People v. Ingram

272 Cal. App. 2d 435, 77 Cal. Rptr. 423, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2294
California Court of Appeal·Decided April 29, 1969·No. Crim. 14223·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

WRIGHT, J.

In superior court case No. A-050632, appellant (defendant below) was charged with a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11532 (selling, furnishing, administering and giving marijuana to a minor). Superior court case No. A-050838 was consolidated with the aforementioned case charging as count II a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11530 (possession of marijuana) and as count III a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11911 (possession for sale of restricted drugs).

At arraignment, pleas of not guilty were entered and at the time of trial, trial by jury was waived and pursuant to stipulation the cause was submitted upon the testimony as set forth in the transcript of the preliminary hearing and the evidence received at said hearing. Both the People and the defendant reserved the right to offer any additional evidence. Defendant was found guilty of a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11531, (transportation or sale of marijuana) a lesser but necessarily included offense of count I. The ruling on the remaining counts was continued until the date of probation hearing and sentencing. A probation officer's report was ordered and at the probation hearing the proceedings were suspended and defendant was referred to the Director of the Department of Corrections for review regarding placement of defendant for diagnosis and treatment pursuant to the provisions of section 1203.03 of the Penal Code. Defendant was later returned to the superior court for sentencing at which time probation was denied and defendant was sentenced to *437 the state prison for the term prescribed by law. Counts II and III of the information were at that time dismissed.

Dependant’s Contentions

Defendant contends that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing probation. We find there is no merit in this contention.

Statement op Facts

Although the sufficiency of the evidence to support the conviction is not challenged, a brief résumé of the facts in this case is essential to an appreciation of defendant’s position.

In November of 1966, “A,” a minor of the age of 17 years, visited a Sunset Strip night club in Los Angeles County where he became involved in a conversation with a stranger who inquired of “A” if he was interested in obtaining some marijuana. “A” responded that he desired to make a purchase and delivered some money to the stranger. Later the stranger informed “A” that the marijuana would be sent by mail to the minor’s home in Kern County. “A” also was given a telephone number to call for future orders and was told that he should ask for “Howard”. At a later date “A” made a telephone call to the number previously furnished to him and asked to speak to Howard. Following the conversation, “A” purchased a money order in the approximate amount of $70 and placed the same in an envelope addressed to Howard Ingram at Post Office Box 66205, Mar Vista Station, Los Angeles, California. For the purpose of making inquiry as to the time the ordered marijuana would arrive, “A” on several occasions, telephoned to and spoke with a person who identified himself as Howard.

On January 18, 1967, a package arrived in Kern County addressed to “A,” and the mother of “A” received and opened the package finding therein five wax paper bags containing a total of 124.78 grams of marijuana and a letter in defendant’s handwriting. The marijuana and the letter were delivered to the sheriff’s office.

A felony arrest warrant for defendant was secured and when the police officers went to defendant’s residence to serve the same, defendant’s mother answered the door and indicated that defendant was in the garage. The officers informed defendant’s mother of their purpose and she stated “This is my house and you can look any place you want to.” The officers then went to the garage, found defendant and placed him under arrest. He was fully advised of his rights under *438 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 [16 L.Ed.2d 694, 86 S.Ct. 1602,10 A.L.R.3d 974].

Discovered in a urinal in the garage were tablets containing lysergic acid (LSD). Defendant told the officers that he had purchased 19 of these tablets for $150 and that he was selling the same at $10 per tablet. Discovered in a chest in the garage was a glass jar of marijuana seeds and a grinder containing marijuana debris. Defendant volunteered that he ground up the seeds and baked the same in a gingerbread mix. Other items of contraband were also found in the garage as was the letter of “A” addressed to defendant containing his order for marijuana.

It was the opinion of an experienced narcotics officer that defendant was holding the tablets for the purpose of sale. This was based not only upon the number of tablets in defendant’s possession but also in the method of packaging the same.

A United States postal inspector testified that defendant had maintained Post Office Box 66205 at the Mar Vista Station since August 12,1966.

Disposition op Dependant’s Contention

There is no appeal from an order denying probation. (Schaefer v. Superior Court, 113 Cal.App.2d 428, 438 [248 P.2d 450]; People v. Young, 105 Cal.App.2d 612, 613 [233 P.2d 155].) However, “. . . where the denial is (1) for lack of jurisdiction (Schaefer v. Superior Court, supra); or (2) because the court failed to follow the statutory requirements pertaining to probation (People v. Wade, 53 Cal.2d 322, 338 [1 Cal.Rptr. 683, 348 P.2d 116]; People v. Hollis, 176 Cal. App.2d 92, 99 [1 Cal.Rptr. 293]; or (3) because there is a clear showing of abuse of discretion (People v. Cooper, 123 Cal.App.2d 353, 357 [266 P.2d 566]; People v. Wade, supra), such denial may be reviewed on an appeal from the judgment.” (People v. Lewis, 187 Cal.App.2d 373, 377 [9 Cal.Rptr. 659].) We assume that it is defendant’s position that his appeal rests upon the last mentioned category.

Defendant presents the novel proposition that probation was denied by the trial judge solely by reason of defendant’s attitude and opinion towards the marijuana laws of this state. This, contends defendant, is a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and would be punishing a defendant for his opinions, an abridgment of free speech and a denial of due process of law.

*439 Defendant’s position overlooks the fact that in the colloquy between the judge and counsel for defendant, the court was addressing a series of questions to determine whether or not defendant was a good risk to place on probation.

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People v. Ingram, 272 Cal. App. 2d 435, 77 Cal. Rptr. 423, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2294 (Cal. Ct. App. 1969).

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