People v. Wilson

224 Cal. App. 2d 738, 37 Cal. Rptr. 42, 1964 Cal. App. LEXIS 1520
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 17, 1964
DocketCrim. 4369
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 224 Cal. App. 2d 738 (People v. Wilson) 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. Wilson, 224 Cal. App. 2d 738, 37 Cal. Rptr. 42, 1964 Cal. App. LEXIS 1520 (Cal. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

AGEE, J.

The People have appealed from an order of the superior court setting aside the information and dismissing this action pursuant to a motion made by defendant under the provisions of section 995 of the Penal Code. No issue is raised as to the right of the defendant to make such a motion. The entire controversy is over the effect on the instant action of an earlier action arising out of the same incident.

On the morning of October 20, 1962, Deputy Sheriff Costa drove his ear to defendant’s home with a warrant for his arrest ; defendant invited him to come in but there were others in the house and the deputy suggested that they talk outside; they went out to the car and got in; the deputy read the warrant to defendant and told him that he was under arrest; defendant thereupon jumped out of the car and “took off” for his father’s house, which was about 125 feet away; the deputy followed him and tried to get him to come back; defendant would not do so and “he started wanting to fight”; the deputy thereupon went back to the car and got his handcuffs ; when he returned and started to open the screen door, defendant was standing in the hallway about 6 or 8 feet from the door; he had a rifle pointed toward the deputy and told him not to come in or “I’ll let you have it”; the deputy returned to his car and radioed for help; when help arrived, defendant could not be found; he turned himself in to the authorities that same afternoon.

On October 22, 1962, a complaint was filed in the justice court charging that on October 20, 1962, defendant had exhibited a firearm in a rude, angry and threatening manner, in violation of section 417 of the Penal Code, a misdemeanor. The ensuing trial on November 19, 1962, resulted in a hung jury.

On December 20, 1962, a complaint was filed in another justice court in the same county charging that on October 20, 1962, defendant did resist, delay or obstruct a public officer in the discharge or attempt to discharge a duty of his office, in violation of section 148 of the Penal Code, a misdemeanor.

A violation of section 148 is punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment in a county jail not ex- *741 eeeding one year, or both. Section 1425 of the Penal Code (prior to being amended in 1963) limited the jurisdiction of a justice court in criminal cases to misdemeanors punishable by fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both. Hence, this second action was within the exclusive jurisdiction of the superior court.

On January 10, 1963 defendant’s motion to dismiss the first action was granted on the ground that it had not been brought to trial within 30 days after the mistrial (Pen. Code, § 1382, subd. 3). The motion was not opposed.

A preliminary examination before the magistrate was held in the second action on January 24, 1963 and the defendant was held to answer. The only witness who testified at the hearing was the deputy sheriff. The information was filed in the superior court on January 25,1963.

Applicability of Penal Code section 1387. This section provides as follows: “An order for the dismissal of the action, made as provided in this chapter [§§ 1381-1387], is a bar to any other prosecution for the same offense if it is a misdemeanor, but not if it is a felony. ’ ’

Both offenses proscribed by sections 417 and 148 of the Penal Code are misdemeanors but each differs from the other. Anyone “who wilfully resists, delays, or obstructs any public officer, in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his office,” in any manner or by any means, thereby violates section 148.

Section 417 provides as follows: “Every person who, except in self-defense, in the presence of any other person, draws or exhibits any firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or any other deadly weapon whatsoever, in a rude, angry or threatening manner, or who in any manner, unlawfully uses the same in any fight or quarrel is guilty of a misdemeanor. ’ ’

While a violation of section 148 may involve the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon, it may also be committed without such use. On the other hand, to accomplish a violation of section 417, it is necessary to exhibit or use such a weapon.

As stated in People v. Mitman, 122 Cal.App.2d 490, 494 [265 P.2d 105], in which sections 647 and 288a of the Penal Code were considered: “ [W]hile some of the evidence would have been admissible in either ease, the necessary elements of the two offenses were considerably different. While section 1387 [Penal Code] provides that such a dismissal *742 is a bar to any other prosecution for the same offense, it does not forbid prosecution for a different offense merely because some of the acts and evidence might be involved in the other offense. It rather clearly appears that the Legislature never intended this statutory bar to apply under such circumstances as here appear.” (See also Ephraim v. Jamestown Judicial District Court, 120 Cal.App.2d 741, 745 [262 P.2d 56].)

In our opinion the offense described in section 148 is not “the same offense” as that described in section 417, within the meaning and intent of section 1387.

Effect of Penal Code section 1023. This section provides as follows: “When the defendant is convicted or acquitted or has been once placed in jeopardy upon an accusatory pleading, the conviction, acquittal, or jeopardy is a bar to another prosecution for the offense charged in such accusatory pleading, or for an attempt to commit the same, or for an offense necessarily included therein, of which he might have been convicted under that accusatory pleading.” (Italics ours.)

Although this section refers to a situation where the prosecution for the greater offense is first in time, there is no such limitation in the cases. If the first prosecution is for the lesser included offense, a subsequent prosecution for the greater offense is barred. (People v. Greer, 30 Cal.2d 589, 597 [184 P.2d 512]; Gomez v. Superior Court, 50 Cal.2d 640, 648 [328 P.2d 976].)

As stated above, another prosecution for the same offense charged in the first action is barred by the provisions of section 1387. It therefore makes no difference, so far as the application of section 1023 is concerned herein, whether the defendant was in effect acquitted in that action or only had been once placed in jeopardy upon the accusatory pleading therein.

The question here is whether the offense charged in the first action is “an offense necessarily included” in the offense charged in the second action.

“The test in this state of a necessarily included offense is simply that where an offense cannot be committed without necessarily committing another offense, the latter is a necessarily included offense.”

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Bluebook (online)
224 Cal. App. 2d 738, 37 Cal. Rptr. 42, 1964 Cal. App. LEXIS 1520, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-wilson-calctapp-1964.