People v. Klatt

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 23, 2014
DocketH038755
StatusPublished

This text of People v. Klatt (People v. Klatt) 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. Klatt, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 4/23/14 CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, H038755 (Santa Clara County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. C1094633)

v.

ROBERT MICHAEL KLATT,

Defendant and Appellant.

At a bench trial, the trial court found defendant Robert Michael Klatt guilty on two counts of lewd conduct with a minor aged 14 or 15. (Pen. Code § 288, subd. (c)(1).)1 The court granted a three-year term of probation that included six months in county jail as a condition of probation. The court also required defendant to participate in a sex offender management program (the program) as a condition of probation. At issue in this appeal are three additional probation conditions ordered by the court. First, the court ordered defendant to waive “any privilege against self- incrimination” and participate in polygraph examinations as part of the program. Consistent with our recent opinion in People v. Friday (2014) 225 Cal.App.4th 8 (Friday), we hold that under Minnesota v. Murphy (1984) 465 U.S. 420 (Murphy), the Fifth Amendment prohibits a waiver of “any privilege against self-incrimination” as a condition of probation. Defendant may be required, however, to participate in polygraph

1 Subsequent undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code. examinations to the extent the questions posed to him relate to the successful completion of the program, the crimes of which he was convicted, or related criminal behavior. Second, the court ordered defendant to waive any psychotherapist-patient privilege to enable communication between the sex offender management professional and the probation department. We construe the waiver of the psychotherapist-patient privilege as requiring waiver only insofar as necessary to enable communication between the supervising probation officer and the sex offender management professional. Construed in this fashion, we uphold this waiver as constitutional. Third, the court ordered defendant not to date, socialize, or form any romantic relationship with any person who has physical custody of a minor unless approved by the probation officer. We hold that this condition is unconstitutionally vague and overbroad in violation of defendant’s right to freedom of association. On remand, we will instruct the court to consider imposing a probation condition that is more “sufficiently precise” and “closely tailor[ed]” to the purpose of the condition. (In re Sheena K. (2007) 40 Cal.4th 875, 890.) Finally, the trial court ordered a restitution fine of $264. Defendant contends his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the imposition of the restitution fine. We conclude trial counsel did not provide ineffective assistance of counsel and we reject this claim. We will reverse the judgment and remand to the trial court with instructions reflecting the above holdings. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In 2006, when defendant was 27 years old, his father married the mother of R.D., the victim. R.D., as well as R.D.’s mother and his two siblings, moved in with defendant and defendant’s father. In 2008 and early 2009, when R.D. was 14, defendant began spending a lot of time with him and sending him numerous text messages. Defendant showed R.D. photos of

2 naked women, questioned R.D. about masturbation, and asked R.D. to compare his pubic hair with defendant’s pubic hair. On two occasions in 2009, defendant touched R.D. inappropriately. On the first occasion, defendant and R.D. were wearing bathrobes, but no underwear, when the two exchanged back massages. On another occasion, R.D. shared a bed with defendant. R.D. woke up in the middle of the night and felt defendant’s hand underneath his shorts, touching his buttock area. R.D.’s older brother, M.D., also testified about inappropriate interactions between defendant and himself. For example, defendant asked M.D. various questions about his masturbation habits, and the two exchanged photographs of their genitals via cell phones. At trial, defendant denied these allegations. Several witnesses testified to his character for truthfulness and the appropriateness of his conduct around other young men. The trial court credited the testimony of the prosecution witnesses and found that defendant engaged in the two alleged touching incidents with R.D. in 2009. The court thereby found defendant guilty as charged on two counts of lewd conduct with a minor aged 14 or 15. (§ 288, subd. (c)(1).) At sentencing, the court suspended the imposition of sentence and granted a three- year term of probation, including six months in county jail as a condition of probation. Among other probation conditions, the court ordered defendant to participate in a sex offender management program pursuant to section 1203.067. Additionally, the court ordered the three probation conditions set forth above. Defendant lodged no objections to the probation conditions.2 Finally, the trial court imposed a restitution fine of $264. The trial court did not explain how it arrived at this figure. The probation report recommended a restitution fine

2 The Attorney General concedes that defendant may challenge the probation conditions for the first time on appeal. We agree. (In re Sheena K., supra, 40 Cal.4th at pp. 888-889 [a facial challenge to a probation condition, as a pure question of law, is not forfeited by the failure to object in the court below].)

3 of “between $200 and $10,000 and a 10% Administrative Fee [. . .] pursuant to Section 1202.4 of the Penal Code.” Defendant did not object to this fine. II. DISCUSSION A. Section 1203.067, Subdivision (b)(3) For any defendant placed on probation for a registerable sex offense, section 1203.067, subdivision (b)(3) requires, as a condition of probation, “Waiver of any privilege against self-incrimination and participation in polygraph examinations, which shall be part of the sex offender management program.” Defendant challenges this provision on the grounds that the waiver violates his Fifth Amendment rights and that the polygraph requirement is unconstitutionally overbroad under Brown v. Superior Court (2002) 101 Cal.App.4th 313 (Brown). 1. Waiver of Any Privilege Against Self-Incrimination This panel recently considered a challenge to the waiver of any privilege against self-incrimination in Friday, supra, 225 Cal.App.4th 8. The majority in that case held that the waiver is prohibited by the Fifth Amendment under Murphy, supra, 465 U.S. at p. 420. We reaffirm our prior holding in Friday. By requiring the “Waiver of any privilege against self-incrimination,” the plain language of the statute squarely implicates defendant’s rights under the Self- Incrimination Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Furthermore, the “core” right of the Self- Incrimination Clause protects against the use of compelled statements “in a criminal proceeding against the person who gave them.” (Maldonado v. Superior Court (2012) 53 Cal.4th 1112, 1128 (Maldonado) [citing Chavez v. Martinez (2003) 538 U.S. 760, 766-773 (plur. opn. of Thomas, J.) (Chavez)], original italics.) Because the statute requires waiver of any privilege against self-incrimination, the probation condition necessarily includes a waiver of the “core” right under the Self-Incrimination Clause. The plain language of the waiver, if left intact, would therefore allow the state to use defendant’s compelled statements against him in a separate criminal proceeding. But the

4 United States Supreme Court has held that the Fifth Amendment prohibits the state from using a probationer’s compelled statements against the probationer in a separate criminal proceeding. 3 (Murphy, supra,

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414 U.S. 70 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Lefkowitz v. Cunningham
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Minnesota v. Murphy
465 U.S. 420 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Strickland v. Washington
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Roberts v. United States Jaycees
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Maldonado v. Superior Court
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People v. Lent
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Bluebook (online)
People v. Klatt, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-klatt-calctapp-2014.