People v. Kaye

111 P.2d 679, 43 Cal. App. 2d 802, 1941 Cal. App. LEXIS 734
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 31, 1941
DocketCrim. 2064
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 111 P.2d 679 (People v. Kaye) 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. Kaye, 111 P.2d 679, 43 Cal. App. 2d 802, 1941 Cal. App. LEXIS 734 (Cal. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

PETERS, P. J.

The four appellants, Laura Bonzani, Shirley Kaye, Nicholas Cirimele, and Patrick Pettingill (alias Pat Kelly), together with one William McCord were jointly charged by indictment with three offenses; (1) the murder of Donald Haycock; (2) the robbery of Donald May-cock ; and (3) the robbery of Joseph Sankus. Over the objections of defendant Bonzani the five defendants were jointly tried. The four appellants were all convicted of the murder and the robbery of Haycock, and Kaye, Cirimele and Pettingill were convicted of the robbery of Sankus. Bonzani was acquitted on this charge. What happened to defendant McCord does not appear, and is not important, inasmuch as he has not appealed. The jury, in each instance, found the murder to have been in the first degree, and fixed life imprisonment as the penalty. The two robberies were found to be in the second degree. The four appellants appeal from the judgments pronounced in accord with the verdicts, and from the order denying their motions for a new trial.

All appellants contend that the evidence was insufficient, as a matter of law, to warrant the convictions of any of them; that there was not sufficient evidence, independent of the extrajudicial statements of the defendants, to establish the corpus delicti of any of the offenses charged; that the evidence shows that defendant Pettingill struck Haycock in self-defense ; that evidence of another offense was improperly admitted. Appellant Kaye contends that the evidence was insufficient to warrant her conviction of either the murder or robbery of Haycock, she admittedly not being present when those offenses were committed. It is further contended in her behalf that there is no evidence that she participated in the robbery of Sankus. Appellant Bonzani urges that the evidence as to her is insufficient to warrant her conviction of either the murder or robbery of Haycock, in that, although she was present, there was no evidence that she was a mem *805 her of the conspiracy to rob Maycock. She also urges that it was error to deny her motion for a separate trial.

It was the theory of the prosecution, as disclosed by the opening statement of the district attorney, that the five defendants entered into a conspiracy to rob men who were under the influence of liquor; that the plan was that Kaye and Bonzani should visit bars and taverns unescorted and permit themselves to be “picked up” by men who had money and were under the influence of liquor; that after finding such prospects they were to telephone the male defendants, who would take the victims to a lonely spot and slug and rob them; that the crimes here involved were committed as part of that conspiracy.

Bach of the defendants made a statement to the police, and each defendant, with the exception of McCord, took the stand in his or her own defense. After reading the record, although it must be conceded that in some respects the evidence is not as satisfactory as to some phases of the case as might be desired, we are convinced that the appellants were fairly tried, and that the evidence supports the judgments.

The first question presented is whether the prosecution established the corpus delicti sufficiently to have authorized the court to have admitted in evidence the extrajudicial statements of the defendants.

Joseph Sankus testified that he and Maycock had been honorably discharged from the Army on August 25, 1938; that they met at the College Inn (also referred to as College Den) about noon of August 26th and spent the balance of the day and evening drinking beer there and at two nearby taverns; that some time in the evening they were sitting at the bar in the College Inn and sending tips to the orchestra with requests to play special numbers, when his attention was called by Maycock to two unescorted girls who were sitting in a booth and smiling at the two men; that he and Maycock entered the booth, talked to the girls and bought them some drinks; that the younger of the two girls suggested they go to another place and dance; that this girl left the table to telephone a friend to take them to the dance; that she returned in about five or ten minutes and told them her friend had arrived; that the party proceeded outside where Sankus and Maycock were introduced to three young men; that one of these men had a roadster; that the seven then got in the *806 car, Sankus and the youngest girl sitting in front with the driver and the other four sitting in the rumble seat.

Sankus was unable to identify the defendants with any degree of certainty. He stated that the two women defendants “look like the women, but I couldn’t say for sure”; that “the youngest girl [Shirley Kaye] looks familiar, but I couldn’t say for sure.” His identification of defendant McCord as the driver of the car was somewhat stronger but was not positive by any means. He could not identify at all any of the other defendants. He testified that it was quite dark in the College Inn and also at 723 Vallejo Street, where they proceeded after leaving the College Inn. He also stated that he was not drunk and knew what was going on around him. He did identify a fancy steering wheel exhibited to him in the courtroom as being the steering wheel of the automobile in which they rode that night, and further stated that the automobile had “V-8” hub caps; that it was a light-colored car, a roadster, had no top, and had a rumble seat.

Sankus further testified that after leaving the College Den in the automobile they proceeded to a gasoline station where he bought some gasoline; that they then drove to a tavern known as the 723 Club on Vallejo Street in San Francisco; that the place was very crowded; that Maycock and the older girl got mixed up in the crowd; that he couldn’t get near the bar; that he ordered drinks and asked the younger girl to get them; that she brought him a drink which was either a Tom Collins or a highball; that he started to drink that drink but that he has no recollection of finishing it; that the next thing he remembers is waking up on a sidewalk about a block and a half from the bar; that the inside of his right cheek was cut; that, “It seemed like I was socked in the jaw”; that where he found himself was on a steep hill in a blind dark street; that he then went through his pockets and found but twenty cents; that he had $10 or $15 when he left the College Den, but as to the exact amount he couldn't say for sure; that he was positive that it was more than twenty cents; that he had more than $5 when he arrived at the 723 Club.

Mrs. Anita Slater testified that she and her husband were driving along Alemany Boulevard between 2 and 2:30 A. M. on August 27, 1938, when she saw a man staggering along the shoulder of the road; that his face was covered with *807 blood, that they stopped and observed that the man had no hat or shoes; that they placed the man in the car and took him to a nearby service station where an ambulance was summoned and the man was taken away.

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Bluebook (online)
111 P.2d 679, 43 Cal. App. 2d 802, 1941 Cal. App. LEXIS 734, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-kaye-calctapp-1941.