People v. Havel

285 P.2d 317, 134 Cal. App. 2d 213, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1744
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 28, 1955
DocketCrim. 987
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 285 P.2d 317 (People v. Havel) 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. Havel, 285 P.2d 317, 134 Cal. App. 2d 213, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1744 (Cal. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

*214 GRIFFIN, J.

Both defendants, in propria persona, appealed from their “conviction and sentence.” Defendant Havel alone has filed a brief on appeal. He was convicted and sentenced as charged in count one, with violating section 4534 of the Penal Code in that he did, on September 6, 1954, and September 11, 1954, unlawfully assist defendant Robinson, a paroled prisoner whose parole had been revoked, in attempting to escape from jail. And in count two, he was charged with defendant Robinson with the crime of violating section 182 of the Penal Code, i.e., that on said dates they conspired together in violating section 4534 of the Penal Code. Several overt acts are set forth, namely, that they solicited one Easley to procure hack-saw blades and he did bring them into the jail; that defendants used said blades to cut the bars; and that they solicited one O’Connor to procure, and he did procure a piece of cotton rope to effect said escape.

Defendants, appearing with counsel, pleaded not guilty to the charges and a jury convicted them on all charges indicated. ■ The trial court set a date for the hearing of the report of the probation officer and to sentence defendants. This date was subsequently continued to December 13, 1954, with the consent of defendants’ counsel. Apparently, oh that date the matter was continued to December .15, at the request of the probation officer. On December 15, according to the minutes of the court, the defendants were present without their counsel. The court considered the probation officer’s report and probation was denied. Defendants, without the presence of their counsel, were arraigned for judgment, and the minutes show: “No legal cause” why judgment should not be pronounced. Havel was sentenced to prison on both counts, sentences to run consecutively, and Robinson’s term was to run “consecutively to any unserved sentence heretofore pronounced.”

It appears that in November, 1953, defendant Havel was picked up in El Centro on a warrant for escape from the Riverside jail. At that time he was questioned about it and he said to the officers that he got within a few miles of the border this time and “next time I will make it.”

On August 28, 1954, he was confined in the Riverside County jail with defendant Robinson, whose parole had been revoked, together with other prisoners, including one Rippey, who was a painter and barber who had trusty working privileges throughout the jail.

*215 Rippey testified generally that on or about that date Havel and Robinson, trusties in the jail, discussed with him plans about escaping from the jail, i.e., that they were going to get the guards separated, overpower them, tie them up, obtain the key to the penthouse on the roof, secure a rope used as a clothesline to dry clothes, obtain civilian clothes from Robinson, who was the trusty having charge of the prisoners’ civilian clothes, and escape by means of a rope suspended from the roof. Rippey stated he did not agree to this plan because he was not in favor of any violence in reference to the guards; that thereafter they approached him again and told him of their arrangements to obtain some hack saws and saw the bars in the “recreation tank”; that when they later, on September 7, produced the three blades, he said he would go along with the plan; that at night Havel awakened him and said they were ready to commence sawing and the three of them took turns in sawing the bar and standing watch; that when the sawing of one bar was about completed (photographs of the sawed bar were received in evidence) Robinson thought they were making too much noise and proposed another plan, i.e., that he and Rippey would induce another prisoner (O’Connor) to drink some floor soap which would make him sick and he would be taken to the county hospital; that he would then size up the situation as to escaping from the hospital and then they would do the same thing, be taken to the hospital, and then escape according to the plans agreed upon.

O’Connor testified about their plans for drinking the soap and said both Havel and Robinson asked him to obtain two pieces of rope which he secured and gave to defendants; that they later asked him to obtain two pair of barber shears from Rippey without Rippey knowing it, and he did this and kept them on his person until either Robinson or Havel asked for them; that when he offered them to defendants they said it was too late to do anything, so he gave them back to Rippey. It appears that O’Connor did drink the soap but it failed to make him sick enough to take him to the hospital. Apparently, some other plans were made involving two pairs of scissors which Rippey used for barber purposes, because they were missing from his kit on September 11th. Rippey said he heard defendants say something about more drastic action in reference to their escape and the possible use of some weapon such as barber shears; that he did not believe in any such violence and accordingly *216 told one of the deputies of his suspicion of the contemplated plans of escape; and that Havel had said he hoped a deputy by the name of Rhymer would be the one involved as he had had some trouble with him on some other occasion and did not like him.

Easley testified he discussed escape plans with defendants, and Robinson asked him to obtain some saw blades for him and promised Easley some packages of cigarettes for his service; that he did bring the blades into the jail in the sole of his shoe, according to the method he related to Robinson the night before, and left them at the door of the “tank”; and that two days later he received some packages of cigarettes from Robinson. The shoe with the loosened sole was identified by Easley.

A deputy sheriff testified that after talking to Rippey he found the bar sawed, as indicated by him; that he questioned Robinson, who, after denying any knowledge of such plans, finally stated he was afraid he was being involved in this plan by other prisoners and he wanted to admit removing the saw blades from the shoe; that there was a length of rope ordinarily kept in the exercise area for drying clothes, and a disaster rope, about 150 feet in length, was kept on the roof of the jail under lock and key; that the jailer on duty on the floor where defendants were kept had the key to this door as well as the door leading to the roof; that he remembered O’Connor being reported as sick; and that the shoes in evidence were found in the prisoners ’ clothing storage room over which Robinson had charge.

One Wheelis, who worked as a trusty at the training center, testified that Rippey asked him to obtain some saw blades but he refused; that he saw Easley place hack-saw blades in his shoe at the center; that Easley told him he was taking them into the jail to give them to Robinson; that Havel, about that time, asked him if he wanted to escape at night with him from the jail and he told Havel that he was not interested because he was going ahead and serve his time.

Havel testified he asked Wheelis about taking part in an escape but that it was just talk and he forgot about it because he decided to try and obtain parole and never would take part in any attempted escape of Robinson. Other prisoners implicated Rippey as being involved in the attempted escape.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
285 P.2d 317, 134 Cal. App. 2d 213, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1744, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-havel-calctapp-1955.