People v. Nilsson

242 Cal. App. 4th 1, 195 Cal. Rptr. 3d 51
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 12, 2015
DocketC070296; C070298
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 242 Cal. App. 4th 1 (People v. Nilsson) 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. Nilsson, 242 Cal. App. 4th 1, 195 Cal. Rptr. 3d 51 (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

*6 Opinion

NICHOLSON, Acting P. J.

Defendant Dennis Nilsson, the facilities superintendent for the Sacramento Public Library Authority (Library), was involved in several schemes to receive kickbacks for Library maintenance work provided by outside contractors. One of these schemes included defendant James Earle Mayle, Sr., who was also a Library employee, and defendant Mayle’s wife, defendant Janie Mae Rankins-Mayle, who was not a Library employee. The scheme involving all three defendants resulted in a loss of more than $780,000 to the Library.

Convicted variously of grand theft, embezzlement, offering or receiving a bribe, and conflict of interest, defendants appeal. We conclude that (1) as to defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle, we must strike an enhancement imposed under Penal Code section 186.11 1 because the prosecution did not meet the pleading and proof requirement, (2) as to defendant Nilsson, we must strike one count of grand theft because the law applicable at the time he committed his crimes permitted only one grand theft conviction for multiple takings done pursuant to a single overarching scheme, and (3) as to defendant Nilsson, the trial court must properly indicate in the abstract of judgment what restitution is subject to joint and several liability. Finding no other prejudicial error, we make the noted modifications to the convictions, affirm the convictions as modified, reverse the sentence, and remand for resentencing and preparation of amended abstracts of judgment.

PROCEDURE

The district attorney filed an amended information charging defendants as follows:

—Count one (all defendants) — grand theft (§ 487, subd. (a)) from November 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007.

—Count two (all defendants) — grand theft (§ 487, subd. (a)) from April 1, 2004, to October 31, 2006.

—Count three (defendant Nilsson only) — receiving a bribe as a public employee (§ 68).

—Count four (defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle only) — offering a bribe to a public employee (§ 67.5, subd. (b)).

*7 —Count five (defendant Nilsson only) — conflict of interest (Gov. Code, § 1090).

—Count six (defendant Mayle only) — conflict of interest (Gov. Code, § 1090).

—Count seven (defendant Nilsson only) — embezzlement (§ 514).

—Count eight (defendant Nilsson only) — receiving a bribe (§ 68).

—Count nine (defendant Nilsson only) — conflict of interest (Gov. Code, § 1090).

—Count ten (defendant Nilsson only) — grand theft (§ 487, subd. (a)).

—Count eleven (defendant Nilsson only) — receiving a bribe (§ 68).

—Count twelve (defendant Nilsson only) — conflict of interest (Gov. Code, § 1090).

—Count thirteen (defendant Nilsson only) — grand theft (§ 487, subd. (a)).

—Count fourteen (defendant Nilsson only) — receiving a bribe (§ 68).

—Count fifteen (defendant Nilsson only) — conflict of interest (Gov. Code, § 1090).

—Count sixteen (defendant Nilsson only) — grand theft (§ 487, subd. (a)).

—Count seventeen (defendant Nilsson only) — receiving a bribe (§ 68).

—Count eighteen (defendant Nilsson only) — conflict of interest (Gov. Code, § 1090).

The amended information also alleged:

—As to counts one, two, seven, ten, thirteen, and sixteen, the loss exceeded $150,000 (§ 1203.045; former § 12022.6, subd. (a)(2)).

—As to counts one, two, seven, ten, thirteen, and sixteen, the loss exceeded $50,000 (former § 12022.6, subd. (a)(1)).

*8 —As to counts one, two, seven, ten, thirteen, and sixteen, those offenses were related felonies, a material element of which is fraud and embezzlement, involving a pattern of related felony conduct resulting in a loss of greater than $500,000 (§ 186.11, subd. (a)(2)).

—As to counts one, two, seven, ten, thirteen, and sixteen, those offenses were related felonies, a material element of which is fraud and embezzlement, involving a pattern of related felony conduct resulting in a loss of greater than $100,000 but less than $500,000 (§ 186.11, subd. (a)(3)).

The three defendants were tried together; however, there were two juries. One jury tried defendant Nilsson, and the other tried defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle.

Defendant Nilsson’s jury found him guilty on all counts and found true all enhancement allegations applicable to him.

The jury trying defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle also found them guilty on all counts and found true all enhancement allegations. In response to a request from counsel for defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle, the trial court asked the jury to make a special finding concerning whether the grand thefts charged in counts one and two were separate and distinct offenses. The jury found that those two counts were not separate and distinct offenses. The trial court did not request a finding on this issue from defendant Nilsson’s jury.

Because the jury trying defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle found that the grand thefts charged in counts one and two were not separate and distinct, the trial court dismissed count one, as to defendants Mayle and Rankins-Mayle only, and amended count two to cover the time period previously covered by counts one and two together.

The trial court sentenced defendant Nilsson as follows:

—Base term: three-year upper term on count two (grand theft).

—Consecutive eight-month term on count one (grand theft).

—Consecutive one-year term on count eight (receiving a bribe).

—Consecutive one-year term on count eleven (receiving a bribe).

—Consecutive one-year term on count fourteen (receiving a bribe).

*9 —Consecutive one-year term on count seventeen (receiving a bribe).

—Consecutive five-year upper term for the section 186.11, subdivision (a)(2) enhancement. (The lesser included enhancement term was stayed.)

—Consecutive two-year term for the former section 12022.6, subdivision (a)(2) enhancement. (The lesser included enhancement term was stayed.)

—Terms were imposed but stayed on the remaining counts.

The total unstayed sentence for defendant Nilsson was 14 years eight months.

The trial court sentenced defendant Mayle as follows:

—Base term: 16-month lower term on count two (grand theft).

—Consecutive two-year lower term for the section 186.11, subdivision (a)(2) enhancement. (The lesser included enhancement term was stayed.)

—Consecutive two-year term for the former section 12022.6, subdivision (a)(2) enhancement. (The lesser included enhancement term was stayed.)

The total unstayed sentence for defendant Mayle was five years four months.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
242 Cal. App. 4th 1, 195 Cal. Rptr. 3d 51, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-nilsson-calctapp-2015.