People v. Sherman

211 Cal. App. 2d 419
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 27, 1962
DocketCrim. 7997, 7998
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 211 Cal. App. 2d 419 (People v. Sherman) 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. Sherman, 211 Cal. App. 2d 419 (Cal. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

ASHBURN, J.

Appellants Sherman and Freeman were tried and convicted in the superior court of Los Angeles County of various violations of the narcotics laws, i.e., sale of marijuana (Health & Saf. Code, § 11531), or sale of heroin (Health & Saf. Code, § 11501). Also named as defendants were Oliver Montgomery, Benjamin F. Kindle and Doris Lewis. The defendants were grouped according to the allegations of the separate counts of the indictment. Appellant Sherman was charged in count III jointly with John Doe No. 25, who proved to be Montgomery; in count V with Kindle (John Doe Butch), and count XI with Doris Lewis; in counts I, II and IV Sherman was charged alone. The trial was severed for hearing according to groupings of charges. That of Sherman and Montgomery (count III) was heard first without a jury. It resulted in conviction of appellant Sherman and acquittal of Montgomery.

Sherman Appeal

Appellant Sherman asserts error in the court’s amending count III of the indictment upon its own motion, substituting the date December 23, 1960, for November 23, 1960, the one alleged in the indictment. Recognizing that “mere change in the date on which the crime is alleged to have been committed will not encompass a requirement of additional time in which to prepare a defense unless the defendant was actually misled or otherwise prejudiced by such change’’ (In re Newbern, 53 Cal.2d 786, 790 [3 Cal.Rptr. 364, 350 P.2d 116]), counsel for appellant argues that the amendment at bar “does not *424 appear to be within the category of ‘mere’ changes referred to in the Newbern case”; also that “ [t]he ease at bar presents a different consideration—one which clearly changes the offense charged and thus falls within the prohibition of Penal Code Section 1009, more so when it is a Grand Jury indictment which is being amended.” The point cannot be sustained.

It is doubtful whether the amendment now under discussion was necessary.

Section 955, Penal Code, says: “The precise time at which the offense was committed need not be stated in the accusatory pleading, but it may be alleged to have been committed at any time before the finding or filing thereof, except where the time is a material ingredient in the offense.” It is settled law that ‘ ‘ [v] ariation from the allegations of an information within the period of limitations is not fatal except where it appears that commission of the act charged does not constitute a crime unless committed on a specific date. [Citations.] ” (People v. Murray, 91 Cal.App.2d 253, 257 [204 P.2d 624].) To the same effect see People v. Triplett, 70 Cal.App.2d 534, 541 [161 P.2d 397]; People v. Crosby, 58 Cal.2d 713, 725 [25 Cal.Rptr. 847, 375 P.2d 839].

But if an amendment were necessary, application of section 1009, Penal Code, would preclude a finding of error.

If the district attorney were so disposed he could have amended the complaint at that stage of the case, before plea, because mere change in the date of the alleged offense does not “change the offense charged” and hence is permitted by section 1009. (People v. Crosby, supra, 58 Cal.2d 713, 721, 724.) But the amendment in this ease was made on the judge’s own motion.

People v. Hernandez, 197 Cal.App.2d 25, 31 [17 Cal.Rptr. 20] : “Section 1009, Penal Code provides that leave may be granted to amend an information to charge any offense ‘ shown by the evidence taken at the preliminary examination.’ This may be done in the discretion of the court at any time during the trial provided defendant’s substantial rights are not prejudiced. (People v. Stoddard, 85 Cal.App.2d 130, 138 [192 P.2d 472] ;2 People v. Milligan, 77 Cal.App. 745, 748 [247 P. 580]; People v. Huerta, 148 Cal.App.2d 272, 275 [306 P.2d 505] ; People v. Agnew, 77 Cal.App.2d 748, 757 [176 P.2d 724] ; Fricke on Criminal Procedure, Fifth Edition, pp. 151, 153.) Moreover, a defendant cannot complain on appeal of an amendment that was made without objection on his part (People v. White, 47 Cal.App. 400, 403 [190 P. 821]).” The footnote 2 reads: “Reference is made in this ease to *425 Penal Code § 1008; the subject matter was transferred in 1951 to §1009.”

People v. O’Hara, 184 Cal.App.2d 798, 811 [8 Cal.Rptr. 114] : “In People v. Walker, 170 Cal.App.2d 159 [338 P.2d 536], an information which alleged unlawful ‘possession’ of heroin was amended by interlineation, at the trial, to allege unlawful ‘sale’ of heroin. The defendant therein did not object to the amendment, and stated that he would not object thereto. In that case the defendant was not arraigned on the amended information and did not plead thereto. It was said therein (p. 164) : ‘ [W]here an amended pleading is filed by the district attorney in open court pursuant to statute, and the accused . . . offers no objection, makes no motion for continuance, and nothing is called to the court’s attention to show that by making such amendment the substantial rights or any rights of the defendant are prejudiced, he may not for the first time raise the point on appeal. . . ”

People v. Vance, 138 Cal.App.2d 871, 874 [292 P.2d 552] : “Furthermore, no objection was made to the amendment, but appellant entered a plea of not guilty to the amended information and acquiesced in the course pursued; under such circumstances claim of error is waived and cannot be urged for the first time on appeal. (People v. Beck, 71 Cal.App.2d 637 [163 P.2d 41].) ” There was no objection to the amendment when made in the case before us.

Officer Jones testified to the pertinent transaction as having occurred on December 23, 1960. Counsel for co-defendant Montgomery objected to any testimony concerning said date and moved to strike that which was already in the record. Defendant Sherman, who was appearing in propria persona, made the same objection and motion. The court inquired whether a continuance was needed “to prepare because of this variance in dates” and the attorney for Montgomery answered in the negative; appellant Sherman gave no sign of any desire for a continuance. When the court on the following day announced that he was ordering count III of the indictment amended to change the date, he inquired of Montgomery’s counsel and of Sherman whether they felt the amendment required a continuance, and each of them replied in the negative.

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Bluebook (online)
211 Cal. App. 2d 419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-sherman-calctapp-1962.