People v. Johnson

207 Cal. App. 2d 357, 24 Cal. Rptr. 471, 1962 Cal. App. LEXIS 1915
California Court of Appeal·Decided August 31, 1962·No. Crim. No. 7872·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

WOOD, P. J.

By indictment defendant was accused of unlawfully selling heroin. At the arraignment, the indictment was amended to show that defendant’s true name is James Baker Johnson (changed from James J. Johnson). Thereafter, in court in the presence of defendant and his counsel, an amendment to the indictment was filed, alleging two prior convictions. (In Missouri—assault with intent to kill, a felony; in California—violation of section 11500 of the Health and Safety Code, a misdemeanor.) He was arraigned on the amendment, and he denied the prior convictions. Trial by jury was waived. It was stipulated that the prosecution’s case in chief might be determined upon the testimony and exhibits as shown by the grand jury transcript. Defendant was adjudged guilty, and the allegations as to prior convictions were found to be true. He was sentenced to state prison. He appeals from the judgment and the order denying his motion for a new trial.

Appellant contends that the evidence was insufficient to support the judgment; that the deputy district attorney was guilty of prejudicial misconduct in cross-examining a witness; and that the court erred in permitting the indictment to be amended to recite his true name.

Officer Hairston testified that: On September 27, 1960, about 3:30 p. m., he and Edward Pier met defendant and another man in the 2500 block of Raymond Avenue in Los Angeles. The other man was unknown to the officer. Pier said to the officer, “He [referring to defendant] can get some stuff.” Defendant said, “Come to Kenwood and Jefferson.” The officer asked how he (officer) could get there. Defendant [359]*359said that the other man (unknown man) would ride with the officer. The officer and the other man rode, in the officer’s ear, to the place mentioned. At that place, the defendant went to the officer’s car and said, “They are five-dollar caps.” The officer handed a ten-dollar bill to defendant, who then went away for approximately ten minutes. Upon returning, he handed two capsules, containing a white substance, to the officer, who asked if defendant had a balloon for the capsules. Defendant went away and returned within approximately five minutes, and said, “They are out. Are you going to give me a taste.” The officer handed him a one-dollar bill. Defendant said that he would rather have “a taste of the stuff.” Then the officer returned to the police station and delivered the capsules to the property division of the station.

At the grand jury hearing on November 4, 1960, the officer identified a photograph as a photograph of the person from whom he purchased the capsules. At the trial the officer identified the defendant as the person whose photograph was exhibited to the grand jury, and as the person from whom he purchased the capsules. Also at the trial, the officer testified that Pier was present, and about 5 feet from defendant, when the defendant handed the capsules to the officer.

After the arrest of this defendant and before the trial, the officer saw him in a department of the superior court, and at that time the officer called the court’s attention to the fact that by a clerical mistake of someone three counts were charged against this defendant, James Baker Johnson, when only one count should have been against him and the other two counts should have been against another person whose name was James L. Johnson; thereupon, the mistake was corrected; the mistake was not made by the officer, but was made in the sheriff’s booking office.

It was established that the capsules contained heroin.

Defendant testified that: He did not see Officer Hairston or Pier on September 27, 1960. On that date he was at the home of his mother, where he was planning a birthday party for his son. He (defendant) was arrested on November 5, 1960. He saw the officer only on two occasions after the arrest (and before trial)—one occasion was in “the glass house,” when the officer addressed him as Lionel or Bob, and asked if he knew the officer; and he replied that he did not know him; then they took him to the county jail and booked him as “James L. Johnson.” Defendant said that was not his name, and then they booked him as James Baker Johnson. [360]*360The other occasion, when he saw the officer, was on the way to court, and at that time the bailiff asked the officer if defendant was the “James Johnson”; and the officer said, “Yes, I got two cases on him.” When they were in court the two other counts were dismissed.

Edward Pier, called as a witness by defendant, testified: On September 27, 1960, about 3:30 p. m., he and Officer Hairston had a transaction with a man in the 2500 block of Raymond Avenue, relative to some “stuff.” When they arrived there in a car, he (Pier) stopped a man and asked him if he could get some “stuff” for them. He replied that he could get two caps. Pier got into the man’s car and went with him to an address. Officer Hairston went to the address in his car. At that place the man got two caps of stuff. The officer asked the man if he had a balloon to put the caps in. That man was not the defendant. Pier had dealt with the man previously but did not know his name. When Officer Hairston showed Pier a picture which “allegedly” was a picture of defendant (the picture shown to the grand jury), Pier said that that was not the picture of the person who was in the transaction. Pier also told the officer that if he would check on a “MaeParland” or “Farland” that he would know that that was “the man.” He (Pier) had never seen defendant previously.

On cross-examination, Pier said that he had been working, as a police informant, with Officer Hairston about three months. He had testified five or six times when he had been subpoenaed by defendants in the various eases. On one occasion when he failed to appear, in response to a subpoena, he was arrested and placed in the county jail. While he was taking a shower, during his first day in jail, he was hit with a hammer and he was taken to the hospital. Also while he was in jail, someone threw a blanket on him and kicked him; and everyone in the tank called him names and threatened to beat him up.

Appellant argues to the effect that the testimony of the officer was not sufficient to support the judgment, in view of defendant’s testimony that he was not the person who was involved in the transaction, and that he was at his mother’s home on that day; and in view of Pier’s testimony that defendant was not the person so involved. Whether deof fact for the determination of the trial judge. The fendant was the person who made the sale was a question officer testified that defendant is the person to whom he handed [361]*361the money and is the person who handed the capsules of heroin to the officer. The testimony of the officer and the testimony of Pier were substantially the same as to all material matters, except the identity of the person who sold the heroin. A similar factual situation, with respect to testimony as to identification, was presented in People v. Rodriguez, 169 Cal.App.2d 771, 776, 777 [338 P.2d 41]. In that ease it was said: “The record discloses a close parallel between the testimony of Deputy Burley and that of the informer on all material matters except the identity of the person from whom the heroin was purchased,” and that, “Whether the trial judge wanted to bind the People with the informer’s denial of defendant’s identity ... or not do so . . .

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People v. Johnson, 207 Cal. App. 2d 357, 24 Cal. Rptr. 471, 1962 Cal. App. LEXIS 1915 (Cal. Ct. App. 1962).

207 Cal. App. 2d 357 (People v. Johnson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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