People v. Hornes

335 P.2d 756, 168 Cal. App. 2d 314, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 2459
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 2, 1959
DocketCrim. 6284
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 335 P.2d 756 (People v. Hornes) 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. Hornes, 335 P.2d 756, 168 Cal. App. 2d 314, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 2459 (Cal. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinions

WHITE, P. J.

The district attorney of Los Angeles County filed an information wherein defendants were accused of the crime of robbery while armed with a deadly weapon. It was also alleged that each defendant had suffered a prior conviction of robbery and had served a term of imprisonment therefor. Defendants pleaded not guilty. Trial by jury was duly waived and by stipulation the cause was submitted on the transcript of the preliminary examination with each side reserving the right to offer additional evidence. Defendants were adjudged guilty of robbery which the court found to be robbery of the first degree. No finding was made as to the prior conviction charged against each defendant. Their motions for new trial were denied and each was sentenced to state prison.

Defendant Hornes appeals from the judgment and order denying his motion for a new trial. Defendant MeCollin appeals from the judgment and sentence. Since no appeal lies from the sentence as such (People v. Gallardo, 41 Cal.2d 57, 60 [257 P.2d 29]), the attempted appeal therefrom must be dismissed.

We regard the following as a fair epitome of the factual background surrounding this prosecution.

On the early morning of October 19, 1957, Edward Rollins was on duty as the attendant at a service station located on Florence Avenue, in the city of Los Angeles. At about 3 a. m. that morning, according to the testimony of Mr. Rollins, defendant MeCollin, with his hand under his coat, approached the witness at the service station, and pointing to Mr. Rollins ’ automobile, said “Isn’t that tire flat?” The witness testified,

[317]*317“Well, I told him he was drunk, and I didn’t pay any attention to him and by that time he walked up to me and threw his arm around my waist and told me to come and go with him.” At that time the witness observed that defendant McCollin had a nickel plated revolver in his hands. Defendant McCollin then escorted Rollins across the street to a distance of approximately 100 yards from the station; Rollins testified that he went with him “because of the gun.” As McCollin and Rollins moved away from the station Rollins noticed the defendant Hornes, who had followed McCollin into the station by approximately five feet, proceeding toward the booth where the cash register was kept.

McCollin held Rollins momentarily, and, after searching his person, told him to “make the block.” Rollins went to San Pedro Street and Florence Avenue and called the police. This was at about 3:15 a. m. He then hurried back to the station, called the “day man” who was to relieve him, and checked the cash register. Approximately $190 was missing. When Rollins had left the station with McCollin the cash register was closed; when he returned, it was open. He was the only one working at the station and had given no one permission to open the register.

A radio ear of the Los Angeles Police Department responded to Rollins’ call. Officer Funk first observed the defendants walking together about two and one-half blocks from the service station, at about 3:20 a. m. The defendants were taken to the service station, and Rollins was asked if he could identify them. When asked about Hornes, Rollins replied, “I am not sure. I don’t want to have any trouble. I have a wife and three kids.” As to McCollin, he said, “Yes, I think that’s the man.” Later the same day at the police station Rollins positively identified the defendants. He testified he had never worn eyeglasses or had a restricted driver’s license, and no one had talked to him about identifying the appellants.

Although defendants were apprehended within 45 minutes after the alleged robbery, the amount of money taken by the robbers or the weapon used were not found in the possession of defendants or in their automobile. Defendant McCollin had no money on his person and defendant Hornes had $40 in his possession.

Sworn as witnesses in their own behalf defendants testified they were together on the night and early morning of their arrest. That defendant Hornes called for defendant McCollin [318]*318at the latter’s home, 1182 East 41st Street, about 9 :30 p. m. They proceeded in Hornes’ automobile to Watts to call on a girl friend of defendant McCollin’s but she was not at home. They then proceeded to a club on 103rd Street, from which place they departed about 2:15 a. m. That while enroute to McCollin’s home, they decided to call on a girl friend of defendant Hornes’ who lived on 71st Street. That Hornes “. . . didn’t remember the address, but he knew the house, and he walked down there. We found a place to park and got up and walked back towards the house where she was supposed to live.” That, “We got to the corner and he (Hornes) couldn’t remember the address, so we went around the corner and that was supposed to be the house—it was near San Pedro —and we didn’t see a house—and we started turning around the corner, and at that point they (the officers) stopped us.” When the defendants saw the police automobile they separated for the reason, “we was on parole and we violated our parole if we was together.” Defendant Me Collin first told the officers he had been walking up from Watts and that he had left his wallet at his cousin’s house—both untrue statements and which he explained he made because of his fear of being charged with a parole violation if he was found in the company of his codefendant. Both defendants were gainfully employed and working at the time of their arrest. They denied any complicity in the robbery of Mr. Rollins, or that they were in possession of any weapon.

As their first ground for reversal appellants contend that “there is no substantial evidence to connect appellants to the robbery.” They assail the testimony of the victim as to identification of appellants, pointing out claimed inconsistencies and uncertainties therein, saying, “However, with the aid of suggestive questions and instructions by People’s counsel, Rollins did identify Appellant Me Collin as the ‘short man’ and Appellant Hornes as the ‘tall man’ at the Preliminary Hearing; and there was evidence at the Preliminary Hearing and at the trial that Rollins, after failing to recognize Appellants at the service station, went to the police station with his manager and there identified Appellants as the ‘robbers’ upon seeing them standing, alone, behind a glass door.” Appellants assert that in the light of the foregoing, the testimony of Mr. Rollins standing alone is insufficient to identify them and lacks any corroboration. However, it is well settled that the testimony of a robbery victim if believed by the trier of facts, is sufficient of itself to war[319]*319rant a conviction, and that no corroborative evidence is required (People v. Thompson, 147 Cal.App.2d 543, 546, 547 [305 P.2d 274]). Primarily, the identity of the accused as the perpetrator of a robbery is a question of fact for determination of the trial court. And appellants' argument that the testimony of the prosecuting witness was in some respects contradictory is not sufficient to warrant a reversal (People v. Hightower, 40 Cal.App.2d 102, 106 [104 P.2d 378]).

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People v. Hornes
335 P.2d 756 (California Court of Appeal, 1959)

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Bluebook (online)
335 P.2d 756, 168 Cal. App. 2d 314, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 2459, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-hornes-calctapp-1959.