People v. Harvath

1 Cal. App. 3d 521, 82 Cal. Rptr. 48, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 1300
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 6, 1969
DocketCrim. 15124
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 1 Cal. App. 3d 521 (People v. Harvath) 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. Harvath, 1 Cal. App. 3d 521, 82 Cal. Rptr. 48, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 1300 (Cal. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

Opinion

THE COURT.

This is again before the court pursuant to an order of the Supreme Court made on October 22, 1969, granting appellant’s petition for hearing, and re-transferring the case with specific directions.

An opinion prepared by Justice Jefferson, and concurred in by Presiding Justice Files and Justice Kingsley filed July 28, 1969, stated as follows: “Defendant was convicted by the court of two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (Pen. Code, § 272), a lesser, included offense of the crime charged of committing lewd acts upon the body of a child under 14 *524 (Pen. Code, § 288). Subsequently, criminal proceedings were suspended and proceedings were initiated to determine whether defendant should be committed as a mentally disordered sex offender (pursuant to Welf. & Inst. Code, § 5500 et seq.), which culminated in his commitment to Atascadero for an indefinite period. Thereafter, upon defendant’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, on June 15, 1967, this court, in People v. Harvath, 251 Cal.App.2d 780 [60 Cal.Rptr. 15], determined that defendant’s commitment was void because of defects in the commitment proceedings. The orders under which he was committed were vacated and the matter was returned to the superior court for proceedings conducted in compliance with the Welfare and Institutions Code.

“Commitment proceedings were again initiated. The court appointed two doctors who examined defendant and filed reports. A hearing was held at which the two doctors tesified, along with several other doctors. On November 2, 1967, the court found defendant to be a probable mentally disordered sex offender and ordered him committed for the 90-day observation period. On January 22, 1968, the hospital authorities reported that defendant was no longer a danger to the health and safety of others; he was returned to court; criminal proceedings were re-instituted and, on February 21, 1968, the court placed him on three years’ probation.

“Defendant appeals from the order granting probation which is treated as an appeal from a final judgment. (Pen. Code, § 1237, subd. 1.) He is entitled to have his conviction reviewed for error in this appeal, as well as the 1967 adjudication that he is a probable mentally disordered sex offender. (People v. Austin, 260 Cal.App.2d 658 [67 Cal.Rptr. 391].)

“With respect to the criminal proceedings, defendant questions whether the offense of which he was convicted (contributing to the delinquency of a minor), is a necessarily included offense in that charged in the information (that he committed lewd and lascivious acts upon the bodies of two children, (ages 8 and 11) in violation of Penal Code, section 288.) It is well established that the offense is a necessarily included offense. (People v. Moody, 216 Cal.App.2d 250, 254-255 [30 Cal.Rptr. 785]; People v. Greer, 30 Cal.2d 589, 600 [184 P.2d 521].)

“Defendant further questions whether the evidence established that the acts complained of occurred in Los Angeles County. Venue was established by the evidence which showed that the acts occurred in Venice. The courts may take judicial notice that Venice, a part of the City of Los Angeles, is in the County of Los Angeles. (People v. Ford, 133 Cal.App.2d 695, 697 [284 P.2d 836].)

“Contrary to defendant’s assertion, there was no fatal variance between the information, which alleged that the acts complained of *525 occurred on specific dates during the summer of 1963, and the proof which, according to the best recollection of the two children, happened sometime during their summer school vacation. The required showing that the variance prejudiced defendant’s case is totally lacking. (See People v. Brooks, 133 Cal.App.2d 210, 212-213 [283 P.2d 748].)

“Nor is defendant in a position to urge the variance point here since it was not raised in the court below. (People v. Barreras, 181 Cal.App.2d 609, 615 [5 Cal.Rptr. 454].) And, for the same reason, we may not consider his further contention that the testimony of the victims as to uncharged prior similar acts was improperly admitted. (See People v. Valdez, 239 Cal.App.2d 459, 465 [48 Cal.Rptr. 840].)

“With regard to the 1967 civil commitment proceeding wherein defendant was found to be a probable mentally disordered sex offender and committed to the state hospital for the 90-day observation period, defendant raises two points: (1) That the proceeding was procedurally defective for lack of compliance with Welfare and Institutions Code, section 5505 and, (2) that the court erred in failing to accede to his demand for a jury trial.

“Taking the latter point first, the court below properly concluded that defendant was not entitled to have a jury decide the question whether he was a probable mentally disordered sex offender. (See People v. Fuller, 226 Cal.App.2d 331, 333-335 [38 Cal.Rptr. 25]; People v. Berry, 257 Cal.App.2d 731, 736 [65 Cal.Rptr. 125].)

“Defendant correctly contends that the commitment hearing was defective.

“Welfare and Institutions Code, section 5505 declares that: ‘At the hearing each psychiatrist shall hear the testimony of all witnesses, and shall testify as to the result of his examination, and to any pertinent facts within his knowledge.’ [Italics added.] The record shows that neither of the two court-appointed doctors was present in court prior to the time he testified and that neither remained following his testimony.

“The hearing consumed approximately six hours in trial time and extended over a three-day period. The two court-appointed doctors both testified that thay were of the opinion defendant was a probable mentally disordered sex offender. Five other doctors testified at the hearing: Two were of the opinion that defendant was not a probable mentally disordered sex offender; two reached a contrary opinion; the fifth was not asked for an opinion. Whether the opinions of the court-appointed doctors would have been influenced by their exposure to the testimony of the other doctors, is of course a matter for conjecture. It cannot be' said, however, that such *526 exposure could have had no bearing on their diagnoses. Under the circumstances presented, the failure of the court appointed doctors to hear the testimony of the other witnesses rendered the proceeding fatally defective.

“Although defendant is no longer confined under that order, the matter is not moot since he is entitled to clear his name of the finding that he is a probable mentally disordered sex offender.

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Bluebook (online)
1 Cal. App. 3d 521, 82 Cal. Rptr. 48, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 1300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-harvath-calctapp-1969.