People v. Soto

74 Cal. App. 3d 267, 141 Cal. Rptr. 343, 1977 Cal. App. LEXIS 1913
California Court of Appeal·Decided September 23, 1977·No. 15789·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

74 Cal.App.3d 267 (1977)
141 Cal. Rptr. 343

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Appellant,
v.
RUBEN SOTO et al., Defendants and Respondents.

Docket No. 15789.

Court of Appeals of California, First District, Division One.

September 23, 1977.

*269 COUNSEL

Evelle J. Younger, Attorney General, Jack R. Winkler, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Edward P. O'Brien, Assistant Attorney General, Clifford K. Thompson, Jr. and Ann K. Jensen, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Appellant.

*270 James H. Newhouse and Cooper, Newhouse, Hertz & Lyons for Defendants and Respondents.

OPINION

SIMS, Acting P.J.

The People have appealed[1] from orders of the trial court that sustained the motions of the defendants Soto and West, under section 995 of the Penal Code, insofar as they sought dismissal of so much of the first count of the information, charging kidnaping for ransom in violation of section 209 of the Penal Code, as alleged that the victim suffered bodily harm, and that sustained the motion of the defendant Soto for dismissal of the second count charging him with assault to commit rape in violation of section 220 of the Penal Code.

The defendant West, through her attorney, has elected not to file a brief or appear at oral argument on this appeal. Since the argument on behalf of the People with respect to both issues stresses actions solely attributable to the defendant Soto, and fails to show how acts attributable jointly or severally to both defendants could alone warrant the charge of bodily harm, we affirm the order as to defendant West.

Following oral argument in this case, the Attorney General advised the court that the defendant Soto had been convicted by verdict of a jury of kidnaping for ransom in violation of section 209, augmented by use of a firearm as provided in Penal Code section 12022.5. It was suggested that the case was moot. Before the court could act on that suggestion, the Attorney General at the request of the district attorney requested that the appeal be pursued to a conclusion "because the defendant can appeal his conviction for a violation of Penal Code section 209, and in case that conviction is reversed we want to be able to try those matters in which the 995 motion was granted." It was also stated: "[I]t would be instructive to find out whether bodily injury must be proved at the preliminary *271 examination. This is especially so in this case where our office was caught in the middle between two judges with different views in this issue."

We question, without so ruling, that the defendant Soto can be subjected to prosecution for a more serious offense as the price of taking a successful appeal. (See People v. Henderson (1963) 60 Cal.2d 482, 495-497 [35 Cal. Rptr. 77, 386 P.2d 677]; and Witkin, Cal. Crimes (1975 supp.) § 202A, pp. 151-153.) Nevertheless, in view of the procedural morass which beset the progress of this case we have undertaken to unravel it for the edification of those concerned. In so doing, although we find error, in the interests of justice we affirm the action of the lower court, thereby rendering it unnecessary to determine the question posed above.

I

A. Pleading

From the record[2] it appears that the complaint filed before the magistrate did not contain any allegations to show that the People were seeking the enhanced punishment prescribed by section 209.[3] At the *272 preliminary hearing when the prosecutor sought to question the victim about the existence of any remaining physical effects of the conduct, described below, which gave rise to the filing of the second count against Soto, the latter's attorney interposed an objection that the matter was irrelevant. The prosecutor suggested the facts were relevant under the penalty provisions of section 209. The magistrate sustained the objection and observed, "We are not concerned with the penalty provisions today in this preliminary hearing."

In the superior court the prosecutor defended his right to allege any matters which were supported by the evidence before the magistrate. (Pen. Code, § 739; People v. Eitzen (1974) 43 Cal. App.3d 253, 259-260 [117 Cal. Rptr. 772]; Dudley v. Superior Court (1974) 36 Cal. App.3d 977, 982-985 [111 Cal. Rptr. 797]; cf. Jones v. Superior Court (1971) 4 Cal.3d 660, 664-667 [94 Cal. Rptr. 289, 483 P.2d 1241]; see Witkin, Cal. Criminal Procedure (1963) § 181, p. 171 and (1975 supp.) § 181, p. 151.) The court granted the motions to strike the bodily injury clause, and stated, "If it is surplusage, it is proper to strike it. [¶] If you are saying that it belongs there on a factual basis I say the factual basis had not been established according to this record." The first ground was qualified by a prior statement to the prosecutor: "You are not being prejudiced one iota. If it is surplusage, you are going to prove it at the point of trial."

There is strong support for the view that it is unnecessary to allege facts which would delineate the punishment sought for a violation of section 209 of the Penal Code. In People v. Britton (1936) 6 Cal.2d 1 [56 P.2d 494], the court rejected the contention that it was necessary to allege that the victim of a kidnaping for robbery suffered bodily harm in order to sustain proof and sentencing in accordance with the punishment authorized for such circumstance. The court stated: "Section 209 of the Penal Code, for the purpose of this case, defines but one criminal act or offense, viz., kidnaping for purpose of robbery, for which any one of several punishments may be imposed, depending entirely upon the circumstances surrounding its commission. A charge in the language of the statute that the accused had kidnaped his victim for the purpose of robbery in violation of the statute apprises the accused of what he will be expected to meet and of the several punishments prescribed therefor, any *273 one of which, upon conviction, may be imposed upon him." (6 Cal.2d at pp. 4-5.) The court pointed out: "It is well settled in this state that an indictment or information need not allege the particular mode or means employed in the commission of an offense, except when of the essence thereof. [Citation.] In other words, particulars as to manner, means, place or circumstances need not in general be added to the statutory definition. [Citations.] The indictment or information need only charge the essential elements of the statutory offense. It then fairly apprises the defendant of what he is to meet at the trial." (Id., at p. 5; see also People v. Reeves (1955) 135 Cal. App.2d 449, 453-454 [287 P.2d 544]; People v. Holt (1949) 93 Cal. App.2d 473, 476 [209 P.2d 94] [cert. den., 339 U.S. 950 (94 L.Ed. 1363, 70 S.Ct. 798)]; and Witkin, Cal. Crimes (1963) § 355, p. 327; and Witkin, Cal. Criminal Procedure, op. cit., supra, § 199, subd. (e), p. 188; note, People v. Haley (1941) 46 Cal. App.2d 618, 624-625 [116 P.2d 498], and 20 Cal.Jur.3d, § 1921, p. 485, fns. 30 and 31.)

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People v. Soto, 74 Cal. App. 3d 267, 141 Cal. Rptr. 343, 1977 Cal. App. LEXIS 1913 (Cal. Ct. App. 1977).

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