People v. Klein

163 P.2d 71, 71 Cal. App. 2d 588, 1945 Cal. App. LEXIS 933
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 9, 1945
DocketCrim. 2362
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 163 P.2d 71 (People v. Klein) 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. Klein, 163 P.2d 71, 71 Cal. App. 2d 588, 1945 Cal. App. LEXIS 933 (Cal. Ct. App. 1945).

Opinion

NOURSE, P. J.

The defendants were tried to the court, sitting without a jury, upon an information charging the violation of section 337a of the Penal Code. The second and third counts of the information charging the recording and making of bets were dismissed. Both defendants were convicted on the first count charging a violation of subdivision 2 of the section and have separately appealed on the same transcript and briefs.

The cause was tried by stipulation upon a certified copy of the transcript of the proceedings before the committing magistrate. Two police officers testified to the facts of their investigation and arrest of the defendants. No other testimony was taken. Neither defendant took the stand as a witness.

The evidence showed the customary set up of a cigar *590 store in front and a room in the rear with counter and chairs to accommodate the customers. At the time of the arrest the police officers seized the regular betting paraphernalia consisting of cards, markers, run-down sheets, scratch sheets, and a rapid calculator which were found on the premises. As experts having had long experience in making arrests under this particular statute the police officers identified the exhibits taken from defendants’ premises as the “books, paper or papers, apparatus, device or paraphernalia” used for recording or registering bets within the meaning of the code section.

The evidence was sufficient in all respect to support the verdicts. (People v. Hinkle, 64 Cal.App. 375 [221 P. 693]; People v. Manning, 37 Cal.App.2d 41 [98 P.2d 748]; People v. Steinfeld, 38 Cal.App.2d 280 [101 P.2d 89] ; People v. Roche, 68 Cal.App.2d 665 [157 P.2d 440]; People v. Partee, 70 Cal.App.2d 736 [161 P.2d 586] and People v. Brown, ante, p. 166 [162 P.2d 300].)

The appellants argue that the informations were defective because they did not contain full copies of the “books and papers” seized. They cite some ancient authorities holding that when a written document is relied on by the prosecution it must be pleaded either verbatim or in substance. The appellants have overlooked the amendment to section 952 of the Penal Code, enacted in 1927, and permitting the pleading of a criminal offense in the language of the statute. Here the offense charged was the keeping of a room with the books, papers, and paraphernalia “for the purpose of recording . . . bets.” The gist of the offense is the occupation of the room. The information is in the words of the statute, and is sufficient under section 952. People v. Pierce, 14 Cal.2d 639 [96 P.2d 784],

Appellants argued that the “corpus delicti” was not proved, and rely upon People v. Fisk, 32 Cal.App.2d 26 [89 P.2d 142] and People v. Newman, 37 Cal.App.2d 627 [99 P.2d 1067]. The reviewing courts have consistently refused to follow the narrow rule of both of those cases. (See People v. Newland 15 Cal.2d 678, 685 [104 P.2d 778]; People v. Smith, 35 Cal.App.2d 73, 76 [94 P.2d 633]; People v. Mooney, 57 Cal.App.2d 1, 4 [133 P.2d 853]; People v. Mix, 41 Cal. App.2d 177 [106 P.2d 21]; People v. Hart, 46 Cal.App.2d 230, 233 [115 P.2d 546].) It should be noted that the Fisk case was a prosection under subdivision 2 of section 337a *591 whereas the Newman case was one under subdivision 4, which relates to one who “records, or registers any bet” upon horse races. The judgment in the Fisk case was reversed entirely upon the ground of lack of sufficient evidence. The Newman case advanced the rule on “corpus delicti,” upon which appellants herein rely, that the evidence that defendants were seen circulating among a group of men, making entries in note books and on slips of paper, and receiving money from the group on bets “to win” was insufficient to prove the “corpus delicti” because there was no “direct” evidence to show that the defendants were recording bets on horse races. In People v. Newland, 15 Cal.2d 678, 683 [104 P.2d 778], the Supreme Court followed the settled rule that the “corpus delicti” may be proved by circumstantial evidence. To the same effect see People v. Kaye, 43 Cal.App.2d 802, 810 [111 P.2d 679], and People v. Abraham, 67 Cal.App.2d 425, 428 [154 P.2d 450].

Appellants assign error in the admission in evidence of the testimony of the two police officers concerning the customary paraphernalia used by those engaged in bookmaking, and identifying the books, papers, records and paraphernalia taken from their possession at the time of their arrest. They cite People v. Zammora, 66 Cal.App.2d 166 [152 P.2d 180] and People v. Davis, 47 Cal.App.2d 331 [117 P.2d 917]. There is nothing in the Zammora case applicable to the question here presented. The rule of the Davis case was rejected by the Supreme Court in People v. Newman, 24 Cal.2d 168, 176 [148 P.2d 4, 152 A.L.R. 365], upon the point for which it is cited here. People v. Hinkle, 64 Cal.App. 375, 378 [221 P. 693]; People v. Hatfield, 77 Cal.App. 212, 218 [246 P. 95] and People v. Derrick, 85 Cal.App. 406, 408 [259 P. 481], were all cited in the Newman case as supporting the contrary holding that the arresting officers were qualified by experience to testify as to the significance of the markings and entries in the books and papers taken from the possession of the accused, as they were used by those engaged in bookmaking, and also to testify as to the customary methods and equipment of the places used for that purpose. (See, also, People v. Pruitt, 55 Cal.App.2d 272 [130 P.2d 767]; People v. Bateman, 57 Cal.App.2d 585 [135 P.2d 192].)

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Bluebook (online)
163 P.2d 71, 71 Cal. App. 2d 588, 1945 Cal. App. LEXIS 933, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-klein-calctapp-1945.