People v. Keefer
People v. Keefer
Opinion of the Court
Convicted on three counts of violation of section 405, Labor Code, after a nonjury trial, defendant was sentenced on each count to prison for the term prescribed by law, the sentences to run concurrently. He appeals from the judgment and order denying his motion for new trial. The only claim to reversal is alleged insufficiency of the evidence.
Both sections relate to an employee or an applicant for employment, persons who are afforded this special protection because of their inferior status in the matter of bargaining for employment or fixing the terms of same. (People v. McEntyre, 32 Cal.App.2d Supp. 752, 755 [84 P.2d 560].) Counsel agree that the test of applicability of the statute to the facts at bar depends upon the existence or an application for a relationship of employer and employee within the common law concept and measured by its standards. Such is the basis of discussion of the merits of People v. McEntyre, supra, and People v. Pond, 44 Cal.2d 665, 675 [284 P.2d 793].
The law provides that any property put up by the employee or applicant “as a part of the contract of employment, directly or indirectly,” constitutes a “bond,” “regardless of the wording of the agreement under which it is put up.” (§406.) Also, that “no contract between the employer and employee or applicant shall abrogate the provisions” of section 405 requiring that any such property shall be held in trust for the purpose of liquidating accounts between employer and employee, or for return to the employee or applicant. Misappropriation, mingling, or use for any other purpose is punishable as a theft. All of this applies to the
‘ The information charges employment and prospective employment in each instance and the judgment of guilty rests upon this basic finding: Unless the evidence establishes as á matter of law that there was no employment or application for employment the judgment must be affirmed. To warrant reversal “it must be made clearly to appear that upon no hypothesis whatever is there sufficient substantial evidence to support the conclusion reached in the court below,’’ and “we must assume in favor of the verdict the existence of every fact which the jury could have reasonably deduced from the evidence, and then determine whether such facts are sufficient to support the verdict.” (People v. Newland, 15 Cal.2d 678, 681 [104 P.2d 778].)
It appears without conflict that the money received from each of defendant’s victims was not held in trust, that it was deposited in defendant’s own bank account which was joint with one or more' of his relatives, and that it was used for' purposes other than those specified in section 405. Applying the rules of the Newland case, supra, rejecting all evidence opposed to the finding and adopting all inferences favorable to it, we find the judgment well supported.
Defendant’s claim is that there was no employment and no application for employment; that each person named in the information leased from him certain vending machines for sanitary napkins, paying him a sum of money for the concession for a specified period. ’ Obviously, this version of the facts was rejected by the trial judge.
One of defendant’s victims was Miss Blanche M. Chadsey (count II). She read an advertisement which defendant had inserted in the Los Angeles Examiner of February 13, 1956 as follows: “Lady, 40 to 65 Route Manager for lite, pleasant outside supervisory position. Up to 30 hrs. weekly. Earn $5 hr. to start. Must have reliable ear. Send application to National Sanitary Napkin Service, Box M8609 Exam.” Standing alone, the phrases “Route Manager,” “supervisory position,” “earn $5 hr. to start,” connote employment and nothing else, especially as the' advertisement appeared in the column, “Help" wanted, female.” Miss Chadsey contacted defendant and he called upon her, showed her some pictures of the napkins, told her she would have to put' up a bond as she would handle money and stock,—$500 if she worked two days a week, or $1,000 if she worked 25 hours
The facts above related leave little room for any finding except that Miss Chadsey was an applicant for employment and that she and defendant actually agreed upon an employment. That is a question of fact, of course, unless the evidence is not susceptible of opposing inferences. (Sudduth v. California Emp. Stab. Com., 130 Cal.App.2d 304, 311 [278 P.2d 946]; Isenberg v. California Emp. Stab. Com., 30 Cal.2d 34, 39 [180 P.2d 11].)
In Empire Star Mines Co. v. California Emp. Com., 28 Cal.2d 33, 43 [168 P.2d 686] (as in many other cases), it is said that in determining the question of employee or independent contractor “the most important factor is the right to control the manner and means of accomplishing the result desired. If the employer has the authority to exercise complete control, whether or not that right is exercised with respect to all details, an employer-employee relationship exists. ’ ’ Again, “ [o]ther factors to be taken into consideration are (a) whether or not the one performing services is engaged in a distinct occupation or business; (b) the kind of occupation, with reference to whether, in the locality, the work is usually done under the direction of the principal or by a specialist without supervision; (c) the skill required in the particular occupation; (d) whether the principal or the workman supplies the instrumentalities, tools, and the place of work for the person doing the work; (e) the length of time for which the services are to be performed; (f) the method of payment, whether by the time or by the job; (g) whether or not the work is a part of the regular business of the principal; and (h) whether or not the parties believe they are creating the relationship of employer-employee. (Rest., Agency, § 220; Cal.Ann., § 220.) ” (To the same effect, see Tomlin v. California Emp. Com., 30 Cal.2d 118 [180 P.2d 342] ; Bemis v. People, 109 Cal.App.2d 253, 263 [240 P.2d 638]; Sudduth v. California Emp. Stab. Com., supra, 130 Cal.App.2d 304, 311; Bevan v. California Emp. Stab. Com., 139 Cal.App.2d 668, 681 [294 P.2d 524].)
The same considerations uphold the finding of guilt in the instances of Mrs. Bessie Ann Stratton (count I), and Mrs. Helen F. Landsberg (count III). The facts are of a pattern with the Chadsey transaction.
As the sentences were made to run concurrently and a single judgment was entered, insufficiency of the evidence to establish guilt on Counts I and III (if such there had been) could not work a reversal,—acquittal of those charges could not reduce the term of imprisonment and therefore no prejudice could be suffered by defendant. (See People v. O’Keefe, 54 Cal.App. 649, 651 [202 P. 476] ; People v. Giambone, 119 Cal.App.2d 338, 341 [259 P.2d 10]; People v. Dallas, 42 Cal.App.2d 596, 604 [109 P.2d 409] ; People v. Pearson, 41 Cal.App.2d 614, 618 [107 P.2d 463] ; People v. McWilliams, 87 Cal.App.2d 550, 552 [197 P.2d 216] ; People v. Bean, 88 Cal.App.2d 34, 41 [198 P.2d 379] ; People v. Anderson, 75 Cal.App. 365, 371 [242 P. 906].) However, we have carefully examined the evidence pertaining to each of those counts and find the same sufficient to support the conviction on each.
Judgment and order denying new trial affirmed.
Moore, P. J., and Fox, J., concurred.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.