People v. McClanahan

838 P.2d 241, 3 Cal. 4th 860, 12 Cal. Rptr. 2d 719, 92 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8924, 92 Daily Journal DAR 14696, 1992 Cal. LEXIS 5192
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 29, 1992
DocketS021913
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 838 P.2d 241 (People v. McClanahan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. McClanahan, 838 P.2d 241, 3 Cal. 4th 860, 12 Cal. Rptr. 2d 719, 92 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8924, 92 Daily Journal DAR 14696, 1992 Cal. LEXIS 5192 (Cal. 1992).

Opinions

Opinion

LUCAS, C. J.

We granted review in this case to determine whether article I, section 28, subdivision (f) of the California Constitution (hereafter article I, section 28(f)), a provision of the 1982 initiative measure commonly referred to as “Proposition 8,” bars application of the “double-the-base-term” [862]*862limitation of Penal Code1 section 1170.1, subdivision (g) (hereafter section 1170.1(g)) to “on-bail” enhancements imposed pursuant to section 12022.1.

In People v. Prather (1990) 50 Cal.3d 428 [267 Cal.Rptr. 605, 787 P.2d 1012], we concluded that “prior prison term” enhancements imposed pursuant to section 667.5, subdivision (b), are “prior felony conviction” enhancements within the meaning of article I, section 28(f), and by operation of that constitutional provision, are exempt from the double-the-base-term limitation of section 1170.1(g). For the reasons explained below, we conclude that, unlike prior prison term enhancements, section 12022.1 on-bail enhancements are not “prior felony conviction” enhancements within the meaning of article I, section 28(f). Accordingly, the judgment of the Court of Appeal, premised on the conclusion that the constitutional provision does not bar application of the double-the-base-term rule to on-bail enhancements, will be affirmed.

Facts and Procedural Background

Defendant was charged in the first of three separate informations with unlawful possession of methamphetamine for sale on or about December 20, 1988, in violation of Health and Safety Code section 11378. The second information charged a similar violation, alleged to have occurred on or about March 15, 1989. That information further alleged defendant personally used a handgun in the commission of the offense (§ 12022, subd. (b)), personally possessed for sale 57 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine (§ 1203.073, subd. (b)(2)), and committed the charged offense while released from custody on bail, or on his own recognizance, pending trial on the earlier felony charge (§ 12022.1).2 The third information charged defendant with yet another violation of Health and Safety Code section 11378, this [863]*863one alleged to have occurred on or about April 21, 1989. That information contained a separate allegation that defendant was free on bail or on his own recognizance at the time of commission of the offense (§ 12022.1) for each of the previously filed and pending felony charges. It was also alleged that defendant was personally armed with a firearm (shotgun) in the commission of the offense. (§ 12022, subd. (b).)

All three informations were consolidated for trial to a jury. Because only sentencing issues are raised on appeal, the underlying facts of the offenses need not be set forth in detail here. Briefly, defendant’s home was searched pursuant to warrant on three separate occasions, leading to the recovery of various quantities of methamphetamine; paraphernalia used to package the drugs for sale; ledgers recording drug transactions and balances owed; large quantities of currency; and numerous rifles, shotguns, handguns, and automatic weapons. Defendant was found guilty of all substantive offenses charged. The jury found all the enhancement allegations true save the two arming clauses, on which unanimous agreement could not be reached. Those allegations were later dismissed on the People’s motion.

At sentencing, the court selected the middle term of two years for the Health and Safety Code section 11378 violation committed on April 21, 1989, and designated it the principal term. (§ 1170.1, subd. (a).) Two consecutive eight-month terms (one-third the middle term) were imposed for the two remaining Health and Safety Code section 11378 violations (§ 1170.1, subd. (a)), and three 2-year section 12022.1 on-bail enhancements were then added, bringing the aggregate term of imprisonment to nine and one-third years.3 The court also imposed a $100 restitution fine for each of the three counts pursuant to Government Code section 13967.

On appeal, defendant asserted his sentence violated the double-the-base-term limitation of section 1170.1(g), which provides, with exceptions not [864]*864applicable here, that “[t]he term of imprisonment shall not exceed twice the number of years imposed by the trial court as the base term pursuant to subdivision (b) of section 1170 . . . ,”4 The Fifth Appellate District of the Court of Appeal agreed, expressly refusing to follow the contrary holding of another panel of that same court in People v. Vega (1990) 224 Cal.App.3d 506 [273 Cal.Rptr. 684]. (See also People v. Burnes (1990) 224 Cal.App.3d 1222 [274 Cal.Rptr. 466].) We granted review to settle the conflict and determine whether the rationale of Prather applies to section 12022.1 on-bail enhancements.

Discussion

In June 1982, California voters enacted Proposition 8, an initiative measure that, among other things, added article I, section 28(f) to the state Constitution, mandating that: “Any prior felony conviction of any person in any criminal proceeding, whether adult or juvenile, shall subsequently be used without limitation for purposes of impeachment or enhancement of sentence in any criminal proceeding. When a prior felony conviction is an element of any felony offense, it shall be proven to the trier of fact in open court.” (Italics added.)

In People v. Prather, supra, 50 Cal.3d 428, we addressed the question of whether “prior prison term” enhancements under section 667.5, subdivision (b), are subject to the double-the-base-term rule. We commenced our analysis by reviewing our earlier holding in People v. Jackson (1985) 37 Cal.3d 826 [210 Cal.Rptr. 623, 694 P.2d 736], wherein we determined that the five-year enhancement for prior serious felony convictions contained in section 667, subdivision (a), was impliedly excluded from the double-the-base-term limitation of section 1170.1(g). (37 Cal.3d at pp. 837-838.) Although noting that the “without limitation” language of article I, section 28(f) was “uncertain,” we nonetheless concluded in Jackson that, as a matter of statutory interpretation, and in order to give full effect to the apparent intent of the drafters of section 667, subdivision (a), section 1170.1(g) must be read as if it contained an exception for prior serious felony enhancements. We reasoned that the failure to amend the double-the-base-term rule to [865]*865except such enhancements was a “draftsman’s oversight,” for, under any other construction, application of that general sentencing limitation to section 667 enhancements would only rarely result in imposition of full five-year prior serious-felony enhancements. (People v. Jackson, supra, 37 Cal.3d at p. 838.)

In Prather, however, we found this aspect of our reasoning in Jackson, supra, 37 Cal.3d 826, inapplicable to the determination of whether the Legislature intended to exclude prior prison term enhancements from the double-the-base-term rule.

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Bluebook (online)
838 P.2d 241, 3 Cal. 4th 860, 12 Cal. Rptr. 2d 719, 92 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8924, 92 Daily Journal DAR 14696, 1992 Cal. LEXIS 5192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mcclanahan-cal-1992.