People v. Stanley

6 Cal. App. 4th 700, 7 Cal. Rptr. 2d 881, 92 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4106, 92 Daily Journal DAR 6476, 1992 Cal. App. LEXIS 612, 1992 WL 100356
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 13, 1992
DocketF014788
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 6 Cal. App. 4th 700 (People v. Stanley) 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. Stanley, 6 Cal. App. 4th 700, 7 Cal. Rptr. 2d 881, 92 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4106, 92 Daily Journal DAR 6476, 1992 Cal. App. LEXIS 612, 1992 WL 100356 (Cal. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

Opinion

THAXTER, J.

Appellant Michael James Stanley was convicted, after jury trial, on a single count of forcible rape (Pen. 1 Code, former § 261, subd. (2)), a felony, and of unauthorized entry of a dwelling (§ 602.5), a misdemeanor, as a lesser offense of a second charge, burglary. The jury also found, in a bifurcated proceeding, that Stanley was released on bail and on his own recognizance at the time of the rape and unauthorized entry within the meaning of section 12022.1. The court sentenced Stanley to a prison term of eight years on the rape conviction and enhanced the sentence by two years under section 12022.1. The court imposed a sentence of six months in jail on the unauthorized entry conviction but ordered that term discharged, as Stanley had already served more than six months in jail.

On appeal, Stanley’s principal claim of error is that the court erroneously precluded him from asking questions of the victim’s roommate designed to elicit testimony about Stanley’s prior relationship with the roommate. He claims the evidence would have supported a “reasonable belief in consent” defense recognized in People v. Mayberry (1975) 15 Cal.3d 143 [125 *703 Cal.Rptr. 745, 542 P.2d 1337]. He also attacks the court’s denial of his section 1118.1 motion in the bifurcated enhancement trial. Finally, Stanley urges two sentencing errors. We affirm.

Facts

On December 27, 1989, Stanley and three friends shot pool at a lodge near Sonora from about 6 p.m. until 8:30 or 9. During that time they consumed about 10 beers among them. They then returned to Sonora and parted company. Stanley and one of the group, Joe Decker, left in Decker’s car. They parked off the road for about an hour, listened to music, and consumed the final two cans of a twelve-pack of beer.

Decker and Stanley then drove to 310 Yaney Street, arriving around 11:30 p.m. The house was occupied by three young women, Michelle, Janene, and C.W. Decker was a longtime acquaintance of Janene and Michelle, but did not know C.W. (a comparative latecomer to the house on Yaney) well. According to the witnesses, Stanley did not know Janene or Michelle well and did not know C.W. at all.

The house at 310 Yaney is set back from the street with a narrow drive leading to the front of the house. Decker parked on the street and walked a few feet up the driveway; he noted that Janene’s car was not in the driveway, and the house was quiet and dark except for a glow that he took to be a television set. Decker told Stanley it appeared everyone was asleep and he did not want to bother them. Stanley replied that he wanted to talk to them. Decker then got back into his car and once again told Stanley to get in: “I’m leaving. If you want a ride, you know, come on, let’s go.” After waiting a moment, Decker drove off, leaving Stanley in the driveway facing the house.

Janene had left her job about 10:30, after which the three women exchanged Christmas gifts at their residence. About 11:45, Janene and Michelle left in Janene’s car to go to the grocery store. C.W. was just getting into bed on a futon in the living room as they left. They did not lock the front door.

When C.W. fell asleep, the only lights illuminated were the front porch lamp and some Christmas tree lights. She awoke in darkness; the Christmas tree lights were off. What woke her was someone patting the foot of her bed. She sat up and asked who it was, but there was no answer. She saw a figure at the foot of the bed, and she again asked who was there. Someone grabbed her and pushed her back onto the futon. She asked what he wanted, and he said, “Money.” She asked again, and he responded, “You fucked my brother.” She struggled, despite his statement that he had a gun. As she continued to fight, he shoved her head down onto the futon.

*704 C.W.’s assailant pulled off her sweat pants and panties as she continued to struggle. The two fell off the futon onto the floor, with the assailant on top. C.W. was yelling, and he told her to shut up several times, threatened to use a knife on her, struck her across the jaw, and finally gagged her with a bandanna. She continued to attempt to yell through the gag. While the assailant gripped both her wrists in one hand, he digitally penetrated, then raped her. C.W. asked where her roommates were, and he replied, “What roommates?”

After the rape was complete, the man threw a blanket over C.W.’s head and left through the front door. She put her panties and sweat pants on and went to the window, but she could see nothing.

Meanwhile, Janene and Michelle completed their shopping and were returning to the car when Joe Decker, cutting through the parking lot, saw them and pulled up. Decker told Janene and Michelle that he had left Stanley at their house, then drove off.

After stopping to buy gas and taking a roundabout route, Janene and Michelle drove home. When they arrived, they both noticed the porch light was off. As she got out of the car, Janene could hear C.W. screaming or sobbing. Once inside the house, Janene and Michelle were told by C.W. that she had been raped, and she did not know who had done it. Janene called the police.

Within several minutes Police Sergeant Tonegato arrived, spoke with the women, and advised C.W.’s roommates to get her to the hospital for an examination. At IXiolumne General Hospital, C.W. was examined by Dr. Waldman. C.W. described the assault to Waldman. Waldman noted sharply defined reddened areas on C.W.’s back and wrists. She reported tenderness in the posterior vaginal area. Waldman performed a pelvic exam, during which he noted and took samples of seminal fluid containing sperm.

Waldman concluded that the results of the examination were consistent with C.W.’s description of the attack and inconsistent with an episode of consensual sex.

At the house, a police officer found a blue bandanna on the futon. In the bedding he also found a watch, missing one of the springbars which hold the strap to the body of the watch. The bandanna had apparently been removed from the bathroom. Joe Decker and Stanley’s father both testified the watch appeared to be Stanley’s.

Inspection of the rest of the house revealed several other items of note. One of C.W.’s brassieres had been placed on Michelle’s bed. Some of *705 Janene’s exercise clothing had been removed from a drawer and put on her bed. A pillowcase had been removed from Michelle’s bed and was found on the futon. Human feces were observed in the toilet. Nothing appeared to be missing.

Stanley turned himself in the next day and voluntarily submitted to a blood test.

A criminalist with the Department of Justice testified that only about 5 percent of the male population, a group that included Stanley, could have been the source of the semen collected by Dr. Waldman. He also tested the bandanna, revealing amylase on “many parts” of the bandanna; amylase is indicative of saliva, suggesting the bandanna had been in someone’s mouth. Typing indicated the source was a “secretor” with type A-B blood; this description fit C.W. and did not fit Stanley. C.W.

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6 Cal. App. 4th 700, 7 Cal. Rptr. 2d 881, 92 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4106, 92 Daily Journal DAR 6476, 1992 Cal. App. LEXIS 612, 1992 WL 100356, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-stanley-calctapp-1992.