People v. Moore

249 Cal. App. 2d 509, 57 Cal. Rptr. 449, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 2253
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 16, 1967
DocketCrim. 12155
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 249 Cal. App. 2d 509 (People v. Moore) 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. Moore, 249 Cal. App. 2d 509, 57 Cal. Rptr. 449, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 2253 (Cal. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

ROTH, P. J.

Appellant was charged by information with sodomy (violation of Pen. Code, § 286), assault with a deadly weapon (violation of Pen. Code, §245), and kidnaping (violation of Pen. Code, § 207), all felonies.

The information also charged a prior conviction for rape in Indiana in 1955, which was admitted. Appellant was tried by a jury and found guilty on all three counts. He was sentenced to state prison, sentences to run concurrently.

Appellant contends that the evidence was insufficient as a matter of law to sustain his conviction, and that the court erred in failing to instruct the jury on the defense of alibi.

At approximately 9 :30 p.m. on Sunday, September 26, 1965, Felix Alvarez and Ken Rowell, both teenagers, were looking at a car on a used-car lot in Monrovia. Appellant approached them and asked whether they wanted a drink. The three then walked two blocks to a store. Appellant purchased a bottle of wine. They drank, and they continued walking.

Appellant asked the boys whether they wanted to go to a girl’s house, and they agreed. As they proceeded up an alley, Rowell said he had to go home; Alvarez stated he had to go with Rowell since he was staying at Rowell’s house for the night. Appellant thereupon poured the contents of the bottle into the street, broke the bottle, holding the jagged remainder by the top and grabbed Alvarez. Rowell ran off.

Appellant, holding Alvarez, walked him into an alley, ordered him to take his pants down and lie on the ground and committed sodomy upon Alvarez.

When the sodomy was complete, appellant, using the broken bottle as a weapon, forced Alvarez to accompany him to the apartment of Leon James, a friend of appellant. At that apartment Alvarez was asked whether he knew any girls; he said he did and agreed to take the men to some girls’ house. Appellant, Alvarez, because he feared for his safety, and James left in the latter’s car. Alvarez led them to his own house, ran inside, and called police.

On cross-examination, Alvarez stated he was not sure on which night the above occurred, that he thought it was a week *512 night, not a Sunday, but that he had called police immediately on getting home on the night of the offenses.

Rowell and James both testified to their respective connection with the series of events above outlined. Each was uncertain of the date of the occurrences: Rowell stated he thought it was a week-night. However, he stated that after running away from the encounter with appellant, he had immediately summoned police and rode with them in a police car in search of appellant and Alvarez. The completely certain testimony of the police fixed the occurrence on Sunday, September 26. James testified that he believed the events took place on a Sunday night, and recalled giving a statement to police on Monday, September 27.

In addition, a doctor from the Methodist Hospital in Arcadia testified that Alvarez had been brought to the emergency room of the hospital late Sunday or early Monday morning by police officers. Examination at that time showed injuries in the region of the anus including dried blood and cracks in the lining of the anus which could have been caused, in the doctor’s opinion, by the insertion of a penis into the victim’s rectum.

A witness testified that he was driving down the alley and observed two people on the ground engaged in sexual activity. He was unable to identify the people as to general description or as to sex. He believed the events occurred on a week-night.

Two police officers testified that they received a call on the night of September 26 at 10 :24 p.m. Officer Armenio testified he went to Alvarez’ home at about 11 p.m. that night and took him and Ms father to the hospital about midnight.

Appellant testified in his own behalf, admitting he met Alvarez on Sunday night, September 26, and partially corroborating the events described by the other witnesses. He denied, however, committing sodomy on Alvarez, threatening him with a broken bottle, or taking him somewhere against his will.

It is trite to say “ ‘We must assume in favor of the verdict the existence of every fact which the jury could have reasonably deduced from the evidence. . . .’ ” (People v. Newland, 15 Cal.2d 678, 681 [104 P.2d 778].) The evidence was clearly sufficient to support the jury’s verdict finding appellant guilty of sodomy (see People v. Babb, 103 Cal.App.2d 326, 330 [229 P.2d 843]); of assault with a deadly weapon (see People v. Corson, 221 Cal.App.2d 579, 582 [34 Cal.Rptr. 584]); and of kidnaping (see People v. Oliver, 55 Cal.2d 761, 765 [12 Cal.Rptr. 865, 361 P.2d 593].)

*513 Appellant argues that because of the uncertainties pointed out in the testimony as to the date of the occurrence of the offenses charged, the jury should have been instructed on the defense of alibi. Appellant asserts that if the jury found the crimes occurred after Sunday, September 26, 1965, appellant could not have committed them since he was arrested for these same offenses on Monday, September 27, and has been in custody since that date.

A defendant is, of course, entitled to instructions on any theory of the ease for which there is substantial support in the evidence, irrespective of its credibility. (People v. Jeter, 60 Cal.2d 671, 674 [36 Cal.Rptr. 323, 388 P.2d 355] ; People v. Carmen, 36 Cal.2d 768, 772-773 [228 P.2d 281]; People v. Smith, ante, p. 395 [57 Cal.Rptr. 508] [filed March 13, 1967].) To warrant such instructions, however, there must be some evidence, however “incredible” (People v. Jeter, supra) to support a defendant’s theory.

Appellant himself testified that he was with Alvarez on the night of September 26, the date charged in the information. This would obviate the propriety of an alibi instruction, since “An alibi consists of evidence that the defendant was not at the scene of the crime when it was committed and did not otherwise participate in its commission.” (People v. Gilbert, 63 Cal.2d 690, 710 [47 Cal.Rptr. 909, 408 P.2d 365].) Not only did appellant fail to offer any evidence of his absence from the scene of the crime on Sunday night, but he affirmatively denied having told the police on September 28 that on September 26 he was in Pasadena between 7 and 11 p.m.

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Related

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113 Cal. App. 3d 340 (California Court of Appeal, 1980)
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33 Cal. App. 3d 630 (California Court of Appeal, 1973)
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253 Cal. App. 2d 634 (California Court of Appeal, 1967)

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249 Cal. App. 2d 509, 57 Cal. Rptr. 449, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 2253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-moore-calctapp-1967.