People v. Smith

33 Cal. App. 4th 1586, 40 Cal. Rptr. 2d 31, 95 Daily Journal DAR 4631, 95 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2686, 1995 Cal. App. LEXIS 347
California Court of Appeal·Decided April 12, 1995·No. B077871·Published·Cited by 23 cases

Opinion

Opinion

NOTT, J.

We are ordered to vacate our decision of October 26, 1994, and to reconsider the cause in light of People v. Rayford (1994) 9 Cal.4th 1 [36 Cal.Rptr.2d 317, 884 P.2d 1369].

Appellant Leonard Smith appeals from a judgment entered after a jury convicted him of counts 1 and 2 for forcible rape (Pen. Code, § 261, subd. *1591 (a)(2)), 1 count 3 for forcible oral copulation (§ 288a, subd. (c)), and count 4 for residential robbery (§211). The jury found true the allegations that appellant used a weapon and kidnapped the victim within the meaning of section 667.8, subdivision (a) in connection with the first three counts. 2 The trial court found that appellant had suffered prior convictions for first degree robbery and attempted arson within the meaning of sections 667, subdivision (a) and section 667.5, subdivision (b). Appellant was sentenced to a total of 31 years, 8 months. Imposition of sentence pursuant to section 667.8, subdivision (a) was stayed on counts 2 and 3. The trial court imposed two 5-year enhancements for the section 667, subdivision (a) findings and two 1-year enhancements for the section 667.5, subdivision (b) findings.

We affirm in part and reverse in part.

Contentions

Appellant contends that (1) the movement of the victim was insufficient to constitute a simple kidnapping, (2) there was insufficient evidence that appellant took money from the victim through force or fear, (3) the trial court erred in failing to instruct on theft as a lesser included offense of robbery, (4) the jury’s finding of first degree robbery must be set aside because the taking of property occurred in a camper rather than a trailer coach, (5) the additional section 667.8, subdivision (a) enhancements should be stricken because section 667.8, subdivision (a) permits only one kidnap for rape enhancement per kidnap, and (6) the section 667.5, subdivision (b) enhancements should be stricken because cumulative punishment for individual prior convictions are barred.

Facts

On June 26, 1992, the victim, 14-year-old Ofrue O., returned home from the skating rink past her midnight curfew. She left the house between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. after arguing with her father about the curfew violation. Ofrue went to a bus stop, and attempted to call her friend Gina. She then took a bus to Gina’s house, but Gina was not there. Around 3 a.m., she called another friend to pick her up. While she was waiting, appellant approached her and asked her if she wanted to buy an iron. He then left and returned to ask if she wanted to buy discount bus passes. He said he had a little girl her age and that she should not be out at this time of night. Because of those statements, Ofrue trusted him. Ofrue then accompanied appellant to his house where he said she could use his phone, but she did not go inside. *1592 While Ofrue remained on the driveway, appellant walked into the house and returned with a knife. He urged her, “Go to the back, go to the back.” Holding her arm, he held the knife against her back and walked her down the driveway behind the house to a camper attached to a pickup truck. Appellant told Ofrue to go inside the camper or he would kill her and put her body in a trash can. After Ofrue entered the camper, appellant told her that if she did not take off her clothes, he would let eight men “train on her” or trade her to a drug house for $20 worth of crack. Ofrue then removed her pants and, still holding the knife, appellant had sexual intercourse with her on the bed. Appellant then forced her to orally copulate him. Appellant then told Ofrue to turn her back to him and he again had sexual intercourse with her. Throughout, Ofrue told appellant that she did not want to get AIDS or get pregnant, hoping he would put the knife down to get a condom. Appellant eventually put the knife in a crack between the counter and the stove. When he turned away, Ofrue grabbed the knife and stabbed appellant in the back, while screaming continuously. Appellant wrestled the knife away by biting Ofrue on the cheek. Appellant told Ofrue to shut up. Pointing the knife in her direction, he said he needed pain killers, and took $20 out of her jeans pocket and left. Ofrue left, got change from a liquor store, took a bus a few blocks and called a friend to pick her up.

Officer Michael Albert testified that he interviewed Ofrue, who reported that she had been raped and had stabbed appellant in the back. He arrested appellant based upon Ofrue’s description. At the time of his arrest, appellant spontaneously stated: “She told me to use a rubber and then she stabbed me. She told me she was 18 or 19.”

Discussion

I. The Kidnap for Rape Enhancements Were Supported by Sufficient Evidence

Appellant first urges that there was insufficient movement of the victim to support a section 667.8, subdivision (a) enhancement for simple kidnapping. We disagree.

We first note that this case presents an anomaly in that the trial court granted appellant’s section 995 motion setting aside a count for kidnapping in violation of section 207, subdivision (a) on the basis that the distance from the street to the camper was not a substantial distance as a matter of *1593 law. 3 On the other hand, the trial court denied appellant’s motion to set aside the section 667.8 subdivision (a) enhancement which includes within its definition a kidnap under section 207, subdivision (a). Section 667.8, subdivision (a) enhances by an additional term of three years the term imposed against a person convicted of a felony violation of sections 261, 264.1, 286, 288a, or 289, who, for the purpose of committing that sexual offense, kidnapped the victim in violation of section 207. 4

In analyzing whether the asportation of the victim in the instant case constituted kidnapping, we are limited by the statutory language of section 667.8, subdivision (a) which contains within its definition a violation of section 207.

Because the California Supreme Court in People v. Rayford, supra, 9 Cal.4th 1, disapproved the application of the section 207 simple kidnapping asportation test to a section 208, subdivision (d) violation as set forth in People v. Bradley (1993) 15 Cal.App.4th 1144 [19 Cal.Rptr.2d 276], we cannot rely upon People v. Bradley as support for our conclusion that the distance of 40 feet was sufficient under section 207. However, we conclude that under other case law, the movement of the victim was sufficient under section 207, subdivision (a).

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People v. Smith, 33 Cal. App. 4th 1586, 40 Cal. Rptr. 2d 31, 95 Daily Journal DAR 4631, 95 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2686, 1995 Cal. App. LEXIS 347 (Cal. Ct. App. 1995).

33 Cal. App. 4th 1586 (People v. Smith) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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