People v. Perez

286 P.2d 979, 135 Cal. App. 2d 205, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1349
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 24, 1955
DocketCrim. 5409
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 286 P.2d 979 (People v. Perez) 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. Perez, 286 P.2d 979, 135 Cal. App. 2d 205, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1349 (Cal. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

VALLÉE, J.

Defendant Perez was convicted by a jury of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. He appeals from the judgment and the order denying his motion for a new trial. He urges that the court ‘ ‘ erred in decisions on questions of law,” misdirected the jury, and erred in denying a new trial.

Viewed in the light most favorable to respondent, the evidence was as follows: About 5 p. m. on October 10, 1954 Carl Webb, his wife, his sister-in-law, and his three children left Norwalk Park in an automobile. As they left Webb noticed a group of young men on the sidewalk and in the parkway. Perez was in the group. Two of the group were wrestling or tussling with each other. Webb stopped his car to watch what the group was doing. He saw Perez run over to a tree which was about 12 feet from his car and jerk a bottle of beer out of a small six-pack. Perez held the bottle by the neck as if he was going to throw it at the ear.

Webb immediately got out of the car and walked around in front of it to about three feet from where Perez was standing. He asked Perez to put the bottle down and Perez lowered his arm to his side. Another of the group asked Webb to take a swing on him if he wanted to fight. Webb told him he did not want to fight. Defendant Roeheford then approached and told Webb to mind his own business, that they were just having a drunken party and he had no business butting in. Webb’s wife had left the car and was standing directly behind him. She asked him to “come on” and he started to turn to his right. As he did so, defendant Roche-ford said to Mrs. Webb, “You two-bit whore, get back in the car.” Webb turned to his left and at that moment was struck on the right temple and knocked to the pavement. He did not see who struck him or with what he was strack. At that time Perez was standing to Webb’s right and Roeheford was in front of him. Webb was lying face-up on the ground and a foot struck him in the face, knocking him unconscious. A nerve in Webb’s right temple was crushed, three teeth were *208 loosened, his mouth was lacerated, his eyes were blackened, and an artery “broken” in his left cheek.

Webb’s sister-in-law testified that Perez hit Webb with the beer bottle and Rocheford “stomped him in the face.”

In response to a question by the district attorney, Webb testified Perez held the beer bottle “up as if he was going to throw it towards the car.” Defendant then objected on the ground the answer was a conclusion. The objection was overruled. Defendant asserts error. There was no error. The objection came too late. There was no motion to strike. The answer was merely a statement of what the witness saw. It was descriptive of the manner in which Perez held the bottle. A witness who saw the fracas was asked, “Did you hear any other bottles hit the ground, or anything like that or-” Defendant objected on the ground the question called for a conclusion. The objection was overruled. Defendant claims error. There was no error. The question called for matters which the witness could perceive with his senses. Referring to Perez, a witness said “It looked like he aimed—intended to throw it [the bottle] through the window of the car.” Defendant asked “that the intended go out.” The district attorney said, “All right.” No action by the court appears. Defendant says the court erred. The record does not indicate the court was apprised of the fact that a motion had been made. It was the duty of counsel to press the matter and obtain a ruling. Not having done so, error cannot be claimed.

After the jury had been out about half an hour, they returned to the courtroom and stated through the foreman they wanted to know the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor. The following then took place:

“The Court: . . . All .crimes are either felonies or misdemeanors. The difference being that, in the case of a misdemeanor there is no possibility of any State Prison sentence. In other words, if you get the kind of crime that could not be punished by State Prison, that is a misdemeanor. The crimes where the sentence could be a State Prison sentence are felonies.
“In other words, if you want to put it in ordinary English, we use a loose expression that State Prison offense is a felony.
“The Foreman: If I may ask a question. That is really not what we are concerned with. We are trying to determine, according to the instructions—not the instructions, but the papers that we have to sign, according to those, the word *209 misdemeanor is mentioned and that’s the first time it has been mentioned and we are trying to determine what a misdemeanor is and what a felony is in reference to what was done, not the sentence that might be passed.
‘‘ The Court : I do not know whether I get your idea. See whether this answers your question.
“The offense of simple assault is a misdemeanor. Assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury is a felony.
“Does that answer your question!
“The Foreman: That will help, I’m sure.”

Defendant says the court erred in its statement to the jury, but he does not indicate how or in what respect. We see no error.

The People requested this instruction: “All persons concerned in the commission of a crime who either directly and actively commit the act constituting the offense or who knowingly and with criminal intent aid and abet in its commission or, whether present or not, who advise and encourage its commission, are regarded by the law as principals in the crime thus committed and are equally guilty thereof.

“[One who does not actively commit the offense, hut who aids, promotes, or encourages its commission either hy act or counsel or hoth, is not deemed hy law to he guilty and shall not he found guilty of the crime unless he did what he did knowingly and with criminal intent. To ahet another in the commission of a crime implies a consciousness of guilt in instigating, encouraging, promoting, or aiding the commission of such criminal offense.)” The court gave the first paragraph. It did not give the second, italicized paragraph. Defendant asserts it was error not to give the second paragraph. The argument is that “Perez is accused by two prosecution witnessess [sic] of nothing more serious than standing with a bottle.” There was no error. The evidence was that Perez actively committed the offense. He hit Webb with the beer bottle. The subject matter of the second paragraph was adequately covered by the first paragraph. (See Pen. Code, § 971.) The fact that some of the witnesses did not see Perez hit Webb did not call for instructing the jury in greater elaboration. The second paragraph had no application to the facts of the case.

The court declined to give the following instruction, requested by defendant:

“It is lawful for a person who is being assaulted, and who *210

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Bluebook (online)
286 P.2d 979, 135 Cal. App. 2d 205, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1349, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-perez-calctapp-1955.