People v. Smith

160 Cal. App. 3d 1100, 207 Cal. Rptr. 134, 1984 Cal. App. LEXIS 2617
California Court of Appeal·Decided October 16, 1984·No. Crim. No. 13239·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

Opinion

PUGLIA, P. J.

We consider whether an allegation in the information expressly pled to preclude a grant of probation can also add an element to the offense charged so as to increase the term of confinement to which defendant is potentially subject.

Defendant was found not guilty by reason of insanity of seven counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act upon a child under the age of fourteen years (Pen. Code, § 288). He was committed to the State Department of Mental Health for a term not to exceed 57 years. On appeal, defendant contends the court erred in calculating the maximum term of commitment under Penal Code section 667.6, subdivision (c), rather than Penal Code [1102]*1102section 1170.1. (All references to sections of an unspecified code are to the Penal Code.) We shall modify the order of commitment to reduce the maximum term in accordance with the views expressed herein.

The information charged defendant with seven counts of “violation of § 288 of the California Penal Code, a felony” in the following operative language: “. . . that ... he did wilfully, unlawfully, and lewdly commit a lewd and lascivious act upon and with the body and certain parts and members thereof of Collette . . . age 12, a child under the age of fourteen years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying the lust, passions and sexual desires of said defendant and the said child.” Added to each count were the same five allegations under section 1203.066 relating to restrictions on probation eligibility: the offense was committed by the use of force, violence, duress, menace and threat of great bodily harm (§ 1203.066, subd. (a)(1)); the offense caused bodily injury (§ 1203.066, subd. (a)(2)); defendant used a weapon during the commission of the offense (§ 1203.066, subd. (a)(4)); defendant had been convicted previously of a violation of section 261 (§ 1203.066, subd. (a)(5)); and defendant occupied a position of special trust as stepfather of the victim (§ 1203.066, subd. (a) (9)). It was also charged as to each count that in the commission thereof, defendant personally used a deadly weapon, to wit, a knife (§ 12022, subd. (b) ).

Defendant originally entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. Thereafter defendant offered to withdraw his not guilty plea and stand on his insanity plea “to all counts, enhancements and the like, . . -”1 Counsel could not agree on the maximum possible term of commitment and agreed the court could resolve the matter at a later date. The disagreement between counsel was precisely the same as that which now engages them on appeal. The court deferred decision on the maximum term but informed defendant that if it found section 667.6 applicable, defendant faced a maximum term of 68 years. With that understanding, but without waiving the point, defendant withdrew his plea of not guilty, waived jury trial and submitted the matter of his sanity on the doctors’ reports. The court found defendant not guilty by reason of insanity and further found that defendant had not fully recovered his sanity (§ 1026, subd. (a)).

Section 1026.5, subdivision (a)(1), requires the court to state in the order of commitment to the state hospital the maximum term for which defendant may be kept in actual custody. For purposes of that section, the maximum [1103]*1103term of commitment is the longest term of imprisonment that could have been imposed for the offenses committed by defendant if he had been so convicted, including the upper term of the base offense and any additional terms for enhancements and consecutive sentences which could have been imposed. (§ 1026.5, subd. (a)(1).)2

At the hearing to determine the maximum term of commitment, the prosecutor argued that although each violation of section 288 was charged in the language of subdivision (a), the allegation annexed to each count restricting probation eligibility under section 1203.066, subdivision (a)(1), supplied the essential element to constitute each count in law a charge of violation of subdivision (b) of section 288. The probation restriction allegations charged “that the act alleged above [violation of section 288] was committed by the use of force, violence, duress, menace, and threat of great bodily harm, within the meaning of section 1203.066(a)(1) of the Penal Code. ” (Italics added.) The latter provision deals exclusively with probation ineligibility. Subdivision (b) of section 288 differs from subdivision (a) only in that it contains an additional element: the “use of force, violence, duress, menace or threat of great bodily harm.”3

Adopting the prosecution’s theory, the trial court found “the actual allegation of the conduct [proscribed] by 288(b) is contained in the four corners of each count.” The court therefore calculated defendant’s maximum term of commitment under section 667.6, subdivision (c), which provides in relevant part: “In lieu of the term provided in Section 1170.1, a full, separate, and consecutive term may be imposed for each violation of . . . subdivision (b) of Section 288 . . . whether or not the crimes were committed during a single transaction.” Defendant was ordered committed to the State Department of Mental Health for a maximum period of confinement of 57 years.

Defendant contends the information charged violations of section 288, subdivision (a), rather than section 288, subdivision (b), and hence the pro[1104]*1104visions of section 667.6, subdivision (c), permitting the imposition of full, separate and consecutive terms “for each violation of . . . subdivision (b) of section 288” are inapplicable. Had the court properly computed his confinement period with reference to section 1170.1, he asserts, the maximum term of his confinement would be 21 years.4

The question before us is whether in fixing the maximum term of commitment the trial court may look to a probation restriction allegation to supply an element of the offense not included in the language of the charge. We conclude it may not.

Recently the Supreme Court considered in People v. Wolcott (1983) 34 Cal.3d 92 [192 Cal.Rptr. 748, 665 P.2d 520], whether a firearm use enhancement (§ 12022.5) is part of the accusatory pleading for the purpose of defining lesser included offenses. Holding that it was not (p. 101), the court pointed out that a use allegation does not prescribe an offense (id., at p. 100; In re Culbreth (1976) 17 Cal.3d 330, 333 [130 Cal.Rptr. 719, 551 P.2d 23]); rather, it imposes additional punishment for an offense in which a firearm is used. Emphasizing that it becomes relevant only if the defendant is convicted of the substantive crime, the court concluded that it would disrupt the orderly procedure by which guilt is determined without reference to the enhancement if evidence of the enhancement must be considered in determining guilt of a lesser offense (p. 101). For the same reason, i.e., that the enhancement is not relevant unless and until defendant is convicted, the court doubted that the enhancement charge would provide constitutionally adequate notice to defendant that he must defend against a charge of lesser included offense (p. 101).

In the instant case, the probation restriction allegation charging use of force is not unlike the firearm use enhancement considered in Wolcott.

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People v. Smith, 160 Cal. App. 3d 1100, 207 Cal. Rptr. 134, 1984 Cal. App. LEXIS 2617 (Cal. Ct. App. 1984).

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