People v. White CA6

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 26, 2022
DocketH048901
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. White CA6 (People v. White CA6) 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. White CA6, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 8/26/22 P. v. White CA6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, H048901 (Monterey County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. 19CR004907)

v.

THOMAS WHITE,

Defendant and Appellant.

A jury found defendant Thomas White guilty on one count of possessing a weapon while in custody at a penal institution. The trial court found White had suffered a prior serious or violent felony conviction. The court imposed a total term of two years in prison consecutive to the term White was already serving. White raises multiple claims on appeal. First, he contends the trial court erred by denying his pretrial motion for discovery under Pitchess v. Superior Court (1974) 11 Cal.3d 531 (Pitchess). Second, he contends the trial court failed to adequately inquire into a possible jury deadlock, or in the alternative, that the court erred by denying his related motion for a mistrial. Third, he contends the trial court erroneously imposed fines and fees without determining his ability to pay them as required under People v. Dueñas (2019) 30 Cal.App.5th 1157 (Dueñas). To the extent that claim was forfeited by his trial counsel’s failure to object, White argues counsel rendered ineffective assistance. For the reasons below, we conclude these claims are without merit. We will affirm the judgment. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND A. Procedural Background The prosecution charged White by information with a single count of possessing a weapon while in custody at a penal institution. (Pen. Code, § 4502, subd. (a).)1 The information further alleged he had previously suffered a serious or violent felony conviction. (§§ 667, subd. (d), 1170.12, subd. (b).) The case proceeded to a jury trial in January 2020. The jury found White guilty as charged, and the trial court found true the prior conviction allegation. In January 2021, the trial court imposed a term of two years in state prison consecutive to the term White was already serving. B. Facts of the Offense In 2018, White was in custody at the Correctional Training Facility, also known as Soledad State Prison. Officer Mayra Zavala, a housing officer at the facility, saw White “walking pretty fast back and forth” between two cells. Officer Zavala testified that based on White’s hand motions it appeared he was trying to pass something under the cell doors. She testified that she found this behavior concerning and odd, so she asked White what he was doing and called him over. White told Officer Zavala he was “passing coffee.” Officer Zavala did not believe him and instructed him to stand in front of a window for a clothed body search. White did not comply and instead ran into a day room. In the back of the day room, he threw a white piece of paper into a trash can. Officer Zavala called out to another officer, and the two officers entered the day room to conduct a clothed body search of White. This time, White complied, but the officers found nothing on him. Officer Zavala then retrieved the piece of white paper

1 Subsequent undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 from the trash can, which was otherwise empty. Inside the rolled-up paper, she found a weapon consisting of four metal rods about six inches long. The rods were held together with white rope, and they had been sharpened to a point. II. DISCUSSION A. Denial of Pitchess Motion for Discovery White contends the trial court erred in denying his motion for discovery of Officer Zavala’s personnel records by disregarding the legal standards set forth under Pitchess and relevant statutes. He further contends the trial court erred by denying his motion under Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 U.S. 83 (Brady). The Attorney General contends denial of the Pitchess motion was not an abuse of discretion because White failed to show the required good cause. 1. Procedural Background White moved pretrial for discovery of Officer Zavala’s personnel records under Pitchess and Brady. Counsel for White supported the motion with a declaration asserting on information and belief that Officer Zavala had testified falsely at the preliminary hearing and falsified her report concerning the alleged facts of the offense. Counsel also attached copies of incident reports by Zavala and other officers. Counsel’s declaration asserted Zavala testified falsely at the preliminary hearing when she stated she saw White “running” back and forth and slipping unknown items under the cell doors. In her incident report, Zavala stated White was “walking back and forth” and the report did not state he was putting items under the cell doors. Second, counsel asserted that Zavala falsely testified that the trash can into which White threw the paper was empty. Counsel stated only that this assertion was based on “investigation into this matter.” Finally, counsel asserted that the officer’s personnel records “may contain complaints of like nature by other inmates against the officer.” The trial court denied the motion at a hearing on the matter. The court stated it was persuaded by the prosecution’s argument that there was an insufficient basis to show

3 Officer Zavala had lied or exhibited any dishonesty. The court found that White’s motion had failed to establish good cause for the motion. 2. Legal Principles A movant under the Pitchess statutes must show, among other things, “good cause for the discovery or disclosure sought.” (Evid. Code, § 1043, subd. (b)(3).) “This ‘good cause’ requirement has two components. First, the movant must set forth ‘the materiality’ of the information sought ‘to the subject matter involved in the pending litigation.’ (Evid. Code, § 1043, subd. (b)(3).) The function of this requirement is to ‘exclude[ ] requests for officer information that are irrelevant to the pending charges.’ (Warrick v. Superior Court (2005) 35 Cal.4th 1011, 1021 [(Warrick)].) If the movant shows that the request is ‘relevant to the pending charges, and explains how, the materiality requirement will be met.’ [Citations.] If information is ‘material’ within the meaning of Brady, it is necessarily material ‘to the subject matter involved in’ a criminal prosecution. [Citations.]” (Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs v. Superior Court (2019) 8 Cal.5th 28, 41-42.) “Second, the ‘good cause’ requirement obliges the movant to articulate ‘a ‘reasonable belief’ that the agency has the type of information sought.’ [Citations.] This belief ‘may be based on a rational inference’ . . . .” (Id. at p. 42.) “What the defendant must present is a specific factual scenario of officer misconduct that is plausible when read in light of the pertinent documents.” (Warrick, supra, 35 Cal.4th at p. 1025.) If the trial court finds good cause for the motion, the court must examine the requested materials in camera to determine whether they should be disclosed to the defendant and whether certain specified categories of information must be withheld. (City of Santa Cruz v. Municipal Court (1989) 49 Cal.3d 74, 83.) We review a trial court’s denial of a Pitchess motion for an abuse of discretion. (People v. Breaux (1991) 1 Cal.4th 281, 311.)

4 3. Denial of the Pitchess Motion Was Not an Abuse of Discretion White contends the absence in the incident reports of any statements that he was “running” or passing something under cell doors suggests Officer Zavala’s testimony at the preliminary hearing was “dramatic” and untrue.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Brady v. Maryland
373 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1963)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
People v. Carter
442 P.2d 353 (California Supreme Court, 1968)
City of Santa Cruz v. Municipal Court
776 P.2d 222 (California Supreme Court, 1989)
People v. Steven B.
598 P.2d 480 (California Supreme Court, 1979)
People v. Breaux
821 P.2d 585 (California Supreme Court, 1991)
Pitchess v. Superior Court
522 P.2d 305 (California Supreme Court, 1974)
People v. Crowley
224 P.2d 748 (California Court of Appeal, 1950)
People v. Rodriguez
726 P.2d 113 (California Supreme Court, 1986)
People v. Memro
905 P.2d 1305 (California Supreme Court, 1995)
People v. Roderick S.
125 Cal. App. 3d 48 (California Court of Appeal, 1981)
People v. Moore
201 Cal. App. 3d 51 (California Court of Appeal, 1988)
People v. Apalatequi
82 Cal. App. 3d 970 (California Court of Appeal, 1978)
People v. Crossland
182 Cal. App. 2d 117 (California Court of Appeal, 1960)
People v. Serrato
238 Cal. App. 2d 112 (California Court of Appeal, 1965)
People v. Moore
117 Cal. Rptr. 2d 715 (California Court of Appeal, 2002)
People v. Thompson
46 Cal. Rptr. 3d 884 (California Court of Appeal, 2006)
Eulloqui v. Superior Court
181 Cal. App. 4th 1055 (California Court of Appeal, 2010)
Metropolitan Creditors Service v. Sadri
15 Cal. App. 4th 1821 (California Court of Appeal, 1993)
City of San Jose v. Superior Court
79 Cal. Rptr. 2d 624 (California Court of Appeal, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
People v. White CA6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-white-ca6-calctapp-2022.