People v. One 1941 Mercury Sedan, Engine No. 302286

168 P.2d 443, 74 Cal. App. 2d 199, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 1146
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 29, 1946
DocketCiv. 12934
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 168 P.2d 443 (People v. One 1941 Mercury Sedan, Engine No. 302286) 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. One 1941 Mercury Sedan, Engine No. 302286, 168 P.2d 443, 74 Cal. App. 2d 199, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 1146 (Cal. Ct. App. 1946).

Opinion

PETERS, P. J.

This proceeding was instituted by the state pursuant to section 11610 et seq, of the Health and Safety Code to declare a forfeiture of the interests of one Frank Williams, the registered owner, and of the Anglo California National Bank of San Francisco, the legal owner, in a designated automobile, on the ground that such automobile was on April 18, 1944, used unlawfully to conceal, convey, carry or transport marihuana in violation of law. The bank has been paid the balance due on the purchase price of the automobile and has no further legal interest in the proceeding. The trial court excluded most of the evidence offered by the state, and, as a result, found that on the date in question the vehicle was not used in violation of law to conceal, convey, carry or transport narcotics. Judgment was accordingly entered denying forfeiture of the ear. From this judgment the state appeals, contending that the rejected evidence was admissible.

The record discloses that on April 18, 1944, an inspector *201 of the State Division of Narcotic Enforcement followed the Williams car for some distance. He testified that he then knew the car was being used to transport marihuana. The inspector picked up two police officers and then stopped the Williams car then being driven by Williams. Williams got out of the car. The inspector handcuffed one of the passengers and then came over to where the police officers were attempting to search Williams. As he approached, Williams, who had some brown paper in his hands, put the paper in his mouth and tried to pull away from the officers. The inspector asked Williams what he had put in his mouth and was told it was gum. The inspector tried to force Williams’ mouth open, and in doing so got his finger between Williams’ teeth. Williams bit down on the inspector’s finger, and, in the ensuing struggle, Williams succeeded in swallowing what he had in his mouth. One of the officers during the struggle succeeded in handcuffing Williams’ hands behind his back.

Williams, still handcuffed, was then put in the inspector’s car and taken by the officers to the emergency hospital. He was there placed on an operating table with his hands cuffed in front of him. He was told that the doctor there present was going to pump out his stomach, and, if necessary, they would strap him to the table and use force. Williams stated that would not be necessary. A doctor thereupon forced a tube through Williams’ mouth and down his throat and proceeded to pump out the contents of his stomach. Towards the end of this operation Williams began to kick his legs about and the officers then held his legs down on the table.

The substances pumped out of Williams’ stomach were placed in jars by the inspector and later delivered by him to another inspector of the State Division of Narcotic Enforcement whose duty it was to make analyses of narcotic drugs. This chemist made an analysis of the contents of the jars and found that they contained marihuana.

The state was permitted to make this preliminary proof, but when the jars were offered in evidence the trial court sustained an objection on the ground that the evidence had been unlawfully secured, and on the further ground that to permit such evidence would be to compel Williams to be a witness against himself in violation of article 1, section 13, of the California Constitution.

The inspector also testified that after Williams had had his stomach pumped out and his handcuffs removed he had *202 a conversation with Williams in the lobby of the hospital; that in response to questions Williams admitted that on the day in question he had purchased five marihuana cigarettes for an unidentified friend; that he had these cigarettes in his possession when he was stopped by the police; that it was these cigarettes that he had swallowed when the police started to search him.

On this evidence the trial court based its findings and judgment that the state had failed to prove a violation of law sufficient to warrant the forfeiture. The correctness of this judgment admittedly turns upon the correctness of the trial court’s ruling excluding the proffered evidence.

Before discussing the basic question involved there are certain preliminary observations that should be made. In the first place, this is an action equitable in nature in rem against the vehicle. (People v. One 1933 Plymouth Sedan, 13 Cal.2d 565, 569 [90 P.2d 799]; Traffic Truck Sales Co. v. Justice’s Court, 192 Cal. 377, 384 [220 P. 306].) The purpose of the action is to forfeit the interests of all persons who claim adversely to the state. The legal and registered owners have the statutory right to notice and to contest the validity of the state’s claim. By filing answers such persons voluntarily become parties to the proceeding. (People v. One Ford Coupe, 10 Cal.App.2d 321 [51 P.2d 882].) The basis of the claimed forfeiture in such cases is the use of the car in violation of the statute. Such offense likewise is a criminal offense insofar as the persons in the car who are transporting narcotics are concerned. This being so, for the purposes of this appeal, and without now deciding the question, it may be assumed that the same rules apply, so far as the admissibility of the rejected evidence is concerned, as would apply were this a criminal charge against Williams.

In the second place, the question of the legality of the methods used to secure the evidence need not here be discussed. Whether the officers and doctors involved were guilty of an unlawful search and seizure, whether they were guilty of an assault, whether they could be held civilly liable in an action for trespass or for a violation of Williams’ right of privacy are matters not involved on this appeal. For the purposes of this appeal it may be assumed, without deciding, that the proffered evidence was secured illegally. Whatever our views may be as to the propriety of officers of the law using illegal means to enforce the law, the rule is now settled in this *203 state, contrary to the rule prevailing in the federal courts and in some states, that where competent evidence is produced on the trial the courts will not permit an inquiry into its source or the means by which it was obtained. In other words, illegally obtained evidence is admissible on a criminal charge in this state. (People v. Mayen, 188 Cal. 237 [205 P. 435, 24 A.L.R. 1383] ; People v. Gonzales, 20 Cal.2d 165 [124 P.2d 44]; People v. Kelley, 22 Cal.2d 169 [137 P.2d 1].) This court is bound by the rule of these cases.

The third factor to be kept in mind is that this is not a proceeding to compel a defendant by court order to submit to a physical examination or to an operation. Of course, if that would constitute an illegal search or seizure no court would or should give a court order to permit an illegal act.

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Bluebook (online)
168 P.2d 443, 74 Cal. App. 2d 199, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 1146, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-one-1941-mercury-sedan-engine-no-302286-calctapp-1946.