People v. Owens

231 Cal. App. 2d 691, 42 Cal. Rptr. 153, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 1555
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 14, 1965
DocketCrim. 4579
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 231 Cal. App. 2d 691 (People v. Owens) 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. Owens, 231 Cal. App. 2d 691, 42 Cal. Rptr. 153, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 1555 (Cal. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

SHOEMAKER, P. J.

Defendants Mae Frances Owens and Walter 0. Owens were charged by information with two counts of grand theft, each count involving the unlawful taking of money from the County of Alameda. Additionally, defendant Mae Frances Owens was charged with two counts of violating Welfare and Institutions Code, section 1550.

After a trial without jury, each defendant was found guilty as charged, and thereafter the court suspended sentence for a period of three years and placed defendants on probation subject to certain terms and conditions.

Defendants filed notice of appeal from “the final judgment of conviction rendered September 27, 1963 and sentence pronounced on October 25, 1963 . . . .”

No judgment was rendered on September 27, 1963, hence the purported appeal therefrom must be dismissed. The order of October 25, 1963, suspending sentence and granting probation is appealable. (Pen. Code, § 1237; People v. Robinson (1954) 43 Cal.2d 143, 145 [271 P.2d 872].)

The evidence presented at the trial developed that Walter and Mae Frances Owens were married on September 6, 1959. Mrs. Owens had four children, all by her marriage to one Terry Williams. This marriage was dissolved in 1958. Although child support was awarded, Williams never complied with the order. When she married Owens, she was receiving Aid to Needy Children in Fresno County.

During September, Mr. and Mrs. Owens and the four children moved into a home owned by Mr. Owens and located in Oakland. On December 8, 1959, Bertha Oltmanns, a social worker employed by the Alameda County Welfare Department, visited the Owens home in response to a letter from the Fresno County Welfare Department concerning the transfer of the Owens’ needy children’s assistance from Fresno to Alameda County. During the course of this visit, Mrs. Oltmanns told Mr. and Mrs. Owens that she had received information from Fresno County indicating that the Owens were not eligible for aid during the month of November 1959 because Mr. Owens’ income for that month was sufficient to cover the family’s needs. Mr. Owens then stated that although he had reported his income to Fresno County, he did not feel that *694 a stepfather ought to be held liable for the support of his wife’s children.

On January 5, 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Owens went to the office of the Alameda County Welfare Department and provided Mrs. Oltmanns with wage stubs reflecting Mr. Owens’ earnings during the period from December 5 through 26, 1959. Mr. Owens also informed her of his various expenses and financial obligations. On the basis of this information, Mrs. Oltmanns then prepared a needy children’s budget in accordance with a cost schedule and Aid to Needy Children manual issued by the State Department of Social Welfare, which resulted in a grant of $40.

On February 5, 1960, Mrs. Owens filled out and signed under oath an application for Aid to Needy Children. She stated therein that Mr. Owens had earned a total of $450 during the preceding three months. She also filled out and signed under oath a “Supplemental Statement” to the effect that Mr. Owens’ approximate monthly income was $244.27. On the basis of this information, she received a grant of $212 for the month of February 1960. Mrs. Owens was asked to keep all wage stubs and to maintain a week-by-week record of Mr. Owens’ earnings. The Owens family began receiving aid from Alameda County effective February 1, 1960.

During the period from June 1, 1960, through October 6, 1961, Mrs. Aitken was assigned to the Owens ease. She prepared monthly budgets based upon the amount of income reported by Mr. and Mrs. Owens.

On August 11, 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Owens came to the welfare department office, and Mrs. Aitken discussed budgeting procedures and explained the welfare department ruling that a stepfather was liable for the support of his wife’s children insofar as he was able. On several occasions thereafter, Mrs. Owens was advised of the stepfather liability procedures.

The aid continued because both Owens at various times misrepresented Mr. Owens’ income by giving information to the department that it was less than it actually was.

Finally, Mrs. Cartwright was assigned to the Owens case. After checking the payroll records of Mr. Owens’ employer, the Pacific Maritime Association, and ascertaining the total amount of disability insurance payments received by Mr. Owens, she recomputed the Owens’ needy children’s budget on the basis of the actual income received. She testified that they had received overpayments in the total amount of $1,048.32 during the period from February 1960 through January 1961,' *695 and overpayments in the total amount of $1,261 during the period from February 1961 through January 1962.

On January 8, 1963, Mrs. Cartwright went to the Owens home and questioned Mrs. Owens concerning the renewal applications which she had signed on January 18, 1961, and January 12, 1962. Mrs. Owens identified her handwriting and signatures, but stated that she had reported all the income which her husband had told her about. Mr. Owens then admitted that he had not told his wife or the welfare department about all his income.

Mr. Owens testified that he and his wife had agreed, prior to their marriage, that he would pay off his existing obligations before contributing to the support of her children. He admitted that he did not report all his income but reported only what was left after he had paid his bills. He denied that he had ever concealed from his wife the fact that he was working.

Mrs. Owens testified that she always reported all the income which her husband told her about. She admitted, however, that she knew that her husband had worked more hours than were indicated by the wage stubs which she reported. Although she understood that she was required to report all of her husband’s income, she reported only what he instructed her to report even when she knew that he had actually received more. She confirmed the fact that she and her husband had agreed, prior to their marriage, that he would not contribute to the support of her children until he had paid his other bills and obligations.

Appellants first contend that the budgeting formula used by the Alameda County Welfare Department conflicts with Welfare and Institutions Code, section 1508, which provides in relevant part as follows: “Where a needy child . . . lives with his mother and a stepfather or an adult male person assuming the role of spouse to the mother . . . the amount of the grant . . . shall be computed after consideration is given to the income of the stepfather or such adult male person. The county granting aid shall determine if the stepfather or such adult male person is able to support the child either wholly or in part. Said determination shall be based upon a standard which takes into account the stepfather’s or such adult male person’s income and expenses under regulations set forth by the State Board of Social Welfare.” Appellants assert that the term “expenses,” as used in section 1508, means all of the stepfather’s expenses. They contend that a budget which allowed them a fixed sum of $175 *696

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People v. Samuel
245 Cal. App. 2d 210 (California Court of Appeal, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
231 Cal. App. 2d 691, 42 Cal. Rptr. 153, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 1555, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-owens-calctapp-1965.