THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ, Defendant and Appellant.
Crim. No. 6846
Fifth Dist.
Sept. 20, 1984
213 Cal. App. 3d 207
[Opinion certified for partial publication.†]
Quin Denvir and Frank O. Bell, Jr., State Public Defenders, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, Louis N. Hiken and Harvey Zall, Deputy State Public Defenders, for Defendant and Appellant.
John K. Van de Kamp, Attorney General, Roger E. Venturi and Anthony L. Dicce, Deputy Attorneys General, For Plaintiff and Respondent.
ANDREEN, J.—Defendant Rafael Rodriguez appeals from a judgment of conviction of seven counts: assault with a deadly weapon upon a police officer (count I,
Defendant was sentenced to an aggregate term of 44 years.1
Defendant argues the court committed prejudicial error in denying his motion to exclude a 13-year-old prior burglary conviction (People v. Beagle (1972) 6 Cal.3d 441 [99 Cal.Rptr. 313, 492 P.2d 1]); his sentence on auto theft should have been stayed pursuant to
I. FACTS
On an April evening in 1981, Officer Craig Wright of the Merced County Sheriff‘s Department noticed a green Mercury automobile enter Henderson Park in Merced County and stop. The officer approached the car and asked defendant, who had raised the hood, what the problem was; defendant declined an offer of assistance, identified himself as Ralph Rodriguez, and stated he had to be in court in a couple of days for sentencing on a conviction.
Wright requested a warrant check, discovered there were outstanding warrants and told defendant he would have to arrest him and transport him
While pointing the weapon at the officer, defendant stated something to the effect that he was going “‘to blow [the officer‘s] fuckin’ brains out.‘” Wright turned to run and heard the weapon discharge; he felt the physical sensation of heat, a high-pitched hum, and the hair rise on the side of his head, suggesting that a bullet passed by his head. Wright continued running and hid behind a tree.
Defendant shot out a tire of the police car, returned to his vehicle which contained two other occupants, and drove away. The vehicle made a U-turn and drove back toward the officer at a high rate of speed; an individual was leaning out the window of the car with the gun in his hand. Wright could not remove his shotgun from the patrol unit because of the locking mechanism. Wright was unable to follow the vehicle because of the flat tire.
Defendant immediately dropped off his nephew Don Shelton at the side of a road. Defendant told him to “get out of the car because he didn‘t want [his nephew] to get in trouble . . . .”
Defendant abandoned the vehicle near the rural residence of Robert and Aleta B. Aleta B. (Aleta) and her one and one-half-year-old son were home alone. Aleta heard a “hard” knocking on the door which she partially opened; defendant pointed a gun at her and pushed his way through, hysterically yelling “how he had just shot a cop at the park” and that he would kill her also because he had “nothing to lose.”
Defendant ordered Aleta to get her purse and leave the house with him; she was to drive the family‘s Jeep truck; the child was to remain at home. Once outside, defendant called to “Maria,” who was behind a tree in the front yard. The trio got into the truck and defendant ordered Aleta at gunpoint to drive where he instructed. At one point, Aleta was allowed to call her mother-in-law, Shirley B. (Shirley), from a phone booth for help with the sleeping child. Shirley went to her son‘s home, called her husband, and reported Aleta‘s disappearance to the police.
Defendant directed Aleta to drive into a trailer court where he pulled Maria out of the car, shook her around and then told her to find her way home. Defendant and Aleta went to the south Merced area and stopped at the home of Timothy Ramos. Defendant told Aleta she was to wait for him
They left the house after defendant acquired the marijuana; defendant ordered Aleta to drive the truck and stop next to a ditch bank near an open field. Defendant made sexual advances toward Aleta, eventually forcing her to have sexual intercourse with him. After he sodomized and orally copulated her, he gave her a portion of her clothing and directed her to drive the truck.
When they reached a rural area approximately one-quarter mile from a house, defendant ordered her to stop the truck. Before letting her go, defendant took $80 in cash from her purse. Aleta ran to the house and called the sheriff‘s office. She recounted to an officer that defendant on one instance referred to himself as “Ralph.”2
Later that evening, at the Merced Community Hospital, Aleta was given a sexual assault examination by a physician. A vaginal specimen proved positive for the presence of sperm.
Two days later, Aleta identified defendant in a photographic lineup as her assailant. Seven months later, the truck was located in Shreveport, Louisiana. Defendant was apprehended in Louisiana and ordered extradited to California.
Defense
Timothy Ramos testified for defendant and stated he recalled the evening when Aleta and defendant were at his residence, but that he did not see defendant with a gun. Ramos testified defendant and Aleta stayed a few minutes for defendant to obtain some marijuana and left. Defendant‘s mother, Shirley Kelley, testified that several years ago, defendant was a good shot. Defendant did not testify.
II. DEFENDANT‘S BEAGLE MOTION*
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V. FIREARM USE ENHANCEMENTS
After imposing full consecutive aggravated sentences for the three sex crimes pursuant to
*See footnote, ante, page 207.
The Attorney General argues that the Culbreth “single-occasion rule” has been abrogated by the enactment of
A careful reading of the applicable
We start with an analysis of the
One may argue that the Legislature used the word “term” in
It appears that the Legislature meant to provide multifaceted discretion for the trial courts when sentencing for the type of sexual offenses listed in
Limits are set, however, and if
The matter is not ambiguous, but if it were, we would be bound to resolve it in the defendant‘s favor. (See People v. King (1978) 22 Cal.3d 12, 23
We turn to a review of available legislative history. It appears that the Legislature did not consider the holding in In re Culbreth, supra, 17 Cal.3d 330 when it enacted subdivision (i). Instead, its focus, and the reason for enacting the subdivision, was to abrogate the limitations in
As noted earlier, Culbreth holds that when there is a single course of conduct resulting in multiple victims, the use enhancement in
As written at the time of the enactment of Statutes 1979, chapter 944,
The Legislative Counsel forwarded a summary of Senate Bill No. 13 (Stats. 1979, ch. 944 [herein Sen. Bill No. 13]) to the Governor on September 12, 1979.11 In doing so, the only reference to subdivision (i)
“Under the bill, there would be no limit to the enhancements that could be imposed on a person convicted of a violent sex offense. Each of them must be served in full.”
The summary prepared by the Governor‘s Legal Affairs Department (Sept. 21, 1979) noted: ”Penal Code Section 1170.1: provides for the computation of enhancements and subordinate terms. Contains limitations on how much the base terms can be increased.
”SB 13: Adds a new section to provide that there is no limitation on the number of enhancements when the offense is for 261(2) or (3); 264.1; 288(b); 289; or 286 or 288a with force, violence, duress, etc. Also provides that the enhancements shall not be merged.” It is noteworthy that there was no reference to Culbreth or its holding in either document. The references were to
The Pacific Law Journal, in its review of selected 1979 legislation discussed the bill at 11 Pacific L. J. 432. After noting that prison terms are comprised of base terms and enhancements, it stated: “Limitations exist, however, on the number of enhancement terms that may be imposed.29 Notwithstanding this provision, Chapter 944 provides that the number of enhancement terms that may be imposed is not limited, regardless of the source of the enhancement for any conviction . . . .” Footnote 29 provides: “See CAL. PENAL CODE §1170.1(d).” The editor‘s reference to
It should not “be presumed that the legislature in the enactment of statutes intends to overthrow long-established principles of law unless such intention is made clearly to appear either by express declaration or by necessary implication.” (County of Los Angeles v. Frisbie (1942) 19 Cal.2d 634, 644 [122 P.2d 526]; Theodor v. Superior Court (1972) 8 Cal.3d 77, 92 [104 Cal. Rptr. 226, 501 P.2d 234].) Culbreth is such a long established rule of law, which has survived the Determinate Sentencing Act. (People v. Edwards (1981) 117 Cal.App.3d 436, 447-448 [172 Cal.Rptr. 652].)
On appeal, the People argued that language in
In People v. Tassell (1984) 36 Cal.3d 77 [201 Cal.Rptr. 567, 679 P.2d 1], the defendant was convicted of kidnaping (
The trial court had justified its double use of the priors by reliance on
Against the foregoing analysis and precedent stands People v. Bergman (1984) 154 Cal.App.3d 30 [201 Cal.Rptr. 54]. We believe that case was wrongly decided. Bergman correctly recognized that as to a sentence imposed pursuant to
Bergman did not cite Carter, but instead relied on People v. Edwards, supra, 117 Cal.App.3d 436 and People v. Cardenas, supra, 31 Cal.3d 897. Neither supports it. Edwards was sentenced for seven counts of robbery. There were two victims in one incident, three in another. As to each, the defendant was sentenced to two one-year enhancements under
The Cardenas defendant was convicted of attempted murder in the first degree (
We have placed in the margin13 other cases which have discussed subdivision (i). For the reasons noted there, none of them are inconsistent with our view that when multiple sex offenses are punished pursuant to
VI. CONCLUSION
The judgment appealed from is affirmed with the exception of the imposition of more than one
Franson, Acting P. J., concurred.
In light of the recent case of People v. Bergman (1984) 154 Cal.App.3d 30, 34-37 [201 Cal.Rptr. 54], hearing denied by the Supreme Court on June 13, 1984, the majority opinion creates a needless conflict in the law.
In People v. Perez (1979) 23 Cal.3d 545 [153 Cal.Rptr. 40, 591 P.2d 63], Justice Manuel, in discussing the commission of multiple sexual acts against a single victim, stated: “Assertion of a sole intent and objective to achieve sexual gratification is akin to an assertion of a desire for wealth as the sole intent and objective in committing a series of separate thefts.” (Id., at p. 552.) As in Perez, here, “[n]one of the sex offenses was committed as a means of committing any other, none facilitated commission of any other” (id., at pp. 553-554) and here, in each offense, a gun was involved. Perez defined such “base criminal” sexual attacks as more than an individual transaction, “not incidental to” but each “a separate and distinct act.” (Id., at p. 553.)
The basis of Perez was to ensure that a defendant‘s punishment is commensurate with his culpability. This obviously was the intent of the Legislature in enacting section 667.6 of the
Respondent‘s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied December 13, 1984. Kaus, J., and Lucas, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.
