People v. Servin

243 Cal. Rptr. 3d 192, 31 Cal. App. 5th 731
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedJanuary 24, 2019
DocketG056696
StatusPublished

This text of 243 Cal. Rptr. 3d 192 (People v. Servin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Servin, 243 Cal. Rptr. 3d 192, 31 Cal. App. 5th 731 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

FYBEL, J.

*193*733INTRODUCTION

This is an appeal from a postjudgment order denying defendant Rafael Servin a compassionate release from prison under Penal Code section 1170, subdivision (e) ( section 1170(e) ). During the pendency of the appeal, defendant died. The appellate proceedings are therefore abated. Nevertheless, we are filing this opinion to make two points: (1) the statutory requirements and the standard of appellate review explained in Martinez v. Board of Parole Hearings (2010) 183 Cal.App.4th 578, 107 Cal.Rptr.3d 439 apply in all cases under section 1170(e), whether the defendant or the People appeals; and (2) to alert the Attorney General and the criminal defense bar to the necessity of immediately advising the appellate court of the time exigency and the need for calendar preference in compassionate release cases.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Defendant was convicted of murder and participation in a criminal street gang, and gang and firearm allegations were found to be true. Defendant was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus 25 years to life. Defendant, who was 16 years old at the time he murdered the victim, was resentenced pursuant to Miller v. Alabama (2012) 567 U.S. 460, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407.

*734On May 22, 2018, the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the Secretary) requested that the trial court recall defendant's sentence pursuant to section 1170(e), on the grounds defendant had less than six months to live and no longer posed a threat to the community. The Secretary's request was supported by a diagnostic study and evaluation report and medical evaluation.

Following an evidentiary hearing, the court denied the section 1170(e) request for compassionate release. The court explained its denial as follows:

"The question that the court is faced with is: Should the court under the circumstances of this case exercise its discretion and allow the defendant to go home and die with his family? That is really the issue here. And that's the decision. [¶] ... [¶]

"There is no question from the record before me that the defendant has a terminal illness. There is no question before me that the defendant has less than six months to live as of the date of that letter.

"The statement by the Department of Corrections that the defendant does not pose a threat to public safety, as I indicated yesterday, the inference from that is because of the defendant's condition. [¶] ... [¶]

"What the court is faced with here is: Should the court through compassion allow the defendant to go home and die surrounded by his family? When all is said and done, that's truly the case, that's the issue before the court.

*194"The ability, if that is even the correct word, to be able to be with your family when you die, especially when you have a terminal illness, is something that we all wish for.

"Death is part of living. I don't want to be cliché here, but everybody is going to die, and the question is: When you do die, what are the circumstances?

"There are lots of situations where individuals who are innocent do not get to die with their family. It was mentioned yesterday about combat. People who defend our country who die in combat do not get to die with their family around them.

"A young person who is killed, even by an accident in an automobile collision, does not get to die with their family around them.

"And the victim in this case obviously did not get to die with his family around him.

*735"So the question for the court is: Should the court exercise its discretion and allow compassion for this defendant to go home with his family? And the court at this time will answer that question, 'no.'

"This was a tragic case. This victim was basically assassinated. The defendant, although [he] should be complimented on his journey to rehabilitation, but has he earned the compassion in this court's mind to be able to go home and to die with his family? And the answer is no.

"So for all of those reasons, at this time the court will deny the request to recall the sentence under 1170 subsection (e)."

Defendant filed a timely notice of appeal. During the pendency of this appeal, defendant died. Defendant's appointed appellate counsel, while acknowledging the appeal was mooted by defendant's death, asked this court to nevertheless issue an opinion to address important questions of public policy and to give guidance to the trial courts in future matters. "[I]f a pending case poses an issue of broad public interest that is likely to recur, the court may exercise an inherent discretion to resolve that issue even though an event occurring during its pendency would normally render the matter moot." ( In re William M. (1970) 3 Cal.3d 16, 23, 89 Cal.Rptr. 33, 473 P.2d 737.) We choose to address the issues raised herein which pose an issue of broad public interest; the issues not addressed in this opinion are deemed moot.

DISCUSSION

Section 1170(e), provides: "(1) Notwithstanding any other law and consistent with paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), if the secretary [of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] or the Board of Parole Hearings or both determine that a prisoner satisfies the criteria set forth in paragraph (2), the secretary or the board may recommend to the court that the prisoner's sentence be recalled.

"(2) The court shall have the discretion to resentence or recall if the court finds that the facts described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) ... exist:

"(A) The prisoner is terminally ill with an incurable condition caused by an illness or disease that would produce death within six months, as determined by a physician employed by the department.

"(B) The conditions under which the prisoner would be released or receive treatment do not pose a threat to public safety. [¶] ... [¶]

"The Board of Parole Hearings shall make findings pursuant to this subdivision before making a recommendation for resentence or recall to the *736court.

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Related

In Re William M.
473 P.2d 737 (California Supreme Court, 1970)
In Re Jackson
703 P.2d 100 (California Supreme Court, 1985)
Martinez v. BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS
183 Cal. App. 4th 578 (California Court of Appeal, 2010)
In Re Sodersten
53 Cal. Rptr. 3d 572 (California Court of Appeal, 2007)
People v. Loper
343 P.3d 895 (California Supreme Court, 2015)
Miller v. Alabama
132 S. Ct. 2455 (Supreme Court, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
243 Cal. Rptr. 3d 192, 31 Cal. App. 5th 731, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-servin-calctapp5d-2019.