People v. Rich

72 Cal. App. 3d 115, 139 Cal. Rptr. 819, 1977 Cal. App. LEXIS 1695
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 28, 1977
DocketCrim. 29915
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 72 Cal. App. 3d 115 (People v. Rich) 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. Rich, 72 Cal. App. 3d 115, 139 Cal. Rptr. 819, 1977 Cal. App. LEXIS 1695 (Cal. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

Opinion

POTTER, J.

This is an appeal from an order suppressing evidence pursuant to Penal Code section 1538.5. By information, defendant was charged with possession of heroin, a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11350. Defendant thereafter moved to suppress evidence found on his person at the time of arrest. The motion was heard on the basis of the evidence in the preliminary hearing transcript and was granted. The People represented that without the suppressed evidence, the prosecution of defendant could not proceed, and the case was dismissed on defendant’s motion.

Los Angeles Police Department Officer Dennis C. Zeuner (hereinafter Zeuner) testified that he was assigned as a narcotic investigator to Central Narcotics and was on duty at 6 p.m., on February 6, 1976, with his fellow officer, both in plain clothes and in an unmarked police vehicle, conducting a narcotics investigation in the neighborhood of Fifth and Crocker Streets, Los Angeles. Defendant and his companion, Masselon A. Guin (hereinafter Guin) were observed standing inside a small “Mom and Pop” market on the southwest comer of the intersection. Zeuner stopped the police vehicle in front of the market, looked inside the market, and observed defendant standing at the rear of the meat counter, approximately 50 feet away. Zeuner testified that defendant was swaying with his head hung low and his movements appeared to be very slow and very deliberate, and that Guin’s movements appeared to be the same. Zeuner testified he exited his police vehicle, entered the market, and started walking to the rear where defendant was standing. He observed defendant’s eyelids appeared to be at half-mast as were those of Guin. As Zeuner approached defendant and Guin, Guin looked in the direction of the officer and then threw some objects to the ground. These objects were retrieved and found to be three small toy balloons containing narcotics. Guin was arrested.

Zeuner then commenced interviewing defendant. He asked defendant his name and a few other questions. Zeuner testified that during the conversation defendant’s speech was “very slow, very soft, very deliber *118 ate. He continued to sway as he stood, his movements were veiy slow. His eyelids continued to droop, his head was hung low ... the pupil[s] of his eye[s] [were] constricted.

“At that point I formed the opinion that Mr. Rich was under the influence of an opiate. I placed him under arrest, also.”

Upon further examination, Zeuner indicated that he had not smelled any odor of alcohol on defendant’s breath. Zeuner then instructed his fellow officer to pat-down the defendant, and he heard the officer say, “What is in your front pocket?” 1 Zeuner then observed his fellow officer reach into defendant’s pocket and extract a small red balloon which was subsequently found to contain heroin. The balloon and its contents were identified by Zeuner and admitted into evidence at the preliminary hearing. Both defendant and Guin were transportated to Central Narcotics.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress, the defendant argued that the search of his person in the field was improper under the doctrine of People v. Longwill, 14 Cal.3d 943 [123 Cal.Rptr. 297, 538 P.2d 753], The trial court agreed with defendant and granted the motion to suppress, stating as follows:

“I find as a fact that the officer observed symptoms of intoxication, smelled no alcohol on the breath of the defendant and arrested him for a violation of Section 647(0 of the Penal Code.[ 2 ]
“Considering the facts as stated the court finds as a matter of law that the search was unlawful.”

*119 The People appeal from the order of the court suppressing the evidence and dismissing the case.

Contentions

The People contend: (1) the evidence adduced at the suppression hearing is insufficient to support the trial court’s finding of fact that defendant was arrested under Penal Code section 647, subdivision (f); (2) the search of defendant following his arrest for being under the influence of an opiate was proper in all respects; and (3) assuming arguendo defendant was arrested pursuant to section 647, subdivision (f), the in-field search of his person pursuant to such arrest was nevertheless proper. Defendant controverts all of these contentions.

The Evidence Was Insufficient to Support the Trial Court's Finding of Fact That Defendant Was Arrested Under Penal Code Section 647, Subdivision (f)

Our Supreme Court held in People v. Lawler, 9 Cal.3d 156, 160 [107 Cal.Rptr. 13, 507 P.2d 621]: “ ‘ “A proceeding under section 1538.5 to suppress evidence is one in which a full hearing is held on the issues before the superior court sitting as a finder of fact.” (People v. Heard (1968) 266 Cal.App.2d 747, 749 [72 Cal.Rptr. 374].)’ (People v. West (1970) 3 Cal.3d 595, 602 [91 Cal.Rptr. 385, 477 P.2d 409].) (Italics added.) In such a proceeding the power to judge the credibility of the witnesses, resolve any conflicts in the testimony, weigh the evidence and draw factual inferences, is vested in the trial court. On appeal all presumptions favor the exercise of that power, and the trial court’s findings on such matters, whether express or implied, must be upheld if they are supported by substantial evidence. The trial court also has the duty to decide whether, on the facts found, the search was unreasonable within the meaning of the Constitution. Although that issue is a question of law, the trial court’s conclusion on the point should not lightly be challenged by appeal or by petition for extraordinary writ. Of course, if such review is nevertheless sought, it becomes the ultimate responsibility of the appellate court to measure the facts, as found by the trier, against the constitutional standard of reasonableness. [Fn. omitted.]”

The record below does not indicate that the trial court at any point disbelieved Zeuner’s testimony in any respect. There appeared to be no dispute over any fact other than the authorizing Penal Code section under which Zeuner acted in arresting defendant; that is, the offense for which defendant was arrested. The briefs submitted by counsel in this *120 case do not vary significantly in their presentation of the facts involved. Therefore, the issue is whether there was substantial evidence to support the trial court’s determination that the defendant was arrested pursuant to Penal Code section 647, subdivision (f), despite the arresting officer’s testimony that he was arrested pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 11550 3 for being “under the influence of an opiate.” If there was not such substantial evidence, we must determine the propriety of the search upon defendant’s arrest for a violation of Health and Safety Code section 11550.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
72 Cal. App. 3d 115, 139 Cal. Rptr. 819, 1977 Cal. App. LEXIS 1695, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-rich-calctapp-1977.