People v. Valdez

188 Cal. App. 2d 750, 10 Cal. Rptr. 664, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2483
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 1, 1961
DocketDocket Nos. 7418, 7419
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 188 Cal. App. 2d 750 (People v. Valdez) 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. Valdez, 188 Cal. App. 2d 750, 10 Cal. Rptr. 664, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2483 (Cal. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

ASHBURN, J.

Defendant was convicted, as charged in two separate informations, of violating Health & Safety Code, section 11530, illegal possession of marijuana, and section 11531, illegal sale of marijuana. He was sentenced to the state prison in each ease, the sentences to run concurrently.

In each case, trial by jury was duly waived, and by stipulation the cause was submitted to the court on the transcript of the testimony adduced at the preliminary examination, each side reserving the right to offer additional evidence, and to object to the introduction of any evidence contained in the preliminary transcripts. It was agreed that all exhibits be deemed admitted in evidence subject to the rulings of the trial court on any objections made thereto.

Appeal Number 7418

Approximately two to three weeks prior to the arrest for possession of narcotics, Officer Bridges, deputy sheriff attached *754 to the Narcotics Detail, received information from his office “in official report form,’’ signed by a superior officer, to the effect that narcotics were being trafficked from a house at 1446% West 95th Street, Los Angeles. The information had been received by the department from a confidential informant, whose name Bridges did not know. Deputy Bridges also spoke with two residents in the area, one of whom told him that at all hours of the day and night people would come up the alley and enter Mr. Valdez’ home; that Valdez would turn his lights off and on, and would step outside and stand in the alley. Officer Bridges conducted a surveillance of this location at various times during the following two weeks.

One week prior to appellant’s arrest, Bridges observed an automobile registered to a Tom Ingle, known to traffic in narcotics, parked near the house; he saw an unidentified person get out of the vehicle, remove something from his pocket and place it behind the fence of a nearby house, at this time looking over his shoulder. He proceeded down the alley and entered appellant’s house where he remained for 10 or 15 minutes. He came out of the house, picked up the unknown object, and left in the ear. On five or six occasions Bridges observed the lights in the house go out and appellant would then step outside and stand in the alley next to his front door; when the door closed the lights would go on again from inside the house. On two such occasions he walked up the alley and met another person.

At approximately 8 :10 p.m. on October 22, 1959, the deputy observed a Russell Arnegard arrive at the location in a 1956 Mercury automobile and enter the house; shortly thereafter, accompanied by appellant, he left in the automobile. They returned in about one-half hour when both men entered appellant’s home. About one-half hour later Arnegard left in his automobile. Deputies Bridges and Olson followed him and a short distance away a sheriff’s patrol car, containing Deputies Berman and White, pulled in behind the Arnegard vehicle. Arnegard was arrested and narcotics were found. He stated that he had just purchased six marijuana cigarettes for $2.00. He refused to state from whom or where he had made the purchase. Deputy Bridges asked him if he had just purchased them and Arnegard stated, “That’s right.’’

Deputy Bridges, with the three other deputies, then proceeded to 1446% West 95th Street where they saw appellant standing on the sidewalk near an alley adjacent to his home. The officers identified themselves and appellant was placed *755 under arrest. Two of the deputies proceeded to the house, followed by the other two officers with appellant in handcuffs, and a Don Reid, a newscaster from a radio station. All entered the house; a search was made. In the bathroom was found a small dish containing marijuana, next to which was a packet of “zig-zag” cigarette papers; from the bedroom the deputy recovered certain boxes containing marijuana. There was no warrant for arrest or search.

After reading the transcript of the preliminary hearing containing the foregoing evidence, additional evidence was introduced on the question of consent. Appellant testified that at the time of his arrest, about 10:30 p. m. he was walking his dog on the street near his home; that the four deputies emerged from the police cars, armed with shotguns and told him not to move or they would shoot him; that two of the officers then ran down the alley to appellant’s house, and the other two remained with him, stating he was under arrest; he was then taken into the house, at which time one of the officers was in the front room and the other was in the bathroom. Appellant testified that “they entered my house against my will.” When asked if he gave the first two officers permission to enter the premises, he replied ‘ No, I hadn't talked to them at all.” He stated he did not give permission to anyone to enter, and denied that anyone asked for such permission.

Officer Bridges then testified that the four deputies had arrived with guns drawn, revolvers and a shotgun, and arrested Valdez; that the reason for the shotgun was “anticipating any reaction from one or both dogs owned by Mr. Valdez” about which he had prior knowledge. That he then asked appellant “if he had any narcotics in the house. He stated he did not. I asked him if I could look and he stated yes.” Some time after entry into the house, appellant asked Bridges if he had a search warrant.

Appellant contends that the evidence was obtained by means of illegal search and seizure in that there was no probable cause for the arrest; that appellant’s asking for a search warrant after entry into the house negates “any implication that a consent to search was given.”

It is not necessary for the People to show that the search and seizure were reasonable as incident to a proper arrest when the search is made with defendant’s consent. (People v. Burke, 47 Cal.2d 45, 49 [301 P.2d 241].) “The applicable law with respect to the matter of such consent is stated in People v. Michael, 45 Cal.2d 751, at page 753 [290 *756 P.2d 852] : ‘To protect his right to object to an unreasonable search or seizure a defendant need not forcibly resist an officer’s assertion of authority to enter his home or search it or his person [citations], but if he freely consents to an entry or search, or voluntarily produces evidence against himself, his constitutional rights are not violated and any search or taking of evidence pursuant to his consent is not unreasonable. [Citations.] Whether in a particular case an apparent consent was in fact voluntarily given or was in submission to an express or implied assertion of authority, is a question of fact to be determined in the light of all the circumstances. ’ [Citations.] As stated in People v. Galle, 153 Cal.App.2d 88, at page 90 [314 P.2d 58] : ‘While there is reason for the view that a request or a demand by an officer for permission to search premises is to some extent coercive, considered alone, it does not render the consent involuntary as having been obtained by coercion. ’ ” (People v. Davis, 178 Cal.App.2d 887, 893 [3 Cal.Rptr. 465].)

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Bluebook (online)
188 Cal. App. 2d 750, 10 Cal. Rptr. 664, 1961 Cal. App. LEXIS 2483, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-valdez-calctapp-1961.