Welchen v. Bonta

District Court, E.D. California·Decided September 22, 2022·No. 2:16-cv-00185·Unknown

Opinion

GARY WAYNE WELCHEN, No. 2:16-cv-00185-TLN-DB Plaintiff, v. ORDER ROB BONTA, in his official capacity as the Attorney General of California, et al. Defendants. This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Gary Wayne Welchen’s (“Plaintiff”) Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 80.) Defendants Rob Bonta, in his official capacity as Attorney General of the State of California1 (the “AG”), and Scott Jones, in his official capacity as the Sacramento County Sheriff (the “Sheriff”), (collectively, “Defendants”) have filed oppositions. (ECF Nos. 83, 84.) Plaintiff filed replies. (ECF Nos. 86, 87.) For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiff’s motion is GRANTED. /// ///

1 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Rule”) 25(d), “[t]he officer’s successor is automatically substituted as a party” when a public officer “ceases to hold office while the action is pending.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d). Accordingly, Rob Bonta is automatically substituted as a party for Kamala Harris, the former Attorney General of the State of California. The Clerk of the Court is directed to update the docket as necessary. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND2 A. Overview of the Instant Case The instant action arises from Plaintiff’s arrest by Sacramento police. Plaintiff was arrested on January 29, 2016, and charged with second-degree burglary. (Pl.’s Statement of Undisputed Facts (“PSUF”), ECF No. 80-1 ¶ 1.) Upon being taken to jail and booked, Plaintiff was assigned bail of $10,000 pursuant to the Sacramento bail schedule.3 (Id. at ¶ 2.) Plaintiff was indigent and could not pay the $10,000, and therefore he remained in the custody of the Sheriff for six days.4 (Id. at ¶ 4.) Pursuant to California’s statutory bail scheme, those who are (a) arrested not pursuant to an arrest warrant and (b) without an immediate opportunity for a bail hearing before a judge, have their bail set for them by Defendants “at the amount dictated in a ‘uniform countywide schedule of bail.’”5 (Id. at ¶ 7 (quoting Buffin v. California (Buffin II), 23 F.4th 951, 954–55 (9th Cir. 2 The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise noted.

3 The Sheriff objects to this fact as unsupported and argues the evidence cited (Plaintiff’s declaration) fails to support the facts as stated. (Sheriff’s Response to Pl.’s Statement of Undisputed Facts (“SR”), ECF No. 83-1 ¶ 2.) However, the Sheriff does not actually dispute any of these facts as presented. The Court will therefore consider them undisputed for the purpose of this motion.

4 The Sheriff objects to this fact, arguing the Plaintiff’s declaration (the evidence to which Plaintiff cites for this fact) does not lay the necessary foundation that Plaintiff could not afford to pay. (SR ¶ 4.) The Sheriff does not dispute that Plaintiff was in custody for six days before being released. (Id.) Plaintiff avers in his declaration: “When I got to jail, I was given a booking form which stated that I would be released if I paid $10,000 . . . I cannot afford to buy my release from jail. If I had the money, I would immediately pay for my release.” (See ECF No. 1-1 ¶¶ 3–5.) These issues are also appropriately based on Plaintiff’s personal knowledge. Based on these statements, the Court OVERRULES the Sheriff’s objection that Plaintiff has not laid the necessary foundation that he could not afford to pay.

5 The Sheriff objects to this fact as compound, relative to San Francisco, and fails to account for the fact that conditions of release, including the amount of bail, are set by the California Superior Court. (SR ¶ 7.) First, a compound objection is inapplicable here as no questions were asked in a deposition, nor do the Local Rules or Federal Rules prohibit the statement of undisputed facts from listing multiple facts in each paragraph. Second, the Court finds this is not relative to San Francisco, as the Ninth Circuit cites to a statute that applies statewide. See Buffin II, 23 F.4th at 954–55 (citing Cal. Penal Code § 1269b(b)). Third, the Ninth Circuit clearly states that “if the defendant has not had his first hearing and was not arrested 2022); Cal. Penal Code § 1269b(b)).) The bail schedule sets specific dollar amounts by reference solely to criminal charges, without allowing Defendants to modify an amount by making an individualized determination as to the arrestee’s ability to pay, risk of nonappearance, or threat of public safety before trial.6 (Id. at ¶ 8 (citing Buffin II, 23 F.4th at 955–56; Cal. Penal Code §§ 1269b(a)–(c)).) Plaintiff filed the instant action on January 29, 2016. (ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff filed the instant motion for partial summary judgment on January 14, 2022. (ECF No. 80.) B. Overview of California Penal Code § 1269b The statute outlining the bail schedule states the duties of the Sheriff: (a) The officer in charge of a jail in which an arrested person is held in custody . . . may approve and accept bail in the amount fixed by the warrant of arrest, schedule of bail, or order admitting to bail in cash or surety bond executed by a certified, admitted surety insurer . . ., to issue and sign an order for the release of the arrested person, and to set a time and place for the appearance of the arrested person before the appropriate court and give notice thereof. Cal. Pen. Code § 1269b(a) (emphasis added). With respect to the “schedule of bail,” the rest of the statute requires: (b) If a defendant has appeared before a judge of the court . . ., the bail shall be in the amount fixed by the judge at the time of the appearance. If that appearance has not been made . . . [and], if no warrant of arrest has been issued, the amount of bail shall be pursuant to the uniform countywide schedule of bail for the county in which the defendant is required to appear, previously fixed and approved as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d). ///

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