People v. Peters

128 Cal. App. 3d 75, 180 Cal. Rptr. 76, 1982 Cal. App. LEXIS 1212
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 20, 1982
DocketCrim. 11910
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 128 Cal. App. 3d 75 (People v. Peters) 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. Peters, 128 Cal. App. 3d 75, 180 Cal. Rptr. 76, 1982 Cal. App. LEXIS 1212 (Cal. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

Opinion

MALKUS, J. *

Peter Michael Peters, Jr., was charged in a three count information with robbery in violation of Penal Code 1 section 211 (Count I) with a gun use allegation within the meaning of section 12022.5, receiving stolen property in. violation of section 496, subdivision 1 (Count II), and fraudulent possession of blank checks with intent to pass and defraud another in violation of section 475 (Count III). Two prison priors within the meaning of section 667.5, subdivision (b) were also alleged.

After Peters’ motion to suppress and dismiss under sections 1538.5 and 995 were denied, trial commenced. The jury found Peters guilty on all counts and found the firearm use allegation to be true.

During trial and out of the jury’s presence, Peters was advised of his rights to have the jury determine the truth of each of the prison priors, which he waived and elected to have the court so decide.

At the probation and sentencing hearing the court found the two prison priors to have been alleged and proved and after denying probation, *80 sentenced Peters to the total term of nine years, eight months. The sentence was based on a five-year upper term for Count I, the principal term, along with a two-year enhancement for gun use and two years more for the prison priors. A consecutive sentence of eight months was imposed on Count III and an eight-month consecutive sentence was imposed on Count II and stayed pursuant to section 654.

Peters appeals and contends (1) there was insufficient evidence to convict him for violating sections 496, subdivision 1 and 475; (2) the trial court committed prejudicial error by initially instructing the jury the trial consumed a great deal of time and expense, and by further instructing the jury after a full day of deliberations sooner or later they had to reach a conclusion; (3) the trial court committed prejudicial error in instructing the jury on CALJIC Nos. 2.62 and 2.15 since there was no evidence to support the inferences contained in these instructions; and (4) if the judgment is affirmed, the case must be remanded for resentencing because of the court’s failure to state any reason for imposing consecutive sentences.

We first review the evidence as to each count because if we determine the evidence was insufficient as to any particular count, a new trial would be barred as to that count under the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment (Burks v. United States (1978) 437 U.S. 1 [57 L.Ed.2d 1, 98 S.Ct. 2141]).

In connection with Count I, the factors show some time before 1 a.m. on March 3, 1980, a man accompanied by a woman entered Daisy’s restaurant in Oceanside. The man was wearing a dark gray trenchcoat, dark pants, a light-colored sweater, black round-toed shoes and a dark ski mask rolled up and worn as a beanie. The couple was served at the counter by Laurie Hauer, a waitress. Steven Melsheimer, the restaurant manager, and Diana Nichols, a waitress, first saw the couple as they entered the restaurant.

At approximately 1 a.m., a man wearing a dark gray trenchcoat, black round-toed shoes, black pants, a light-colored sweater and a ski mask covering his face entered the restaurant’s office and while holding a gun which looked like a .45 automatic, stated he wanted money. Present in the office were Steven Melsheimer and Diana Nichols. Melsheimer gave him approximately $2,100 in cash from the restaurant’s safe, and he and Nichols got under the desk when the robber ordered them to do so and not to move for five minutes. The robber then fled.

*81 Within about 30 seconds after the robbery, Melsheimer and Nichols returned to the dining room and observed the man they had seen earlier at the counter who was dressed identically to the robber, was gone. Nichols also recalled the robber had a small tattoo (a “Pachucha mark”) on the web of his left hand between his thumb and forefinger. Prior to trial Melsheimer picked Peters’ picture out of a photographic lineup and at trial, Melsheimer and Nichols positively identified Peters as the man at the counter.

On March 4, 1980, when Peters’ car was properly stopped for a traffic violation, he was wearing a dark charcoal gray trenchcoat with, black round-toed engineering shoes and had a half-inch thick stack of currency in denominations of 100, 50, 20 and 1 dollar bills. On March 9, 1980, when Peters was arrested, a .38 super automatic round of ammunition was found on the dash of his car. This ammunition is designed for a gun which looks like a .45 caliber automatic.

Regarding Counts II and III, on February 27, 1980, Florence Harris was robbed of her purse in Carlsbad. Her purse was later found in Oceanside but her wallet with $140, a check guarantee card and her checkbook was missing.

On March 9, 1980, when Peters was arrested for the robbery in Count I, a search of his car revealed Harris’ checkbook and check guarantee card, the license of Deborah Grose, and the medical identification card of Sandra Clendening. These items were found behind the driver’s sun visor. Clendening, a coworker of Grose, was present at the time of the search. Additionally, Peters displayed to the police a fake Geneva identification card with his name on it.

“In reviewing a criminal conviction, an ‘appellate court must determine whether a reasonable trier of fact could have found the prosecution sustained its burden of proving the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.’ [Citations.] The substantial evidence rule is our yardstick for determining whether a verdict meets this minimal standard of reasonableness: ‘The test on appeal becomes whether substantial evidence supports the conclusion of the trier of fact, not whether the evidence proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.’ [Citations.] To be considered substantial, evidence must be of the type which ‘reasonably inspires confidence and is “of solid value.”’ [Citation.]” (People v. Reyes (1974) 12 Cal.3d 486, 496-497 [116 Cal.Rptr. 217, 526 P.2d 225].)

*82 This court must review the record in the light most favorable to the prosecution (People v. Thompson (1980) 27 Cal.3d 303, 324 [165 Cal.Rptr. 289, 611 P.2d 883]; People v. Johnson (1980) 26 Cal.3d 557, 576 [162 Cal.Rptr. 431, 606 P.2d 738]) and does not review or reweigh the evidence de novo. The relevant inquiry for us is whether “‘any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.’” (People v. Johnson, supra, at p. 576; quoting Jackson v. Virginia (1979) 443 U.S. 307 [61 L.Ed.2d 560, 99 S.Ct. 2781].) This evaluation is a twofold process which involves a review of the whole record, as well as the evidence of each of the essential elements of the crime

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Bluebook (online)
128 Cal. App. 3d 75, 180 Cal. Rptr. 76, 1982 Cal. App. LEXIS 1212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-peters-calctapp-1982.