People v. Dunley
People v. Dunley
Opinion of the Court
*695The Mentally Disordered Offenders Act (Pen.Code, § 2960 et seq. )
Appellant Eddie Dunley appeals from a judgment extending his commitment as a mentally disordered offender (MDO). He contends that because persons subject to civil commitment after being found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGI) have a statutory right, pursuant to section 1026.5, subdivision (b)(7) (hereafter section 1026.5(b)(7)), not to be compelled to testify in proceedings to extend their commitments (Hudec v. Superior Court (2015)
We hold that MDO's, SVP's and NGI's are all similarly situated with respect to the testimonial privilege provided for in section 1026.5(b)(7). However, as we will discuss, this appeal is moot because a subsequent petition for recommitment was denied by the trial court on or about March 7, 2016, based on the court's finding that appellant no longer met the criteria for commitment as an MDO. Accordingly, although we will decide the threshold issue, which is purely a legal question and will surely reoccur in MDO proceedings in light of People v. Curlee, supra,
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On June 9, 2014, the San Bernardino County District Attorney filed a petition pursuant to section 2972 to extend appellant's involuntary commitment as an MDO.
On December 17, 2014, a jury found that appellant met the criteria for commitment as an MDO. Accordingly, the court granted the petition and extended appellant's commitment until January 20, 2016. Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal.
*697FACTS
While serving a prison term for robbery, appellant had several incidents of battery on correctional officers. A mental health evaluation was done after each incident. Both evaluations reported that appellant was disorganized and confused. One evaluation concluded that appellant showed severely impaired judgment. The other concluded that he showed psychosis. In 2008, he was committed to Atascadero State Hospital as an MDO. He had previously been admitted to Atascadero in 2001.
Dr. Joe Debruin, a forensic psychologist at Atascadero, evaluated appellant to determine whether he met the criteria for recommitment as an MDO.
Dr. Debruin diagnosed appellant with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, which, he testified, is a severe mental disorder that persists over a period of time. He testified that appellant had consistently exhibited symptoms of schizoaffective disorder since he was committed to Atascadero in 2008. Appellant displayed a belief that he was God or "God's son in the flesh," and reported hallucinations and hearing voices, which sometimes commanded him to be aggressive. He had manic episodes during which he spoke in a rapid, disorganized and incoherent manner. He had mood control difficulties and would fluctuate from being very agitated to being depressed. He had paranoid episodes in which he thought people were "messing with his body organs" and that hospital staff were "telling lies and being corrupt." These symptoms continued to occur in the months preceding the hearing. During his current confinement at Atascadero, appellant had 60 violent episodes. The most recent was in December 2013, when appellant repeatedly punched a fellow patient.
Dr. Debruin testified that appellant lacked insight into his condition, i.e., that he did not believe he was mentally ill or that he needed medication. Appellant did not follow his treatment plan or participate in groups, and he was often unwilling to take his medication. Dr. Debruin opined that if appellant were released into the community, he would not take his medication *635and that his symptoms would escalate as a result. *698Based on appellant's prior offenses, violent behavior, delusional statements and lack of insight into his illness, Dr. Debruin opined that appellant's mental disorder was not in remission and, as a result of the disorder, he posed a substantial danger for violence if he were released into the community.
Dr. Martin Steed, appellant's treating psychiatrist for the year and a half preceding the hearing, testified to the same effect. He diagnosed appellant with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, which he characterized as a severe mental disorder. He testified that appellant displayed "extensive irritable mood, grandiosity, increase in self-esteem, in risky behaviors, as well as hyperreligiosity and hypersexuality." He noted that as recently as two weeks before coming to San Bernardino for the hearing, appellant "thought he was God, as he usually does." He testified that appellant's condition was not in remission and that he had no doubt that appellant would stop taking his medications as soon as he was released and that he would pose a danger to the public. Although he acknowledged that appellant's violent behavior had decreased since he had been placed on lithium, he was still symptomatic. Dr. Steed concluded that appellant posed a substantial danger to others as a result of his mental disorder.
The prosecution called appellant to testify. Much of his testimony was confused or nonresponsive, but he ultimately admitted that he had a mental disorder and that his disorder made him dangerous.
LEGAL ANALYSIS
1.
THE APPEAL IS MOOT
A case becomes moot when a court ruling can have no practical effect or cannot provide the parties with effective relief. (People v. Gregerson, supra, 202 Cal.App.4th at p. 321,
2.
EQUAL PROTECTION
Background.
Under both the United States and California Constitutions, a person has *636the right to refuse to answer potentially incriminating questions put to him or her in any proceeding; in addition, the defendant in a criminal proceeding enjoys the right to refuse to testify at all. (U.S. Const., 5th Amend.; Cal. Const., art. I, § 15.) Commitment proceedings involving NGI's, SVP's and MDO's are all civil in nature. (Hudec v. Superior Court, supra, 60 Cal.4th at p. 819,
In Hudec, supra,
In People v. Curlee, supra,
The Claim is Not Forfeited.
We first address the Attorney General's contention that review of the issue is forfeited because at the hearing, appellant did not assert a right not to testify. We acknowledge that an equal protection claim may be forfeited if it is raised for the first time on appeal. (Curlee, supra, 237 Cal.App.4th at p. 714,
*637does not confer a testimonial privilege on NGI's and, therefore, also rejected a contention that equal protection mandates extension of that right to MDO's. (People v. Lopez (2006)
MDO's, SVP's and NGI's are Similarly Situated for Purposes of the Testimonial Privilege Under Section 1026.5(b)(7) .
" ' "The first prerequisite to a meritorious claim under the equal protection clause is a showing that the state has adopted a classification that affects two or more similarly situated groups in an unequal manner." [Citations.] This initial inquiry is not whether persons are similarly situated for all *701purposes, but "whether they are similarly situated for purposes of the law challenged." ' [Citation.] In other words, we ask at the threshold whether two classes that are different in some respects are sufficiently similar with respect to the laws in question to require the government to justify its differential treatment of these classes under those laws." (People v. McKee (2010)
In contexts other than the testimonial privilege, NGI's, SVP's and MDO's have been found similarly situated for purposes of the application of the three commitment schemes, thus requiring justification for any differential treatment. In McKee, supra,
After noting the "incontrovertible point that SVP's and MDO's do not share identical characteristics," the McKee court held: "We conclude that MDO's and SVP's are similarly situated for our present purposes. As was stated in In re Calhoun (2004)
The McKee court went on to hold that NGI's and SVP's are also similarly situated for purposes of the civil commitment schemes. The court stated: "McKee argues that NGI's and SVP's are also similarly situated and that a comparison of the two commitment regimes raises similar equal protection problems as discussed above. His argument has merit. NGI's as discussed are those who have committed criminal acts but have been civilly committed rather than criminally penalized because of their severe mental disorder. Under the current statutory scheme they may not be in civil custody longer than the maximum state prison term to which they could have been sentenced for the underlying offense [citations] unless at the end of that period the district attorney extends the commitment for two years by proving in a jury trial beyond a reasonable doubt that the person presents a substantial danger of physical harm to others because of a mental disease, defect, or disorder. [Citations.] We agree that, as with MDO's, the People have not yet carried their burden of justifying the differences between the SVP and NGI commitment statutes." (McKee, supra, 47 Cal.4th at p. 1207,
In Curlee, supra,
In this case, the Attorney General contends that NGI's are not similarly situated with respect to MDO's or SVP's because an NGI defendant asserts his mental disorder as an affirmative defense in his criminal trial and is, therefore, found not culpable as a result of the disorder. She notes that a defendant bears the burden of proof on the NGI defense. (See § 25, subd. (b).) In contrast, in both MDO and SVP proceedings, a defendant has *703been found guilty of a qualifying offense and after having served his or her sentence, is found to qualify for civil commitment in a proceeding in which the prosecution bears the burden of proof as to the existence of a mental disorder that renders that defendant a danger to the public. We fail to see how these distinctions are relevant to the determination as to whether the three groups are similarly situated for purposes of the testimonial privilege, however. Based on the reasoning of McKee, supra, 47 Cal.4th at page 1202,
Disparate Treatment.
If two groups are found to be similarly situated for the purposes of the law in question, the next inquiry is whether the state can justify the disparate treatment. (People v. Buffington, supra, 74 Cal.App.4th at p. 1155,
Under the strict scrutiny test, a discriminatory law will not be given effect unless its classification bears a close relation to promoting a compelling state interest, the classification is necessary to achieve the state's goal, and the classification is narrowly drawn to achieve the goal by the least restrictive means. ( *640*704Board of Supervisors v. Local Agency Formation Com. (1992)
We note that in both McKee, supra,
3.
REVIEW OF THE ASSERTED INSTRUCTIONAL ERROR IS FORFEITED
Appellant appears to assert that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury on the burden of proof with respect to his medicated state, i.e., whether he is in remission because his symptoms are controlled by his current medication. That is, at least, what the heading of his argument states. He relies on People v. Noble (2002)
The issue in Noble is as follows. In that case, the trial court in an MDO proceeding first instructed the jury: " 'It is the burden of the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant meets the requirements for a hospital extension as defined in these instructions.' It then instructed the jury to determine whether defendant, 'by reason of a mental disorder, not at this time in remission, represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others. [¶] The People have the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the respondent [defendant]: [¶] 1. Has a severe mental disorder; [¶] 2.
*705Suffers from a severe mental disorder that is not in remission or cannot be kept in remission if the person's treatment is not continued; and [¶] 3. By reason of his severe mental disorder, the respondent [defendant] represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others.' Quoting the statutory definition of the term, the trial court also instructed the jury that ' "remission" means a finding that the overt signs and symptoms of the severe mental disorder are controlled either by psychotropic medication or psychosocial support....' " (Noble, at p. 189,
The jury was further instructed in terms of CALJIC No. 4.15 as follows: " 'It is a *641defense to a Petition to Extend Commitment that the respondent [defendant] in a medicated state does not represent a substantial danger of physical harm to others. [¶] The ... [defendant] has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence all of the facts necessary to establish: [¶] 1. In his present medicated condition he no longer represents a substantial danger of inflicting physical harm upon others; and [¶] 2. He will continue to take the medication as prescribed, in an unsupervised environment. [¶] If you find that the respondent [defendant] has met this burden on these issues, you should find that he does not represent a substantial danger of physical harm to others.' " (Noble, supra, 100 Cal.App.4th at p. 189,
The appellate court held that giving CALJIC No. 4.15 was erroneous because the so-called "medication defense," i.e., the defense that the person is in remission because his medication controls his mental disorder and renders him not dangerous is not an affirmative defense. Rather, it is a defense that negates an element of the state's case, in that the state has the burden of proving that the person is not in remission. An affirmative defense is one which does not negate an essential element of a cause of action or charged crime, but instead presents new matter to excuse or justify conduct that would otherwise lead to liability. (Noble, supra, 100 Cal.App.4th at p. 189,
The court then stated in dictum that when a defendant relies on the medication defense, the court should instruct the jury as follows: "The People have the burden to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that if released, the defendant will not take his or her prescribed medication and in an unmedicated state, the defendant represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others." (Noble, supra, 100 Cal.App.4th at p. 190,
Here, the trial court did not give an instruction shifting the burden of proof to appellant on the medication defense. Instead, it instructed on the *706state's burden using CALCRIM No. 3457. That instruction explains that the state must prove that the person has a severe mental disorder that is not in remission or that cannot be kept in remission without continued treatment and, as a result, the person poses a substantial danger of physical harm to others. It defines "remission" as meaning that "the external signs and symptoms of the severe mental disorder are controlled by either psychotropic medication or psychosocial support." (CALCRIM No. 3457.)
Appellant relied on the medication defense in the hearing and presented evidence that he had not engaged in any violence since he began taking lithium. He requested a special instruction in the language suggested in Noble, supra, 100 Cal.App.4th at page 190,
Appellant now contends that this was error, because the jury might have been confused by CALCRIM No. 3457. He contends that the instruction may be confusing or misleading, "[d]epending on the jury's understanding of the word 'treatment.' "
The appeal is dismissed.
We concur:
RAMIREZ, P.J.
HOLLENHORST, J.
All further statutory citations refer to the Penal Code unless another code is cited.
The conditions include the following: That the prisoner has a severe mental disorder, that the disorder is not in remission or cannot be kept in remission without treatment, that the severe mental disorder was one of the causes or was an aggravating factor in the prisoner's criminal behavior, that the prisoner has been in treatment for the severe mental disorder for 90 days or more within the year prior to his or her parole release day, and that by reason of his or her severe mental disorder, the prisoner represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others. (§ 2962, subd. (d)(1).) The MDO Act applies only to prisoners who have been convicted of specified offenses. (§ 2962, subd. (e).)
We will also address appellant's claim of instructional error because it appears to involve the impermissible shifting of the burden of proof to appellant.
"If the court or jury finds that the patient has a severe mental disorder, that the patient's severe mental disorder is not in remission or cannot be kept in remission without treatment, and that by reason of his or her severe mental disorder, the patient represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others, the court shall order the patient recommitted...." (§ 2972, subd. (c).)
We take judicial notice of the petition in People v. Dunley, filed June 22, 2015, in the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, case No. FELJS1502150. (Evid.Code, § 452, subd. (d).) By separate order, we have also taken judicial notice of the trial court's minutes dated March 7, 2016, denying the petition.
As in Hudec, supra,
Curlee, supra,
Now the State Department of State Hospitals. (Curlee, supra, 237 Cal.App.4th at p. 712, fn. 2,
Appellant relies on both the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and article I, section 15 of the California Constitution.
See footnote 3, ante.
Appellant's argument initially appears to be that CALCRIM No. 3457 was confusing, depending on how the jury understood the word "treatment." However, as we discuss, this is not actually the gist of his argument.
"1. Is substantial danger of physical harm to others; are we to consider the fact if he is medicated or not? [¶] 2. Also, will Mr. Dunley be given a social worker when released?"
Reference
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