People v. Poe

236 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 928, 47 Cal. Rptr. 670, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 894, 1 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9714
CourtAppellate Division of the Superior Court of California
DecidedApril 23, 1965
DocketCrim. No. 7617
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 236 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 928 (People v. Poe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Superior Court of California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Poe, 236 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 928, 47 Cal. Rptr. 670, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 894, 1 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9714 (Cal. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

THE COURT.

Defendants were convicted of trespass on property of the Bank of America. Six cases were consolidated for the trial and, with others, for this appeal.

[Supp. 931]*Supp. 931The trespass was charged in two counts: entering land with intention to interfere with or obstruct a business (Pen. Code, § 602, subd. (j)); and, entering and occupying property without the owner’s consent (Pen. Code, § 602, subd. (?)). A third count in each case charged willful disobedience of a superior court order (Pen. Code, § 166.4) which restrained the defendants and others from—among other things—trespassing or mass picketing on or about the property of the Bank of America. Defendants were found guilty by a jury, and given consecutive sentences, on each count of the complaints.

Appellants contend, in brief, that the evidence does not support convictions under these trespass statutes; that any application here of these statutes deprives appellants of certain constitutional rights; that the convictions should be abated under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; that appellants had no timely knowledge of the contents of any court order; and, finally, that the sentences are contrary to the command of Penal Code section 654, and constitute multiple punishment.

The case is here on a settled statement of the facts, and with certain photographs and moving pictures which were exhibits at the trial. We have been asked to consider, and have considered, all of the record including these exhibits.

Por at least a week prior to their arrest defendants were known to officers of the Bank of America as persons involved with a larger group of people demonstrating in and about different business premises of the bank. The demonstrations were in various forms. Picket lines of eight to ten people— sometimes including defendants—walked around on public sidewalks fronting bank premises with signs protesting the bank’s employment policies regarding racial minorities, and exhorting the public not to do business with the bank. Some persons—including some defendants—entered bank premises, exchanged bills for coins of small denomination, and remained in front of tellers’ windows for as long as 30 minutes counting coins on the customer side of the counters. In some instances other customers were able to conduct their business with the tellers by reaching around the demonstrators.

The “demonstrations” for which defendants were convicted occurred during business hours on June 26, 1964, at the bank’s main office in San Diego (defendant Beard will be treated separately). A picket line was moving in front of the bank. Defendants and others grouped themselves in three [Supp. 932]*Supp. 932of the six doorways into the bank. For about 15 or 20 minutes, except for some singing, they just stood there, until their arrest. There is no evaluation in the record of either the volume or quality of the singing. The settled statement is clear that “most of the time, the defendants and/or others standing in or near the doorways with them turned aside to permit ingress and egress for bank customers . . . .” (Italics added.) Films show that, at best, the customers bold enough to come on to face with the defendants, did squeeze through, with the defendants’ group reforming behind them. Both testimony and film placed all defendants on the bank’s property during this time. Defendants were served with the court’s restraining order on June 26—the same day—and this subject will be discussed separately.

Minutes before their arrest each defendant was advised by a bank official that—among other things—they were acting in violation of a temporary (restraining) order, and of the trespass law; defendants were requested to leave. Defendants did not change their positions and the arrests followed.

Defendant Beard was arrested earlier on the same afternoon at the bank’s 42d and El Cajon Boulevard branch after counting pennies at a teller’s window for about 30 minutes, and after being served with the court order.

We have fully examined the language of Penal Code section 602, subdivisions (j) and (l) in a substantially similar factual situation in People v. Brown, ante, p. 915 [47 Cal. Rptr. 662] (Case “A,” Crim. No. 7474), a companion to the instant ease on appeal—opinion filed this day. We concluded there that Penal Code section 602, subdivision (l) could not be applied to make mere occupancy without consent a criminal act, where the preceding entry was not also “without consent.” Whatever notice the defendants may have received through earlier service on them of a temporary restraining order (in a then pending civil suit hy the bank), they were not then advised that as to a simple, uncomplicated entry, the bank’s consent was by the order being withdrawn. The statute calls for more crime than is shown here.

Our reasoning in the companion ease (“A”) as to Penal Code section 602, subdivision (j) leads to the conclusion that the trial judge here was correct in instructing the jury that the word “lands” includes buildings and fixtures (instruction No. 36). There was ample evidence of defendants’ actions before, during and after their entry to justify the verdict of guilty on a charge that they entered on June 26th with the intention of interfering with or obstruct[Supp. 933]*Supp. 933ing the lawful business of the bank. The trial judge was quite correct in his rulings on the admission of all this evidence.

We come now to the contentions of appellants that racial discrimination was or should have been an issue in the trial, and that their fundamental right of protest was abridged by their conviction. No support can be found for either argument.

Equal Pbotection

Appellants complain that the trial court excluded evidence offered to prove that the bank had in fact discriminated in its hiring practices. An affirmative finding on this issue, it is urged, would place these defendants within the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection against the enforcement of laws which discriminate against citizens on the basis of their color or race. For this application of constitutional intent appellants cite Lombard v. Louisiana, 373 U.S. 267 [83 S.Ct. 1122, 10 L.Ed.2d 338].

Initially we are faced with the problem that nothing in the record of this ease reveals any rulings on evidence or offered evidence of discrimination or, indeed, even the race or color of the defendants. The temptation, if not the precedent, is to deny appellants’ plea for any review of the constitutional argument. Since this case is in hand with others, however, and appellants in other related cases present slightly sturdier records on the question, it seems expedient here, if not necessary, to dispose of all their fears on their merit.

It has become clear that state enforcement of a non-discriminating trespass statute can be unconstitutional if that enforcement is coupled with the existence of a statute or ordinance which requires the separation of the races. (Peterson v. City of Greenville, 373 U.S. 244 [83 S.Ct. 1119, 10 L.Ed.2d 323]; Lombard v. Louisiana (1963) 373 U.S. 267 [83 S.Ct. 1122, 10 L.Ed.2d 338].) In 1964, however, the U.S.

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Bluebook (online)
236 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 928, 47 Cal. Rptr. 670, 1965 Cal. App. LEXIS 894, 1 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-poe-calappdeptsuper-1965.