People v. Robinson
People v. Robinson
Opinion of the Court
Ernest Robinson, David Reed and Woodrow Jerome Howe were jointly accused of burglary and in a second count of receiving stolen property. In a non jury trial Robinson was found guilty on Count I and not guilty on Count II. He was accused of having suffered four former felony convictions for which he served terms in state prison. The allegations respecting the first two convictions were stricken; those relating to the third and fourth convictions were found to be true. Motion for a new trial was denied and Robinson was sentenced to state prison. He appeals from the judgment. He is represented on the appeal by counsel appointed by this court.
It is first contended that there was insufficient evidence to justify the judgment. Under stipulation the evidence received at the preliminary examination was received as evidence at
In a conversation with Officer Musulin, Robinson stated that he had been with Howe all that night; they had been driving around and had met Reed in Watts; they went to the motel together and all three had taken labels off the suits. In a conversation with Officer Perris defendant stated that he had gone to the motel room with Howe and Reed; the suits were piled up in the room; he had not seen them before and did not want to stay because he feared the suits had been stolen; however he did cut labels from some of the suits.
Howe, accompanied by a woman, had rented the motel room on December 13th and registered as Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Howe endeavored to make a telephone call but was unsuccessful ; the woman talked with someone on the telephone. Howe and the woman left in a Buick. Another man came in and asked the price of a room but did not rent one. The manager of the motel heard a car leave; he saw Howe and the woman and the second man enter the room; Howe was carrying a bundle; Howe, the woman and the man drove away. The manager found the suits in the room and called the police, who arrived promptly. Howe, Reed and Robinson came up in a car driven by Reed. They entered the room and shortly thereafter the officers entered.
Proof of the possession of stolen property soon after the theft and the absence of a satisfactory explanation of possession of the goods may be sufficient to establish guilt of the theft. (People v. Renteria, 162 Cal.App.2d 590 [328 P.2d 266].) The three men were in possession of the property at the time of the arrests, although it had been brought to the room by Howe, the woman and the unidentified man. It was a reasonable inference that Howe had stolen the goods
It is contended that Robinson was not accorded the right of representation at the preliminary. The point is without merit. The court appointed a deputy public defender to represent Reed and Robinson. During the direct examination of the first witness the deputy public defender conferred with Reed and Robinson and announced to the court that he did not believe that either of them wished representation. The court stated: “All right. The Court will excuse you, Mr. Laird, for good cause. You may proceed. The Court will make it a point to protect your interests. ’ ’ The defendants said nothing. The two defendants did not object to being represented by the deputy public defender; but by their silence throughout they tacitly expressed a waiver of a right to any representation. If they had hoped to employ private counsel they had had ample time to do so and upon request and a proper showing would no doubt have been given more time. As to Robinson his silence precludes reliance upon the claim of deprivation
Defendant did not make a motion under section 995, Penal Code, to have the information set aside upon the ground that he had not been legally committed by a magistrate. This constituted a waiver of the claim that he had been deprived of the right to have counsel at the preliminary. (People v. Greene, 80 Cal.App.2d 745 [182 P.2d 576].) At the trial he was represented by counsel who stipulated that the evidence taken at the preliminary would be received as evidence at the trial. This also was a waiver of the claim that he was denied representation at the preliminary. (People v. Cohen, 94 Cal.App.2d 451 [210 P.2d 911].)
The judgment is affirmed.
Vallée, J., and Ford, J., concurred.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.