People v. Johnson

129 Cal. Rptr. 2d 500, 105 Cal. App. 4th 515
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 23, 2003
DocketH023838
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 129 Cal. Rptr. 2d 500 (People v. Johnson) 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. Johnson, 129 Cal. Rptr. 2d 500, 105 Cal. App. 4th 515 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

129 Cal.Rptr.2d 500 (2003)
105 Cal.App.4th 515

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Michael Ray JOHNSON, Defendant and Appellant.

No. H023838.

Court of Appeal, Sixth District.

January 17, 2003.
As Modified on Denial of Rehearing February 13, 2003.
Review Granted April 23, 2003.

*501 Dallas Sacher, Assistant Director, Sixth District Appellate Program (Under appointment by the Court of Appeal), for Appellant.

Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Ronald A. Bass, Assistant Attorney *502 General, Gerald A. Engler and Ralph Sivilla, Deputy Attorneys General, for Respondent.

ELIA, J.

Michael Ray Johnson appeals from a modification of the judgment.[1] A jury convicted defendant of two counts of vehicle theft (Veh.Code, § 10851, subd. (a)) and found true that defendant had three prior strike convictions (Pen.Code, § 667, subds.(b)-(i))[2] and two prior prison terms (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). The superior court modified the sentence and redetermined credits after the California Department of Corrections (CDC) alerted the court that the previously imposed sentence was unauthorized. It was the third time that the court had amended the abstract of judgment.

On appeal, defendant argues that the trial court erroneously believed that the Three Strikes law mandated imposition of a consecutive sentence on count two and miscalculated credit for time served by awarding too many actual days of custody credit and by awarding no days of local conduct credit under section 4019.[3] Defendant maintains that he should have been given credit for 1305 actual days of custody and 220 days of section 4019 credit.

We conclude that defendant waived the claim that the sentencing court had discretion to impose a concurrent term on count two by failing to raise the issue below. However, it appears custody credit must be recalculated and corrected.

A. Procedural History

Defendant was arrested on April 14, 1998. The jury found him guilty as charged.

The court initially sentenced defendant on May 27, 1999 to 50 years to life. He was remanded to the custody of the sheriff to be delivered to the custody of the Director of Corrections.

On June 18, 1999, the court issued an order to produce defendant and return him to the custody of the sheriff, who was to bring defendant before the court on June 25, 1999. At a hearing on June 28, 1999, the court explained that the purpose of its order to produce was "to recall the sentence that was imposed on May 27th, 1999" and the court then, on its own motion, recalled defendant's commitment to state prison. (§ 1170, subd. (d).)

*503 The court then proceeded to resentence defendant. It exercised its discretion under section 1385 to strike the three prior felony conviction allegations as to count two (People v. Garcia (1999) 20 Cal.4th 490, 503-504, 85 Cal.Rptr.2d 280, 976 P.2d 831) and the two prior prison term enhancements. The court then sentenced defendant to 25 years to life on count one (§§ 667, subds.(b)-(i), 1170.12) and to eight months on count two, to be served consecutively to the indeterminate term. The court stated: "A sentence of 25 years to life is more than appropriate and but for the constraints of three strikes law, I would have ordered the eight months to be served concurrently, the defendant's total sentence on both counts is now 25 years and eight months to life."

The amended abstract, which reflected the June 28, 1999 modification, showed that defendant was awarded total credit of 638 days for time served consisting of 404 actual days and 234 days local conduct credit. However, the reporter's transcript shows that the court awarded 404 actual days, 202 days credit pursuant to section 4019, and 32 additional actual days for the time spent in state prison under the previously imposed sentence. An order to return, dated June 28, 1999, directed defendant be returned to the sheriff and then transported "back to the custody of the Penal Institution San Quentin-Reception Center."

By letter dated November 23, 1999, defendant's counsel informed the court that defendant's custody credits had not been correctly calculated. On December 10, 1999, the court again amended the judgment and awarded 645 days for time served consisting of 441 actual days and 204 days local conduct credit.

By letter dated July 27, 2001, the CDC alerted the court that it had possibly committed sentencing error by imposing an eight-month term and referred the court to California Rules of Court, rule 451.[4] By letter dated August 24, 2001, the CDC advised that "[t]he term for Count 2 should reflect the full term and not one-third as Count 2 is the only determinate term."

*504 On November 8, 2001, the court set aside the sentence imposed on June 28, 1999. The court again struck the prior prison term enhancements. The court then sentenced defendant to 25 years to life on count one and the lower 16-month term on count two, to be served consecutively to the indeterminate term. The court stated: "I will repeat what I said at the earlier sentencing, that a sentence of 25 years to life is more than enough for these offenses. However, because of the mandates of the three strikes law, I cannot order the term in count two to be served concurrently with that in count one. . .. [T]here are still two separate takings involved here which did not arise from the same set of operative facts; therefore, consecutive sentences must be imposed." Defense counsel declined to be heard. The court then announced: "The Department of Corrections has asked that I award credits for the actual days credit only as they will determine the 4019 credits. The actual credits are 1,381 days."

B. Consecutive Terms

Defendant insists that the trial court erroneously believed it had no authority to impose a concurrent term on count 2 under section 1170.12. Section 1170.12 provides in pertinent part: "(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a defendant has been convicted of a felony and it has been pled and proved that the defendant has one or more prior felony convictions, as defined in subdivision (b), the court shall adhere to each of the following: . . . [¶] (6) If there is a current conviction for more than one felony count not committed on the same occasion, and not arising from the same set of operative facts, the court shall sentence the defendant consecutively on each count pursuant to this section."[5] (Italics added.) Section 1170.12, subdivision (c), provides in pertinent part: "For purposes of this section, and in addition to any other enhancements or punishment provisions which may apply, the following [punishments] shall apply where a defendant has a prior felony conviction: . . . [¶] (2)(A) If a defendant has two or more prior felony convictions, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), that have been pled and proved, the term for the current felony conviction shall be an indeterminate term of life imprisonment with a minimum term of the indeterminate sentence calculated as the greater of [¶] (i) three times the term otherwise provided as punishment for each current felony conviction

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Related

People v. Casper
130 Cal. Rptr. 2d 368 (California Court of Appeal, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
129 Cal. Rptr. 2d 500, 105 Cal. App. 4th 515, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-johnson-calctapp-2003.