permit that person to own, possess, or have in his or her custody or control any firearm or prevent his or her conviction [for being a felon in possession of a firearm].' " ( J.C., supra , 246 Cal.App.4th at p. 1470, 201 Cal.Rptr.3d 731.)

B. DNA collection

California's DNA and Forensic Identification Database and Data Bank Act of 1998 (Database Act), section 295 et seq, "requires the collection of tissue samples for DNA analysis from all persons convicted of felonies (§§ 295, 296, subd. (a)(1)), adults arrested or charged with a felony (§ 296, subd. (a)(2)(C)), and all persons required to register as a sex or arson offender *54as a result of the commission of a *785felony or misdemeanor (id. , subd. (a)(3)). Except as provided in section 296, subdivision (a)(3), persons convicted solely of misdemeanors are not required to provide DNA samples." ( J.C., supra , 246 Cal.App.4th at p. 1470, 201 Cal.Rptr.3d 731.) Subdivision (b) of section 296 provides that the requirements for DNA submission "shall apply to all qualifying persons regardless of sentence imposed ... or any other disposition rendered in the case of an adult or juvenile tried as an adult...."

Two months after this court issued Alejandro N. , the Governor signed into law Assembly Bill No. 1492 (2015-2016 Reg. Sess.) (Bill No. 1492), which amended subdivision (f) of section 299, the statute that governs expungement of DNA records from the state data bank. ( J.C., supra , 246 Cal.App.4th at pp. 1470, 1472, 201 Cal.Rptr.3d 731.) "Prior to the enactment of Bill No.

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Related

People v. Laird
California Court of Appeal, 2018
People v. Laird
238 Cal. Rptr. 3d 313 (California Court of Appeals, 5th District, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
222 Cal. Rptr. 3d 781, 15 Cal. App. 5th 47, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 770, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-harris-calctapp5d-2017.