People v. Smith

185 Cal. App. 2d 638, 8 Cal. Rptr. 581, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1555
California Court of Appeal·Decided October 25, 1960·No. Crim. 1278·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

GRIFFIN, P. J.

Defendants-appellants Lindsay Smith and Jeanetta R. Taylor were charged in an information that on July 14, 1959, they did “sell, furnish and give away” a narcotic, to wit, marijuana, in violation of Health and Safety Code, section 11531. That section provides in part:

“Every person who . . . sells, furnishes, administers, or gives away, . . . any marijuana shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail ... or in the state prison” and if “previously convicted of any offense . . . described in this division” and such prior conviction is charged and found to be true and is admitted, defendant “shall be imprisoned in a state prison from 10 years to life.” (Italics ours.)

Defendant Smith was charged with a prior conviction of “petty theft with a prior conviction of petty theft” and he served time therefor in a county jail, and he also was charged with a prior felony conviction, violation of Health and Safety Code, sections 11500 and 11712, with a prior narcotic misdemeanor conviction and he served a term therefor in the California State Prison. He pleaded not guilty to the main charge and denied the prior convictions. Later he admitted them. Defendant Taylor was charged with a prior conviction of a violation of Health and Safety Code, section 11500, and she served a term therefor in the California Institution for Women. She likewise pleaded not guilty and subsequently admitted the prior conviction.

After trial, the jury rendered a peculiar verdict. It found defendant Smith guilty of selling marijuana as charged in the information in one verdict; in another verdict it found him guilty of furnishing marijuana; and in still another, with giving it away. Similar verdicts were returned as to defendant Taylor. The trial court, on a motion for a new trial, stated that defendants were convicted by the jury of three different offenses, but since the sentences would run concurrently on all counts as though they were only one count, defendants could not be heard to complain. The judgment of commitment recited that the defendants were convicted of a felony, to wit, selling, furnishing and giving away marijuana, and it recited the prior convictions. No reference is made to the so-called *641 separate counts, but the judgment of commitment did recite that sentences should be served “in respect to one another as follows: ‘concurrent.’ ”

Defendants, on appeal, argue that the evidence relates only to a sale to one James Massey on July 14, 1959, and accordingly defendants cannot be convicted of two or more separate offenses arising out of the same transaction unless each is a separate count and the offenses differ in their elements. (Citing People v. Venable, 25 Cal.App.2d 73 [76 P.2d 523]; People v. Craig, 17 Cal.2d 453 [110 P.2d 403].) It is likewise argued that when the Adult Authority considers the ultimate punishment, it may consider that defendants were convicted on three separate counts and might increase the punishment accordingly.

We conclude from the evidence and proceedings had that only one offense was committed, to wit, a sale on July 14,1959, and the other two verdicts of the jury were not consistent with the evidence in this respect. (People v. Logan, 41 Cal.2d 279 [260 P.2d 20]; People v. Roberts, 40 Cal.2d 483 [254 P.2d 501]; People v. Branch, 119 Cal.App.2d 490, 496 [260 P.2d 27].) The commitments should have been issued for the crime charged in the information, one count, and accordingly there was no concurrent sentence to be served in this respect. The surplus verdicts should be set aside and the commitments should be modified accordingly. (People v. Fick, 89 Cal. 144 [26 P. 759]; People v. Lopez, 81 Cal.App. 199 [253 P. 169]; 14 Cal.Jur.2d 532, § 274; People v. Mandell, 90 Cal.App.2d 93 [202 P.2d 348].)

Next, it is argued that evidence of other and distinct alleged criminal acts and offenses, other than the one charged, was erroneously received in evidence over objections, and defendants were thereby prejudiced. (They cite such authority as People v. Morgan, 87 Cal.App.2d 674 [197 P.2d 413]; People v. Eppstein, 108 Cal.App. 72 [290 P. 1054].)

The facts show generally that one Massey, an undercover agent for the sheriff, talked with defendant Smith on July 13 about purchasing a can of marijuana, or one cigarette, and it was agreed that Massey would come back later and Smith would sell him some marijuana. There was a tape recording of this conversation made while Massey ivas seated in his car and Smith was talking to him while standing near the window. The recording machine had been placed there by the sheriff’s office. This recording was played back in court and it corroborated Massey’s story about the appointment. On July 14, *642 Massey went to appellants’ apartment about 6 pan. and had to knock on the window to raise the occupants. Defendant Taylor came to the door and asked him in. Defendant Smith was lying down in bed. Massey asked for “joints” (marijuana cigarettes) and inquired if they were “lush” or “weed.” Smith said they had to be rolled. Defendant Taylor pulled an envelope or bag out of Smith’s trousers. Smith took papers from the dresser and Taylor rolled one cigarette and Massey was charged one dollar for it. Massey took it to the officer, had it analyzed, and it was found to contain marijuana. Massey testified about a previous purchase of two cigarettes from Smith in April and another one on June 13 when he purchased three cigarettes. He further stated that on one occasion, about that time, Smith asked him to take defendant Taylor to the hospital in his car; that he did so and gave Smith three dollars for three marijuana cigarettes, and Smith offered him two of the cigarettes for his service; that on July 7 he saw Smith again and purchased a similar cigarette from him; that on June 20 he saw defendant Taylor at her home; that he went there with one Pain and gave Pain five dollars to make the “buy”; that Pain bought the “joints” and came back and gave him three dollars in change. Massey also testified that he saw Miss Taylor and Pain make the change; that Pain smoked one cigarette and he took the other to the officers. Apparently this cigarette was subsequently used in evidence in the case of People v. Fain and was again received in evidence in this case.

On August 8, at 3 a.m., sheriff’s officers went to defendants’ apartment, knocked on the door and were asked to identify themselves. The door was opened by Smith, who was dressed only in a pair of brown slacks.

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People v. Smith, 185 Cal. App. 2d 638, 8 Cal. Rptr. 581, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1555 (Cal. Ct. App. 1960).

185 Cal. App. 2d 638 (People v. Smith) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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