THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. HAROLD ARTHUR HILL, Defendant and Appellant.
Crim. No. 10808.
Supreme Court of California. In Bank.
July 25, 1967.
67 Cal.2d 105 (1967)
PETERS, J.
Harold Arthur Hill, in pro. per., and Kate Whyner, under appointment by the Supreme Court, for Defendant and Appellant. Thomas C. Lynch, Attorney General, William E. James, Assistant Attorney General, and Bruce Wm. Dodds, Deputy Attorney General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
Defendant was adjudged guilty of second degree burglary after a trial by jury. He was also found to have been previously convicted, in 1958, of two felonies—burglary and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury—and was found to have served a term in the state prison for each. Defendant appeals from the judgment of conviction.
Defendant, represented by Deputy Public Defender Gordon, entered a plea of not guilty to the burglary charge and denied the prior convictions. The cause was called for trial October 1, 1965, and the panel of prospective jurors was sworn. Defendant then interrupted the proceedings by announcing that he wished to have first a separate trial on the issue of his prior convictions. His attorney attempted to explain that in determining his guilt or innocence of the most recent charge, the jury would not be permitted to consider the prior convictions. Defendant‘s replies to Gordon were an incoherent jumble of dates, pleas, and priors. He seemed unable to understand that the recent burglary alleged in the information was the primary charge against him and that the priors would only affect the punishment. Defense counsel then stated to the court that defendant appeared to be incapable of cooperating with counsel in his defense—that a doubt existed as to his present sanity. He moved “that this matter be referred to Dept. 95 [psychiatric department of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County] under the provisions of Penal Code Section 1368.”1 This motion was granted, Judge Olson announcing
Thereafter two physicians, Drs. Tweed and Davis, were appointed to examine defendant. On October 6 they submitted their reports on printed forms designed for use in 1368 matters. Printed on the sheet is the following question: “Is the person named in this report sane in that he/she is presently able to understand the nature and the purpose of the proceedings against him/her and to conduct or assist in his/her defense in a rational manner?” Both physicians placed a check mark in the “Yes” square following the question. They also commented on defendant‘s mental condition. Dr. Davis found defendant “correctly oriented” and found no hallucinations. Although defendant had accused defense counsel of plotting against him, in Dr. Davis’ opinion this was “not clearly delusional.” Dr. Davis concluded that defendant was “not mentally ill.” Dr. Tweed reported “no evidence of psychosis or mental illness as would be manifested by hallucinations or delusions.”
The sanity hearing provided for by section 1368 was conducted in Department 95 on October 13, 1965. Defendant was represented by Deputy Public Defender Moss, who submitted the matter to the court on the basis of the two physicians’ reports. Although Drs. Tweed and Davis were present, counsel did not seek to cross-examine them. The court found defendant sane within the meaning of section 1368 and referred the matter back to the department where the guilt trial was pending.
On January 10, 1966, the guilt trial was held, this time before Judge Farley. Samuel Zablan, owner of Alan Men‘s Shop in Los Angeles, testified that sometime after he had locked up the store on the night of July 8, 1965, it had been broken into by smashing in the plate glass in the front door. Seventeen suits and two pairs of pants, all bearing the label, “Alan,” were missing.
Police Officer Wayne Songer of the Los Angeles Police Department testified that at 4:10 a.m. on July 9, while he was off duty, he heard the sounds of breaking glass and of a
As proof of the prior convictions the People placed in evidence certified copies of minute orders of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, dated July 10, 1958, stating that Harold A. Hill had been found guilty of burglary and of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. The orders state that Hill was sentenced to state prison for both crimes. Accompanying the orders was a card with fingerprints of Hill and a photograph of him.
The defense presented no evidence and called no witnesses.
The Proceedings to Determine Present Sanity
Defendant contends that in the 1368 proceedings it was error (1) not to try that issue before the same judge who had declared the doubt as to his sanity; (2) for the court not to advise him that in that proceeding he had a right to a jury trial; and (3) that the court‘s finding of present sanity is unsupported. These contentions lack merit.
[1] Section 1368 does not require the present sanity hearing to be held before the same judge that declared the existence of a doubt as to the accused‘s competence to stand trial. The section states that the sanity issue should be determined by “the court,” unless a jury is demanded.2 There is only one superior “court” in Los Angeles County (
The Rules of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County (1967) provide that all “Hearings on questions of sanity under Section 1368 ... of the Penal Code” be assigned to Department 95, the psychiatric department. (Rule 4, 12, subd. (c).) We have previously given approval to the transfer of section 1368 matters to the psychiatric department of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. (People v. Westbrook, 62 Cal.2d 197, 204 [41 Cal.Rptr. 809, 397 P.2d 545]; see also In re Hedberg, 232 Cal.App.2d 728, 731 [43 Cal.Rptr. 193].)
[2] Defendant urges that he was entitled to a jury trial on the issue of his present sanity, and that such right was not waived by him. In the first place a 1368 hearing is not within the scope of
[4] Except where representation by counsel is so ineffective that it can be described as a “farce or a sham” (People v. Ibarra, 60 Cal.2d 460, 464 [34 Cal.Rptr. 863, 386 P.2d 487]; People v. Wein, 50 Cal.2d 383, 410 [326 P.2d 457]; People v. Gutkowsky, 219 Cal.App.2d 223, 227 [33 Cal.Rptr. 79]), an attorney may ordinarily waive his client‘s rights (Henry v. Mississippi, 379 U.S. 443, 451 [13 L.Ed.2d 408, 85 S.Ct. 564]) as to matters of trial tactics and “‘control the court proceedings‘” (People v. Merkouris, 46 Cal.2d 540, 554 [297 P.2d 999]; People v. Bourland, 247 Cal.App.2d 76, 83 [55
[6] Although counsel at the present sanity hearing called no witnesses, presented no evidence, did not seek to cross-examine Drs. Tweed and Davis, and apparently did not inform defendant of his right to demand a jury trial, we cannot hold that such representation was a farce or a sham under the particular circumstances.
The strongly worded reports of Drs. Davis and Tweed apprised defense counsel that the deputy public defender‘s own doubts about Hill‘s mental competence were not borne out by any medical facts.5 There just was no substantial evidence upon which defendant‘s counsel could have argued that his client was insane. It was, therefore, not improper for defense counsel not to contest the sanity issue.
Defendant‘s contention that there was insufficient evidence to support the finding in Department 95 that he was mentally competent to stand trial rests solely on Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402 [4 L.Ed.2d 824, 80 S.Ct. 788] (per curiam). But Dusky is readily distinguishable. It concerned only implementation of the federal statute providing for present sanity hearings (
[9] We have laid down no specific rules to control hearings conducted under section 1368 but have instead imposed the requirement that the accused be afforded “all of the elements of due process.” (People v. Westbrook, supra, 62 Cal.2d 197, 204, followed in In re Hedberg, supra, 232 Cal.App.2d 728, 731.) This requirement was met in the instant case where the indigent defendant was provided with two psychiatric examinations, counsel to represent him at the special hearing, and the opportunity to present evidence. There is nothing in the record to indicate that a jury trial would not have been provided upon demand as expressly required by section 1368.7
[10] Defendant also contends that Judge Farley should have declared a doubt as to defendant‘s sanity when criminal proceedings were resumed after the hearing in Department 95. The contention is totally without merit. Judge Olson‘s previously expressed doubt had just been resolved in Department
Instructions to the Jury
Defendant contends that the court erred in instructing the jury on both general and specific intent in regard to the crime of burglary (
The reason for this rule is that when the jury, as in the instant case, hears a generalized instruction on both general
As a matter of law in the abstract, it is true, of course, that no specific intent crime can be committed without general intent, that is, without the defendant having voluntarily done the proscribed acts, as, in burglary, entry into a building or structure. (
[12] In cases where a specific intent crime alone is charged, the general intent instruction should only be given where some evidence suggests that defendant‘s acts may not have been voluntary or intentional, or where defendant raises the issue or requests a general intent instruction. (People v. Booth, supra, 111 Cal.App.2d 106, 108-109.) [13] And when both instructions must be given, the court should take care to clearly explain to the jury that the specific intent is not to be automatically inferred from the defendant‘s voluntarily doing the proscribed acts but is a question of fact for the jury to be determined from all the evidence before it, including those reasonable inferences the jury wishes to draw.
In cases where the defendant is tried simultaneously for multiple crimes, some requiring specific intent, others only general intent, the court should limit the application of the
[11b] In the instant case there was no need to give a general intent instruction, and the instruction read to the jury was not clearly qualified by the subsequently given instruction on specific intent. Therefore, the giving of it was error, but under the circumstances that error could not have been prejudicial. [14] No miscarriage of justice (
[16, 17] Defendant also argues that the court erred in failing to instruct the jury that the specific intent to commit a felony had to be formed before or at the moment defendant entered the building. (
Defendant further contends that the court erroneously instructed
“The flight of a person immediately after the commission of a crime, or after he is accused of a crime that has been committed, is not sufficient in itself to establish his guilt, but is a fact which, if proved, the jury may consider in deciding his guilt or innocence. The weight to which such circumstance is entitled is a matter for the jury to determine.”
“No further instruction on the subject of flight need be given.”
[18] As the statute indicates, and as the cases have held (e.g., People v. Chessman, supra, 38 Cal.2d 166, 184; People v. Israel, 91 Cal.App.2d 773, 783-784 [206 P.2d 62]), the giving of an instruction on flight in language which varies slightly from that of section 1127c is not error. [19] Defendant contends that to invite the jury to consider flight as showing consciousness of guilt is a substantial variation from the statute; that is, he argues, the jury under section 1127c is simply to be informed it can consider flight in determining guilt and should not be told in what manner to weigh the evidence of flight.
We disagree. It is settled law that the reason flight is relevant is because it may demonstrate consciousness of guilt. (E.g., People v. Ruiz, 103 Cal.App.2d 146, 149 [229 P.2d 73]; People v. Kittrelle, 102 Cal.App.2d 149, 158 [227 P.2d 38]; People v. Moody, 93 Cal.App.2d 66, 71 [208 P.2d 692].) Evidence of flight has no other probative value. Certainly, then, it is not improper to inform the jury of the reason why it is asked to consider defendant‘s flight as a factor that might tend to indicate his guilt of the crime charged.
[20] The Legislature‘s purpose in enacting section 1127c was to abolish the rule stated in many early cases that the jury could not be instructed to consider flight as evidence of guilt unless it had been proved that the fleeing suspect had
Proof of Prior Convictions
Defendant contends that there was insufficient proof to support that portion of the judgment finding (1) that he had previously been convicted of the two felonies and (2) that he had served time in prison for each of them.
[21] When a judgment is attacked for insufficiency of the evidence, an appellate court must draw all reasonable inferences which would support the judgment. (People v. Newland, 15 Cal.2d 678, 681 [104 P.2d 778].) Certainly it can be inferred from the minute order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County which was put in evidence that judgment of conviction of the crimes indicated was duly entered. As regards the identity of defendant with the Harold A. Hill referred to in the minute order, the similarity of name and of fingerprints established a prima facie case. (People v. Manfredo, supra, 210 Cal.App.2d 474, 478-479; People v. Hoerler, 208 Cal.App.2d 402, 406 [25 Cal.Rptr. 209]; People v. Ahouse, 162 Cal.App.2d 586, 588 [328 P.2d 227]; People v. Shayer, 135 Cal.App. 755, 760 [28 P.2d 48].)
[22, 23] Defendant cannot presently be prejudiced by that portion of the judgment stating he served prison terms for each of the priors. The finding of prior convictions will affect his parole status and minimum sentence whether or not he served time in prison for them. (
[24]
Record on Appeal
[26] Defendant contends that failure to provide to him, an indigent, at no cost, a transcript of the arguments of the attorneys to the jury constitutes a denial of equal protection of the law. (
Defendant does not attack the procedure by which Judge
Defendant contends that the equal protection clause entitles an indigent appellant to a transcript of all criminal proceedings in his case as a matter of right whether or not he demonstrates need for the entire record. He relies on Hardy v. United States, 375 U.S. 277 [11 L.Ed.2d 331, 84 S.Ct. 424]. Hardy holds that federal statutes assure the indigent appellant, on appeal from a judgment of a federal court, a free transcript of the entire proceedings when his appellate counsel is not the same attorney who represented him at trial. (Cf. United States v. Sigal (3d Cir.) 341 F.2d 837, 839; United States v. Shoaf (4th Cir.) 341 F.2d 832, 833-835.) The Hardy decision has no application to constitutional standards which apply to the states. The Supreme Court specifically stated at pages 278 and 282 of its opinion that it was dealing only with federal statutory law. (See also United States v. Shoaf, supra, 341 F.2d 832, 834.) In respect to the standards applicable to the states, the Supreme Court has given its approval to a state
The recent United States Supreme Court decision of Entsminger v. Iowa, 386 U.S. 748 [18 L.Ed.2d 501, 87 S.Ct. 1402], does not cast doubt on the constitutionality of California‘s procedure in respect to providing transcripts to indigent defendants on appeal. Entsminger holds that an appeal on a clerk‘s transcript alone is insufficient. It would require a state to furnish a complete transcript on proper demand. But Entsminger does not hold that the state cannot, having automatically supplied a transcript of the evidentiary trial, require an indigent appellant to explain why he wishes a transcript of argument to the jury. The Entsminger opinion cites and relies on Burns v. Ohio, supra, 360 U.S. 252, for the rule that a state must give an indigent appellant as complete an appellate review as others may obtain. There is no intimation whatsoever that Burns is being overruled insofar as it approves of a system in which the state requires an appellant to demonstrate the materiality of the record he requests to issues raised on appeal.
[27] Although under California procedure some discrimination between indigent and nonindigent defendants does exist, we are of the view that it does not deny equal protection of the law. (Cf. People v. Chavez, 243 Cal.App.2d 761, 767 [52 Cal.Rptr. 633].) While it is true that a nonindigent may purchase a complete transcript without giving reasons therefor, and while the indigent must give reasons, this discrimination is not invidious, because the indigent will be furnished all materials necessary for “adequate consideration of the errors assigned.” (Draper v. Washington, 372 U.S. 487, 497 [9 L.Ed.2d 899, 83 S.Ct. 774]; see also Eskridge v. Washington State Board of Prison Terms & Paroles, 357 U.S. 214 [2 L.Ed.2d 1269, 78 S.Ct. 1061].) The appellant was present at his trial and should have some idea of what particular aspect of argument to the jury offended his sense of justice. (People v. Hagan, supra, 203 Cal.App.2d 34, 39.) All that is required of him is that he signify with some certainty how materials not included in the normal transcript may be useful to him on appeal. His appellate counsel may also be able to ascertain the materiality of these extra materials by discussing the case
Sentencing
[28] Defendant complains because the court, in sentencing him, failed to include in the judgment the direction that the sentence for the burglary conviction be served concurrently with sentences he was serving at the time the crime was committed. The court had stated that sentence would be concurrently served. Since the judgment is silent on the matter, the law presumes concurrent sentencing, and thus defendant has not been prejudiced. (
[29] Defendant also complains because the court failed to direct the Adult Authority to count the time served in county jail after his arrest on the burglary charge here on appeal as time served under the previous sentence, from which he was on parole at the time of his arrest. However, the matter of the Adult Authority‘s treatment of defendant under a prior sentence was not before the trial court and is not an issue on appeal. Defendant is, as he contends, entitled to credit for the time served in jail (Aguilera v. California Dept. of Corrections, 247 Cal.App.2d 150 [55 Cal.Rptr. 292]), and it must be assumed that the Adult Authority will correctly follow the law.
There being no prejudicial error, the judgment is affirmed.
Traynor, C. J., McComb, J., Tobriner, J., Mosk, J., Burke, J., and Sullivan, J., concurred.
