People v. Rodriguez
People v. Rodriguez
Opinion of the Court
Opinion
Antonio Rodriguez appeals from a judgment of conviction of violating Penal Code section 12021,
At the trial in No. 198690, the defendant stipulated to the fact that on August 14, 1996, he had been convicted of violations of Vehicle Code
On appeal, Rodriguez contends that his conviction of a violation of section 12021 and the revocation of probation must be reversed because he did not personally waive his constitutional rights before stipulating regarding his status as a convicted felon. He also argues that the judgment of conviction must be reversed because the reasonable doubt instruction was constitutionally defective. Finally, he asserts that, if the preceding arguments are rejected, the abstract of judgment must be amended to accurately reflect the sentence pronounced.
We find the defendant’s substantive arguments unpersuasive but agree that the abstract of judgment must be amended.
A. Stipulation re Convicted Felon Status
The defendant’s argument is twofold. First, he contends that express, personal waivers of his constitutional rights to silence, jury trial, and confrontation and cross-examination, were required in accordance with Boykin-Tahl
The People assert that no express personal waivers were required because the stipulation merely concerned an evidentiary fact and cites People v. Adams (1993) 6 Cal.4th 570 [24 Cal.Rptr.2d 831, 862 P.2d 831],
In People v. Hall, supra, 28 Cal.3d 143,
In People v. Turner, supra, 145 Cal.App.3d 658, an appellate court, in reliance upon Hall, reversed a conviction of being an ex-felon in possession of a concealable firearm (former § 12021) because the record merely showed that defense counsel stipulated to the defendant’s ex-felon status. (People v. Turner, supra, 145 Cal.App.3d at pp. 670-671.) The court stated “the record must disclose the defendant’s personal, voluntary and intelligent waiver of his constitutional rights. [Citations.]” (Id. at p. 671.) Indeed, this is the position still stated in the Use Note accompanying CALJIC No. 12.44 (Firearm — Possession by Person Convicted of a Felony — Status Stipulated) (6th ed. 1996 bound vol.) page 91, which cites People v. Hall, supra, 28 Cal.3d 143, 157, footnote 9.
In People v. Fisk (1975) 50 Cal.App.3d 364 [123 Cal.Rptr. 414], the contrary appellate authority acknowledged in Hall, the defendant attacked “his conviction under Penal Code section 12021 as well as the finding of two prior convictions, charging the trial court with failure to give the admonitions required by In re Yurko, 10 Cal.3d. 857, 863 . . . .” (People v. Fisk, supra, 50 Cal.App.3d at p. 370.) There, outside the jury’s presence, “defendant’s attorney stipulated with reference to the section 12021 charge that defendant was an ‘ex-con.’ ” (Ibid.) The defendant also admitted two prior felony convictions. (Ibid.)
The court reasoned that the stipulation, which admitted one element of the offense charged, simply represented a tactical decision regarding an eviden-tiary issue and did not require the defendant’s express consent on the record. (50 Cal.App.3d at p. 371.) The court stated that “[t]he factors which influenced the court in Yurko to apply the Boykin-Tahl rule to admissions of priors do not necessitate the same approach to stipulations of counsel admitting factual elements of a criminal charge. [Citation.]” (Ibid.) The court declared: “With reference to the charge of violating section 12021, we conclude that defendant’s attorney could validly stipulate to defendant’s status as a convicted felon without the necessity of the Boykin-Tahl admonition.”
People v. Fisk, supra, 50 Cal.App.3d 364 was cited with approval in the 1993 California Supreme Court case of People v. Adams, supra, 6 Cal.4th
The Supreme Court recognized a critical distinction between an ordinary factual stipulation, which alone would not support imposition of increased punishment, and an admission of the truth of an enhancement allegation in its entirety. (6 Cal.4th at pp. 578-580.) The court observed: “Evidentiary stipulations have long been, recognized as tactical trial decisions which counsel has discretion to make without the express authority of the client. [Citation.]” (Id. at p. 578.) However, the court acknowledged: “[W]hen the stipulation admits every element of the enhancement that is necessary to imposition of the additional penalty, for purposes of Boykin-Tahl analysis we see no meaningful distinction between an admission of the truth of an enhancement allegation and an admission of all of the elements necessary to imposition of the additional punishment authorized by the enhancement.” (Id. at p. 580, fn. 7.)
The Supreme Court stated: “When a defendant who has asserted and received his right to trial, and has waived none of his constitutional rights, elects to stipulate to one or more, but not all, of the evidentiary facts necessary to a conviction of an offense or to imposition of additional punishment on finding that an enhancement allegation is true, the concerns which prompted the Boykin holding are not present. No Supreme Court decision in which the voluntariness of a defendant’s plea was in question suggests that the court’s concern in Boykin extended beyond the issues of voluntariness which arise when a defendant admits a charge and, as a result, no trial on his guilt or innocence of the charge is held.” (6 Cal.4th at p. 581.)
The Supreme Court observed: “The federal circuits are in substantial agreement that where a defendant has pleaded not guilty and stipulates to evidentiary facts, even facts crucial to a conviction, Boykin and its rule 11 of
The Supreme Court concluded: “We do not agree that when a section 12022.1 enhancement is alleged a stipulation to the defendant’s bail or own recognizance status is tantamount to a plea of guilty, or that the Boykin-Tahl requirements are applicable to an evidentiary stipulation which does not admit the truth of the allegation itself or every fact necessary to imposition of the additional punishment other than conviction of the underlying offense. Unless the stipulation or admission is that broad, it does not have the definite penal consequences necessary to trigger the Boykin-Tahl requirements.” (6 Cal.4th at p. 580.)
The defendant now asserts that the Supreme Court has never expressly overruled or disapproved of the dicta in Hall and, therefore, it remains good law and should be followed by this court despite the analysis in People v. Adams. We disagree.
Although dicta of the California Supreme Court ordinarily carries persuasive weight and should be followed, especially where it demonstrates a thorough analysis of the issue or reflects compelling logic, it is not binding on this court. (Grange Debris Box & Wrecking Co. v. Superior Court (1993) 16 Cal.App.4th 1349,1358 [20 Cal.Rptr.2d 515].) Furthermore, a decision of the California Supreme Court is controlling authority and must be followed by lower courts. (Auto Equity Sales, Inc. v. Superior Court (1962) 57 Cal.2d 450, 455 [20 Cal.Rptr. 321, 369 P.2d 937].)
People v. Adams fully considered and analyzed an issue closely related and analogous to the issue before us. It implicitly repudiated the dicta in Hall. (But see People v. Robertson (1992) 11 Cal.App.4th 835, 840-841 [14 Cal.Rptr.2d 572]; People v. Robertson (1989) 48 Cal.3d 18, 41 [255 Cal.Rptr. 631, 767 P.2d 1109]; People v. Wright (1987) 43 Cal.3d 487, 492 [233 Cal.Rptr. 69, 729 P.2d 260].) Here, the defendant’s factual stipulation regarding his convicted felon status did not dispose of all the elements of the charged offense. Therefore, it was not tantamount to a guilty plea and the mandate of Boykin-Tahl was inapplicable.
B., C*
Disposition
The trial court is directed to amend the abstract of judgment to reflect the sentence pronounced, a total term of three years in state prison, and to forward a copy of the amended abstract of judgment to the Department of Corrections. The judgment is affirmed.
Cottle, P. J., and Premo, J., concurred.
Boykin v. Alabama (1969) 395 U.S. 238 [89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274]; In re Tahl (1969) 1 Cal.3d 122 [81 Cal.Rptr. 577, 460 P.2d 449].
The defendant had cited another case, People v. Newman (Cal.App.) but the California Supreme Court granted review on October 14, 1998 (S072560).
A1I further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise specified.
The Supreme Court in Hall held that where an accused, charged with a violation of section 12021, stipulates to ex-felon status, the status element of the offense must be entirely withheld from the jury’s consideration unless the prosecution can clearly demonstrate that application of this rule will legitimately impair the prosecutor’s case or preclude the presentation of alternate theories of guilt. (People v. Hall, supra, 28 Cal.3d at p. 156.) This holding was subsequently abrogated by the adoption of California Constitution, article I, section 28, subdivision (f) (“When a prior felony conviction is an element of any felony offense, it shall be proven to the trier of fact in open court.”). (See People v. Karis (1988) 46 Cal.3d 612, 639, fn. 18 [250 Cal.Rptr. 659, 758 P.2d 1189]; People v. Valentine (1986) 42 Cal.3d 170, .173, 176-182 [228 Cal.Rptr. 25, 720 P.2d 913].)
The court differentiated between the factual stipulation and the defendant’s admissions, finding “the trial court erred in accepting defendant’s admission of the prior convictions
See footnote, ante, page 1324.
Reference
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