People v. McGinnis CA1/4

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 11, 2022
DocketA159573
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. McGinnis CA1/4 (People v. McGinnis CA1/4) 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. McGinnis CA1/4, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 7/11/22 P. v. McGinnis CA1/4 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FOUR

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, A157603, A159573 v. MARCUS GEROY McGINNIS, (Napa County Super. Ct. No. 18CR003734) Defendant and Appellant.

In these consolidated appeals, defendant and appellant Marcus Geroy McGinnis argues the trial court violated his constitutional rights under People v. Dueñas (2019) 30 Cal.App.5th 1157 (Dueñas) when it imposed a $300 restitution fine (Pen. Code,1 § 1202.4, subd. (b)), a $40 court security fee (§ 1465.8), and a $30 criminal conviction assessment fee (Gov. Code, § 70373), without making a finding on his ability to pay. The People contend: 1) defendant’s appeal is moot because the trial court already determined his ability to pay at the sentencing hearing; and 2) defendant forfeited his claim by failing to object to the fines and fees imposed at the sentencing hearing. On the merits, the People contend the restitution fine imposed was constitutional under both the Eighth Amendment and due process principles, and any error was harmless. We affirm.

1 All further undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

1 BACKGROUND2 The Underlying Offense On November 18, 2018, defendant walked into a Target store, filled a shopping basket with items, and walked out. A security guard observed defendant leave the store without paying for the items. The security guard stopped defendant outside of the store, brought him back inside, and called the police. After determining defendant was on two separate grants of probation, the responding officers arrested defendant. The Napa County District Attorney filed an information charging defendant with petty theft with priors (§ 666, subd. (b)). The information also alleged four prior theft convictions, a prior strike conviction (§ 667, subds. (b)–(i)), and a prison prior (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). On March 13, 2019, defendant pleaded no contest to one count of petty theft with a prior (§ 666, subd. (b)) and admitted the four prior theft convictions and the prior strike conviction. The trial court struck the prison prior. Sentencing and First Appeal (Case No. A157603) Defense counsel submitted a sentencing memorandum, noting defendant had obtained his GED in 2007. Defendant had completed several courses through Coastline Community College, which included five business classes, and classes in astronomy, history, and health. Defense counsel also submitted a statement of assets on defendant’s behalf, in which defendant said he was transient and unemployed. He listed food stamps and his “mom” as his only sources of income. He had no assets. Defendant listed “student loans” and “fines and restitution” as debts. Attached to the sentencing

Because defendant pled guilty, the factual background is taken from 2

the probation department’s felony presentence report.

2 memorandum were letters from defendant’s family seeking leniency and advising the court of the strong familial support defendant has in Lake County. Defendant’s sister wrote that “when clean headed,” defendant is a “hardworking and loving man.” Defendant’s sister also thought that with the appropriate drug treatment program, defendant could “succeed and move on to become a productive and contributing member of society.” The presentence report filed by the probation department noted defendant’s numerous prior convictions, which included a 2003 conviction for unlawful intercourse with a minor. (§ 261.5, subd. (d).) Defendant reported that he had been previously employed with “My Eye For Detail, Taco Bell, Oventi Bar and Bakery and the Napa Valley Wine Train.” Defendant had no known medical condition, other than Hepatitis C. Defendant reported that he suffers from “bipolar, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.” The probation department recommended that probation be denied and that defendant be ordered to pay a $40 court security fee (§ 1465.8), a $182 jail booking fee (set by Napa County); a $300 criminal conviction assessment fee (Gov. Code, § 70373), a $560 presentence report fee (§ 1203.1b), a $300 restitution fine (§ 1202.4), and a suspended $300 parole revocation fine. On May 29, 2019, the trial court sentenced defendant to 32 months in state prison. The court awarded defendant 158 days credit for actual time served and 158 days for conduct credit, for a total of 316 days of presentence custody credits. The court imposed the mandatory $40 court security fee (§ 1465.8); the $30 criminal conviction assessment fee (Gov. Code, § 70373); the minimum $300 restitution fine (§ 1202.4); and suspended the parole revocation restitution fine (§ 1202.45). The court waived all other fees, assessments, including $600 in attorney fees.

3 On June 20, 2019, defendant filed a timely notice of appeal (case No. A157603), challenging the imposition of the fines and fees. Motion to Vacate and Second Appeal (Case No. A159573) On September 17, 2019, defense counsel filed a “Motion to Vacate Court Operations Assessments and Conviction Assessments and to Stay Execution of Restitution Fines pursuant to [Dueñas].” In opposition, the prosecutor argued the Dueñas holding was not settled law, the extreme circumstances in that case were distinguishable from defendant’s case, defendant forfeited his claim by not objecting to the amounts imposed at sentencing, defendant’s fines and fees were not “excessive” under an Eighth Amendment analysis, and the court already analyzed defendant’s ability to pay by reviewing his statement of assets at the sentencing hearing. At the initial hearing held on November 7, 2019, the following colloquy occurred: “[DISTRICT ATTORNEY]: I ordered the transcript of the sentencing hearing, and I received it just this week on Tuesday, but there is a discrepancy between what was delivered to me and what the Minute Order says. The Minute Order indicates that there was a financial hearing done by the Court and that wasn’t part of the transcript that was provided. . . . “THE COURT: Well, there was a financial hearing in the sense that [deputy public defender] Ms. Hendry provided and the defendant provided me with a statement of assets, and I considered the statement of assets in making the determination to waive certain fines and fees. [¶] And I think what we’re talking about right now are essentially what has always been, statutorily at least, mandatory minimum fines and fees, that being the [$]40 and [$]30 and the [$300] restitution fine. So from my perspective, I conducted a financial

4 hearing because I waived – I waived attorney fees; I waived some of the other fees as well.” (Italics added.) As to defendant’s physical condition, the court stated: “My recollection is that there is nothing about his physical condition that would prevent him from working in prison. I waived the vast majority of the fines and fees we’re talking about.” (Italics added.) After hearing from defense counsel and the prosecutor, the court continued the matter to December 10, 2019. At the continued hearing on December 10, 2019, the trial court opened with the following: “This is a motion to vacate the court operations assessments. [¶] Maybe I think that we probably should sort of back up and make sure the record is clear. As you both know the sentencing was on May 29th. And in that matter there was a Romero motion. Ultimately there was a state prison commitment that this court issued.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. McGinnis CA1/4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mcginnis-ca14-calctapp-2022.