People v. Price

151 Cal. App. 3d 803, 199 Cal. Rptr. 99, 1984 Cal. App. LEXIS 1600
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 6, 1984
DocketCrim. 6459
StatusPublished
Cited by69 cases

This text of 151 Cal. App. 3d 803 (People v. Price) 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. Price, 151 Cal. App. 3d 803, 199 Cal. Rptr. 99, 1984 Cal. App. LEXIS 1600 (Cal. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

Opinion

ANDREEN, J.

This appeal presents several complex sentencing issues arising from multiple convictions for both violent sex offenses and nonsex offenses. In the published portion of the opinion, we hold that the same fact may not be used to both impose an upper term and to justify full, separate and consecutive (full-force consecutive) sentences under Penal Code section 667.6, subdivision (c). Also, a single factor in aggravation, if applicable to each of several offenses, may be used to justify selection of the upper term as to each provided the fact is reasonably related to each offense. We further hold that where a weapon is used in each of several violent sex offenses, the trial court need not impose the enhancement to each conviction and may not so impose an enhancement if the weapon use is utilized for aggravation purposes. Finally, we reemphasize that the harsher sentencing provisions of Penal Code 2 section 667.6, subdivisions (c) and (d) are not “enhancements” such as must be pleaded in the information pursuant to section 1170.1, subdivision (e).

Defendant appeals his conviction following court trial of the following violations of the Penal Code: (count one) section 261, subdivision (2) (forcible rape), (count two) section 288a, subdivision (c) (forcible oral copulation), (count three) section 286, subdivision (c) (forcible sodomy), (count four) section 288a, subdivision (c) (different act on same victim), (count five) section 211 (robbery) and (count six) section 211 (different victim). Personal use of weapon (knife) enhancements were pleaded as to all counts (§ 12022.3, subd. (a) as to counts one to four, § 12022, subd. (b) as to counts five and six).

Defendant was sentenced to state prison for the following terms: Count one—upper term of eight years plus a three-year enhancement for weapon use, totaling eleven years. Count two—upper term of eight years, served consecutively, three-year enhancement for weapon use stayed. Count three—upper term of eight years, served consecutively, three-year enhance *810 ment stayed. Count four—upper term of eight years, served consecutively, three-year enhancement stayed. Count five—middle term of three years, served concurrently, one-year enhancement stayed. Count six—middle term of three years, served concurrently, one-year enhancement stayed.

I. Background

Facts

On October 6, 1981, while in a liquor store in Fresno, defendant seized a customer from behind, holding a knife at her throat, and ordered the clerk at the counter to hand over money from the cash register. He also took about $14 from the customer’s hand. During this period, the counter clerk was able to press a silent alarm, and shout a warning to another employee who ran out the back door of the store to summon police.

Defendant then pulled the customer a few feet along the counter, removed her shirt, used his knife to cut off her bra, and forced her to commit an act of oral copulation, all in view of the counter clerk. During this time, another customer walked into the store, and was ordered out by defendant.

Defendant pulled the customer’s pants down to her knees and dragged her toward the back of the store. The counter clerk took this opportunity to run out the front of the store to the parking lot, where he had seen a police car. Defendant took the customer to a storage room and moved some cases in front of the door. Defendant forced the customer to remove her pants and underwear and to commit another act of oral copulation. He took a bottle of liquor from one of the cases, forced the customer to drink it by pouring it into her mouth, and then poured the remainder all over her, meanwhile spitting in her face and calling her a “bitch.” Defendant cut off portions of the customer’s pubic hair with his knife, inserted his fingers into her vagina, and then forced her to suck those fingers. Defendant then turned the customer so that she was bent over, facing away from him, and had vaginal and anal intercourse with her.

Defendant then forced the customer to the cold storage area of the store, from which he could see into the store itself. After shouting out into the store and receiving no response, defendant forced the customer back into the storage area, broke a bottle against the wall, and waved it in the customer’s face, asking her questions about what was in the pockets of her pants, which were lying on the ground.

Defendant again forced the customer toward the cold storage area. Police officers entered the rear of the store, saw defendant with his knife at the throat of the customer, and ordered him to put his hands up. Defendant complied; the customer broke away and ran into the front area of the store, where other officers assisted her.

*811 Sentencing

At the sentencing hearing the court stated that the only possible factor in mitigation was that defendant was 17 years old at the time of committing the charged offenses. 3 The court then noted as factors in aggravation: “Counteracting [the circumstance in mitigation] are the circumstances in aggravation, more particularly set forth in the probation report, and which are incorporated into and made a part of the Court’s findings here.[ 4 ] This was a violent, vicious attack upon a totally defenseless young woman. There was threat of great bodily injury. Reprehensible things were perpetrated upon her personally by the defendant, and she was required to participate in totally repugnant acts to her person.” The court then proceeded: “And weighing all of these factors, it is the Court’s determination that pursuant to 667.6c [sic], the Court is going to impose the aggravated terms as to Counts One through Four in this matter and is going to impose them consecutively.”

Thereupon the court sentenced defendant to prison for a term of 35 years.

II. Did the Trial Court Err by Making Dual Use of Facts When It Imposed the Four Aggravated Terms in Counts One Through Four?

As indicated in the statement of the facts, above, the trial court stated what it believed to be the factors in aggravation, then said, “[Wjeighing all of these factors, it is the Court’s determination that pursuant to 667.6c [sic\, the Court is going to impose the aggravated terms as to Counts One through Four . . . and is going to impose them consecutively.” Putting aside the question of whether the trial court failed to state a separate reason for utilizing the provisions of section 667.6, subdivision (c), it is apparent that the court used its recitation of aggravating factors to justify at least two sentencing decisions: (1) the selection of upper terms for the four sex charges, and (2) the decision to sentence consecutively as to the sex charges. There thus appear two potential dual use of facts issues: (A) was the same fact used to select the upper term for each of the four sex charges, and is such a usage improper, and (B) was the same fact used to both select the upper terms and to select consecutive sentences as to the four sex charges, and is such usage improper?

A. Availability of Same Facts to Aggravate Multiple Counts

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
151 Cal. App. 3d 803, 199 Cal. Rptr. 99, 1984 Cal. App. LEXIS 1600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-price-calctapp-1984.