People v. Towers

150 Cal. App. 4th 1273, 57 Cal. Rptr. 3d 530, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 857
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 17, 2007
DocketNo. B188368
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 150 Cal. App. 4th 1273 (People v. Towers) 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. Towers, 150 Cal. App. 4th 1273, 57 Cal. Rptr. 3d 530, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 857 (Cal. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

Opinion

RUBIN, J.

Christopher Hendrix Towers appeals from the judgment entered after a jury convicted him of first degree burglary. Towers contends there was insufficient evidence to support the trial court’s finding that he sustained two prior serious or violent felony convictions for purposes of the “Three Strikes” law. We reverse the Three Strikes finding as to one of those convictions, for violation of Penal Code section 288a, but affirm as to the other finding, and remand for further proceedings, including a new trial on the strike if the prosecution so chooses.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In December 2005 a jury convicted Towers of first degree burglary. (Pen. Code, § 459.)1 The trial court found true allegations that Towers had suffered two previous serious felony convictions for purposes of the Three Strikes law. (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)-(d).) Those were a 1984 Tennessee conviction for second degree burglary (Tenn. Code Ann., § 39-3-401), and a 1989 California conviction for oral copulation. (Former § 288a, subd. (c).)2 Towers contends there was insufficient evidence to find that either conviction qualified as a serious (§ 1192.7) or violent (§ 667.5) felony.

[1277]*1277DISCUSSION

1. Burden of Proof and Standard of Review

The Three Strikes law (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)-(d)) provides longer sentences for convicted felons who were previously convicted of a violent felony as defined by section 667.5, subdivision (c) or a serious felony as defined by section 1192.7, subdivision (c). A defendant with one or more such prior convictions (strikes) must be sentenced for the current offense under the Three Strikes law. (§ 667, subd. (f)(1).)3 The prosecution bears the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant’s prior convictions were for either serious or violent felonies. When a defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to uphold a finding that his prior convictions qualified as strikes, the test on appeal is whether a reasonable trier of fact could have found that the prosecution sustained its burden. We review the record in the light most favorable to the trial court’s findings. (People v. Rodriguez (2004) 122 Cal.App.4th 121, 128-129 [18 Cal.Rptr.3d 550] (Rodriguez).)

Our inquiry is limited to the entire record of the conviction. If the elements of the strike offense allowed a conviction for conduct that might not have qualified as a serious felony, unless other evidence in the record shows the nature of the conduct that led to the conviction, we must presume that the prior conviction was based on the least punishable offense. (People v. McGee (2006) 38 Cal.4th 682, 706 [42 Cal.Rptr.3d 899, 133 P.3d 1054]; People v. Rodriguez (1998) 17 Cal.4th 253, 261-262 [70 Cal.Rptr.2d 334, 949 P.2d 31]; Rodriguez, supra, 122 Cal.App.4th at pp. 128-129.)

To the extent we interpret statutes, we apply the well-known rules of statutory construction. “ ‘The fundamental rule of statutory construction is to ascertain the intent of the Legislature in order to effectuate the purpose of the law. ... In doing so, we first look to the words of the statute and try to give effect to the usual, ordinary import of the language, at the same time not rendering any language mere surplusage. The words must be construed in context and in light of the nature and obvious purpose of the statute where they appear. . . . The statute “ ‘must be given a reasonable and commonsense interpretation consistent with the apparent purpose and intention of the Legislature, practical rather than technical in nature, and which, when applied, will result in wise policy rather than mischief or absurdity. If the language of a statute is clear, we should not add to or alter it to accomplish a purpose which does not appear on the face of the statute or [1278]*1278from its legislative history.’ [Citation.] Statutes must be harmonized, both internally and with each other. [Citation.]” (Pang v. Beverly Hospital, Inc. (2000) 79 Cal.App.4th 986, 994 [94 Cal.Rptr.2d 643].)

2. The 1989 Conviction Under Section 288a

Section 288a, subdivision (c) makes oral copulation a felony under three circumstances: (1) when committed on a child under age 14 by a person at least 10 years older than the victim; (Í2) when committed against the victim’s will by “force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person . . .”; or (3) when committed against the victim’s will by “threatening to retaliate in the future against the victim or any other person, and there is a reasonable possibility that the perpetrator will execute the threat . . . .” Threatening to retaliate means “a threat to kidnap or falsely imprison, or inflict extreme pain, serious bodily injury, ór death.” (§ 288a, subd. (Z).)4

Towers concedes that oral copulation on a child under age 14, or by force, violence, duress, etc. are serious felonies. (See §§ 1192.7, subd. (c)(5) [oral copulation by force, violence, duress, etc., is a serious felony], 1192.7, subd. (c)(6) [lewd or lascivious act on child under age 14 is a serious felony]; People v. Murphy (2001) 25 Cal.4th 136, 142-149 [105 Cal.Rptr.2d 387, 19 P.3d 1129] (Murphy) [violation of § 288a, subd. (c)(1) is lewd and lascivious conduct for purposes of § 1192.7, subd. (c)(6)].) Towers contends that violating section 288a by threatening retaliation under subdivision (c)(3) is not a statutory “serious felony.” Because the evidence shows nothing about the factual nature of his conviction, he concludes we must presume that his conviction was based on that provision and therefore did not qualify as a strike.

Respondent. concedes that the record shows nothing about the conduct upon which Towers’s conviction was based, and that we must presume the conviction was based on a threat of retaliation under section 288a, subdivision (c)(3).5 Respondent, however, contends that a conviction under that section qualifies as a serious felony because the crime constitutes both duress [1279]*1279and a threat of great bodily injury under section 1192.7, subdivision (c)(5). Although respondent’s position has much commonsense to commend it, based on a careful review of the legislative scheme, we must disagree.6

Section 1192.7 was passed into law by the voters as part of Proposition 8 in 1982. (See Historical and Statutory Notes, 50D West’s Ann. Pen. Code (2004 ed.) foil. § 1192.7, pp. 88-89.) At that time, section 288a applied to oral copulation on children under 14 by those 10 years older than the victim and to oral copulation by “force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person . . . .” (Historical and Statutory Notes, 48 West’s Ann. Pen. Code (1999 ed.) foil. § 288a, p.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
150 Cal. App. 4th 1273, 57 Cal. Rptr. 3d 530, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 857, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-towers-calctapp-2007.