People v. Jonathan R.

3 Cal. App. 5th 963, 208 Cal. Rptr. 3d 159, 2016 Cal. App. LEXIS 817
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 30, 2016
DocketA145238
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 3 Cal. App. 5th 963 (People v. Jonathan R.) 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. Jonathan R., 3 Cal. App. 5th 963, 208 Cal. Rptr. 3d 159, 2016 Cal. App. LEXIS 817 (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Opinion

MARGULIES, J.—

Alter Jonathan R. (minor) stabbed another young man during a brawl, he was alleged in a juvenile wardship petition to have violated Penal Code section 245, subdivision (a)(1), assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and subdivision (a)(4), assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury. The juvenile court found true both violations, as well as enhancement allegations under both violations of personal use of a deadly weapon and infliction of great bodily injury. Defendant contends he cannot be found to have committed violations of both subdivisions of section 245 because the two subdivisions merely specify different ways of committing a single offense. He also argues the deadly weapon enhancement under subdivision (a)(1) is improper because use of such a weapon is an element of the crime and objects to the imposition of an electronic search probation condition.

We conclude the minor’s argument that the crimes specified in subdivision (a)(1) and (4) of Penal Code section 245 are not separate offenses is untenable in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in People v. Gonzalez (2014) 60 Cal.4th 533 [179 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 335 P.3d 1083] (Gonzalez). Nonetheless, we agree with the minor that he cannot be found to have violated both offenses because we find the offense specified in subdivision (a)(4), assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury, is necessarily included within the offense specified in subdivision (a)(1), assault with a deadly weapon or instrument other than a firearm. We also find merit in the minor’s other arguments. We therefore vacate the juvenile court’s findings with respect to section 245, subdivision (a)(4) and strike the deadly weapon use enhancement under the violation of subdivision (a)(1). In addition, we direct the entry of a narrower electronic search condition and remand for recalculation of the minor’s maximum term of confinement and restitution fine.

*967 I. BACKGROUND

In an amended juvenile wardship petition under Welfare and Institutions Code section 602, subdivision (a), the minor was alleged to have violated Penal Code 1 section 245, subdivision (a)(1), assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm (count one), and section 245, subdivision (a)(4), assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury (count two). Both counts also alleged the minor used a deadly weapon, a knife, and inflicted great bodily injury on the victim. (§§ 12022, subd. (b)(1), 12022.7, subd. (a).)

Testimony at the contested jurisdictional hearing established that the minor stabbed another young man in the abdomen during a brawl, using a folding pocketknife with a blade approximately three to four inches long. The resulting injury required a five-day hospital stay.

The juvenile court found true both counts of the petition, as well as all enhancement allegations. The minor was adjudged a ward of the court and committed to the county’s Youthful Offender Treatment Program for a maximum period of nine years or until age 21. Among the probation conditions imposed was one requiring the minor to submit his property to a warrantless search at any time, “including any electronic device & cell phone & access codes.”

II. DISCUSSION

The minor contends the juvenile court erred in convicting him of both subdivision (a)(1) and (4) of section 245 and argues the enhancement alleging use of a knife under count one should be stricken because use of a deadly weapon is an element of the crime of assault with a deadly weapon. He also challenges the imposition of the probation condition permitting warrantless search of his electronic devices.

A. Multiple Violations of Section 245

1. Governing Law

The statute governing the crime of aggravated assault, section 245, has undergone a gradual expansion over its history. For much of the first half of the last century, the section read, “ ‘Every person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a deadly weapon or instrument or by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison . . . , or in a county jail . . . , or by fine *968 or by both such fine and imprisonment.’ ” (In re Mosley (1970) 1 Cal.3d 913, 918, fn. 4 [83 Cal.Rptr. 809, 464 P.2d 473]; see Stats. 1933, ch. 847, § 1, p. 2216.) In 1961, this provision was designated subdivision (a), and a subdivision (b) was added separately criminalizing aggravated assault against a peace officer. (Stats. 1961, ch. 802, § 1, p. 2067.) In addition to other statutory changes to section 245 not pertinent here, subdivision (a) was later split into two parts, dividing the crime into (1) assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm or by force likely to produce great bodily injury, and (2) assault with a firearm. The latter imposed the new requirement of a minimum six-month jail term. (Stats. 1982, ch. 136, § 1, p. 437; see People v. Milward (2011) 52 Cal.4th 580, 585 [129 Cal.Rptr.3d 145, 257 P.3d 748].) In 1989, subdivision (a)(3) was added to sechon 245, specifying the crime of assault with a machinegun or assault weapon, which carried a mandatory prison term, unlike the other provisions of subdivision (a). (Stats. 1989, ch. 18, § 1, p. 52.) Finally, in 2011, subdivision (a)(1) was split into the crimes of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, which remained subdivision (a)(1), and assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury, which became subdivision (a)(4). Although stated in separate subdivisions, the two crimes continued to carry the same range of punishments, which were separately specified in each subdivision. (Stats. 2011, ch. 183, § 1.) As a result of these changes, subdivision (a) of section 245 now specifies four different crimes, each with its own elements and range of punishments. 2

It has long been accepted that, in general terms, “a person may be convicted of, although not punished for, more than one crime arising out of the same act or course of conduct. ‘In California, a single act or course of conduct by a defendant can lead to convictions “of any number of the offenses charged.” [Citations.]’ [Citation.] Section 954 generally permits multiple conviction. Section 654 is its counterpart concerning punishment. It *969 prohibits multiple punishment for the same ‘act or omission.’ ” (People v. Reed (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1224, 1226-1227 [45 Cal.Rptr.3d 353, 137 P.3d 184] (Reed).)

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
3 Cal. App. 5th 963, 208 Cal. Rptr. 3d 159, 2016 Cal. App. LEXIS 817, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jonathan-r-calctapp-2016.