People v. Lowe CA4/2 ( 2016 )

Filed 7/7/16 P. v. Lowe CA4/2
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION TWO
THE PEOPLE,
Plaintiff and Respondent, E064294
v. (Super.Ct.No. RIF1401259)
BUDDY LEE LOWE, OPINION
Defendant and Appellant.
APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Becky Dugan, Judge.
Reversed with directions.
Marta I. Stanton, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and
Appellant.
Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney
General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Charles C. Ragland, Brendon W.
Marshall and Allison V. Hawley, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and
Respondent.
1
Defendant Buddy Lee Lowe appeals from the denial of his petition for
resentencing under Proposition 47, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. The trial
court concluded defendant’s felony convictions for second degree burglary of a gas
station (Pen. Code, § 459; all additional statutory references are to the Penal Code unless
indicated) and unlawfully acquiring or retaining access card account information (§ 484e,
subd. (d)) did not qualify for resentencing under Proposition 47 (§ 1170.18).
We conclude the trial court erred, and we reverse the order denying defendant’s
petition. Defendant’s convictions for second degree burglary and for acquiring or
retaining access card account information qualify for resentencing under Proposition 47 if
the value of the property defendant acquired did not exceed $950, so we remand for the
trial court to make a determination of the value and to determine if defendant poses an
unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.
I.
PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
The People charged defendant with two counts of second degree burglary (Pen.
Code, § 459, counts 1-2), one count of unlawfully acquiring and retaining access card
account information (Pen. Code, § 484e, subd. (d), count 3), and one misdemeanor count
of unlawfully possessing drug paraphernalia (Health & Saf. Code, § 11364.1, count 4).
The People also alleged defendant: (1) committed the alleged crimes while on bail (Pen.
Code, § 12022.1); (2) suffered a prior serious and violent felony conviction for burglary
of a dwelling (Pen. Code, § 459) within the meaning of Penal Code sections 667,
2
subdivisions (c) and (e)(1) and 1170.12, subdivision (c)(1); and (3) violated the
conditions of his probation in a separate case (Pen. Code, § 1203.2, subd. (b)).
Defendant pleaded guilty to all four counts and admitted the special allegations
and probation violation in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of four years eight
months in state prison. The trial court accepted defendant’s guilty pleas and admissions,
and sentenced him forthwith.
Almost exactly two months later, the voters adopted Proposition 47, which
reduced certain property and drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors and provides
for resentencing of certain defendants currently serving felony sentences under prior law.
Through his attorney, defendant promptly filed a petition in the superior court requesting
resentencing on one or both of his burglary convictions (the form does not specify
which), stating “he believe[d] the value of the . . . property [acquired during the burglary
or burglaries] did not exceed $950.”
Assuming defendant petitioned for resentencing on counts 1 through 3, the People
filed an opposition contending a conviction for unlawfully acquiring or retaining access
card account information under section 484e, subdivision (d), is not a qualifying felony
under Proposition 47, and that defendant’s second degree burglary convictions also did
not qualify because, according to the police report, count 2 involved the use of a stolen
credit card at a gas station and count 1 involved entering a dwelling and stealing car keys
and a car valued at more than $950.
3
In its order setting a hearing on defendant’s petition, the trial court noted the
“[i]ssue is loss value on [section] 459 PC.” During the hearing, the judge stated, “This is
a gas station case,” and asked whether the People were arguing defendant was ineligible
for resentencing under Proposition 47 because he used a stolen credit card. The
prosecutor responded, “Yes.” The trial court then asked defense counsel, “So your
position is that just because he used a credit card, he should not be ineligible and it should
be still treated as . . . shoplift[ing] [under section] 459.5?” Defense counsel responded,
“Yes. It’s still larceny within a commercial establishment, and therefore he should be
entitled to relief.” Although the court had asked, “What was taken from the gas station?”
neither attorney answered the question or addressed the value of the property at issue.
The judge concluded defendant was ineligible for relief under Proposition 47. “I don’t
think when you go and use another person’s [credit] card and pretend you are that person
. . . that is . . . shoplift[ing] within the meaning of [section] 459.5.” Therefore, the judge
denied defendant’s petition.
Defendant timely appealed.
II.
DISCUSSION
A. Standard of Review
On appeal, defendant contends the trial court erred by denying his petition for
resentencing with respect to his convictions for second degree burglary on count 2 and
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for acquiring or retaining access card account information on count 3. He provides no
argument for resentencing on his conviction for burglary on count 1.
Whether Proposition 47 applies to defendant’s convictions for second degree
burglary based on false pretenses theft and his conviction for acquiring and retaining
access card account information are questions of statutory interpretation we review de
novo. (People v. Prunty (2015) 62 Cal. 4th 59, 71.) “When we interpret an initiative, we
apply the same principles governing statutory construction. We first consider the
initiative’s language, giving the words their ordinary meaning and construing this
language in the context of the statute and initiative as a whole. If the language is not
ambiguous, we presume the voters intended the meaning apparent from that language,
and we may not add to the statute or rewrite it to conform to some assumed intent not
apparent from that language. If the language is ambiguous, courts may consider ballot
summaries and arguments in determining the voters’ intent and understanding of a ballot
measure.” (People v. Superior Court (Pearson) (2010) 48 Cal. 4th 564, 571.)
B. Proposition 47 Applies to the Offense of Second Degree Burglary Based on
False Pretenses Theft When the Value of the Property so Acquired Is $950 or Less
Defendant argues his second degree burglary conviction would have been
misdemeanor shoplifting in violation of section 459.5 had Proposition 47 been in effect at
the time of his offense and, therefore, he is entitled to resentencing under section 1170.18.
According to defendant, his crime of producing another person’s credit card with the
intent to obtain products or services from a gas station “qualifies as larceny within the
meaning of section 459.5.” The issue of whether theft by false pretenses satisfies an intent
5
to commit larceny within the meaning of section 459.5 is currently pending before our
Supreme Court. (People v. Gonzales (2015) 242 Cal. App. 4th 35, review granted Feb. 17,
2016, S231171.) We conclude it does.
“Proposition 47 makes certain drug- and theft-related offenses misdemeanors,
unless the offenses were committed by certain ineligible defendants. These offenses had
previously been designated as either felonies or wobblers (crimes that can be punished as
either felonies or misdemeanors).” (People v. Rivera (2015) 233 Cal. App. 4th 1085,
1091.) “Proposition 47 also created a new resentencing provision: section 1170.18.
Under section 1170.18, a person ‘currently serving’ a felony sentence for an offense that is
now a misdemeanor under Proposition 47, may petition for a recall of that sentence and
request resentencing in accordance with the statutes that were added or amended by
Proposition 47.” (Id. at p. 1092.) If a defendant qualifies for resentencing under
Proposition 47, the trial court shall recall the felony sentence and resentence the defendant
to a misdemeanor unless it determines, in its discretion, the defendant “would pose an
unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.” (§ 1170.18, subd. (b); see id. subds. (b)(1)-
(3) [listing factors to consider when determining dangerousness], (c) [defining
“‘unreasonable risk of danger to public safety’”].)
Among the crimes reduced to misdemeanors by Proposition 47 “are certain second
degree burglaries where the defendant enters a commercial establishment with the intent to
steal. Such offense is now characterized as shoplifting as defined in new section 459.5.”
(People v. Sherow (2015) 239 Cal. App. 4th 875, 879 (Sherow).) Section 459.5, subdivision
(a), provides: “Notwithstanding Section 459, shoplifting is defined as entering a
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commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny while that establishment is open
during regular business hours, where the value of the property that is taken or intended to
be taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950). Any other entry into a
commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny is burglary.” (Italics added.)
“Any act of shoplifting as defined in subdivision (a) shall be charged as shoplifting. No
person who is charged with shoplifting may also be charged with burglary or theft of the
same property.” (§ 459.5, subd. (b).)
The People concede defendant’s second degree burglary conviction on count 2
involved him entering a commercial establishment during regular business hours.
However, the People contend defendant’s burglary conviction does not qualify as
shoplifting under section 459.5 because he did not commit the burglary with the intent to
commit a “larceny.” We conclude otherwise.
In 1927, the formerly distinct crimes of larceny, embezzlement, and obtaining
property by false pretenses were statutorily consolidated under the definition of “theft”
found in section 484. (People v. Avery (2002) 27 Cal. 4th 49, 53, fn. 4; People v. Davis
(1998) 19 Cal. 4th 301, 304.) “Every person who shall feloniously steal, take, carry, lead,
or drive away the personal property of another, or who shall fraudulently appropriate
property which has been entrusted to him or her, or who shall knowingly and designedly,
by any false or fraudulent representation or pretense, defraud any other person of money,
labor or real or personal property . . . is guilty of theft.” (§ 484, subd. (a), italics added.)
At the same time the Legislature adopted the definition of theft in section 484, it adopted
section 490a, which provides: “Wherever any law or statute of this state refers to or
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mentions larceny, embezzlement, or stealing, said law or statute shall hereafter be read
and interpreted as if the word ‘theft’ were substituted thereof.” Burglary is defined as
entering a building or structure “with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any
felony.” (§ 459.) “Thus, the Legislature has indicated a clear intent that the term
‘larceny’ as used in the burglary statute should be read to include all thefts, including
‘petit’ theft by false pretenses.” (People v. Nguyen (1995) 40 Cal. App. 4th 28, 31, italics
added (Nguyen); accord, People v. Parson (2008) 44 Cal. 4th 332, 354 [“An intent to
commit theft by a false pretense or a false promise without the intent to perform will
support a burglary conviction.”.)
When defendant pleaded guilty to second degree burglary, he admitted to entering
a gas station “with the intent to use somebody’s access card or credit card.” In other
words, defendant admitted he committed theft by false pretenses when he fraudulently
passed off another person’s credit card as his own to obtain products or services.
(E.g., Perry v. Superior Court (1962) 57 Cal. 2d 276, 282-283 [“To support a conviction
of theft for obtaining property by false pretenses, it must be shown: (1) that the
defendant made a false pretense or representation, (2) that the representation was made
with intent to defraud the owner of his property, and (3) that the owner was in fact
defrauded in that he parted with his property in reliance upon the representation.”].)
Applying sections 484, subdivision (a), and 490a, we must conclude defendant harbored
the intent to commit a larceny. Because defendant entered a gas station with the intent to
commit a larceny, his crime satisfied the intent for shoplifting under section 459.5 and he
is entitled to reclassification and resentencing under section 1170.18.
8
The People counter that defendant’s offense of theft by false pretenses does not
constitute “larceny” and, therefore, is not governed by section 459.5. For this
proposition, the People cited People v. Gonzales (which, as noted ante, has been
depublished by the Supreme Court’s grant of review) and People v. Williams (2013) 57
Cal. 4th 776 (Williams). We conclude Williams does not control this appeal.
In Williams, supra, 57 Cal. 4th 776, the defendant used payment cards re-encoded
with another person’s credit card information to buy Walmart gift cards, then used force
against a security guard who tried to detain him. (Id. at p. 780.) Among other things, a
jury convicted Williams of four counts of second degree robbery in violation of
section 211. (Williams, at p. 780) Williams argued his robbery convictions could not
stand because his theft by false pretenses did not satisfy the element of a “felonious
taking.” The Supreme Court agreed. The court concluded the element of a “felonious
taking” for robbery (§ 211) found its roots in the common law crime of larceny
(Williams, at pp. 781-784), and that by using the phrase “felonious taking” in the robbery
statute “the California Legislature in all likelihood intended to attach to the statutory
phrase the same meaning the phrase had under the common law. [Citation.]” (Williams,
at p. 786.) Under the common law, “larceny requires a ‘trespassory taking,’ which is a
taking without the property owner’s consent. [Citation.] . . . By contrast, theft by false
pretenses involves the consensual transfer of possession as well as title of property;
therefore, it cannot be committed by trespass.” (Id. at p. 788.) Because Walmart
consented to the sale of the gift cards, albeit under false pretenses, the court held
“defendant did not commit a trespassory (nonconsensual) taking, and hence did not
9
commit robbery.” (Ibid.) Therefore, the court reversed the robbery convictions. (Id. at
p. 790.)
The Williams court had to look to the common law to find the meaning of the
undefined phrase “felonious taking” in the robbery statute (§ 211), and in doing so the
court relied on the common law definition of larceny to conclude a person who commits
theft by false pretenses has not committed a robbery. The common law definition of
larceny is simply inapplicable here. Unlike in the context of robbery, the Legislature
adopted express statutory definitions that apply to burglary and related theft crimes,
including the new crime of shoplifting: “theft” includes obtaining property by false
pretenses, and the terms “theft” and “larceny” are synonymous. (§§ 484, subd. (a), 490a;
see Nguyen, supra, 40 Cal.App.4th at p. 31.)
The People also argue Penal Code section 459.5 is limited to the “conventional
definition of ‘shoplifting,’” i.e., theft of displayed merchandise from a store during
business hours, and defendant’s offense of theft by false pretenses does not fall within
that meaning. We are not convinced the voters intended to limit Penal Code
section 459.5 to the commonplace definition of shoplifting. The legislative analysist’s
analysis of Proposition 47 and the arguments in favor of and against Proposition 47
contain nothing to support the People’s assertion. (Ballot Pamp., Gen. Elec. (Nov. 4,
2014) pp. 35-39, at
[as of July 5, 2016].) More importantly, by defining the new statutory crime of
shoplifting to consist of “entering a commercial establishment with intent to commit
larceny” (Pen. Code, § 459.5, subd. (a), italics added), we must assume the voters were
10
aware of Penal Code section 490a and, therefore, intended the term “larceny” to
incorporate all forms of theft and not merely those commonly associated with shoplifting.
(See In re Derrick B. (2006) 39 Cal. 4th 535, 540 [assuming voters were aware of Welf. &
Inst. Code, § 203 and its judicial construction when they adopted Pen. Code, § 190.3].)
Because the trial court denied defendant’s petition with respect to count 2 based
solely on its conclusion that defendant’s burglary does not constitute shoplifting under
section 459.5, we must reverse the order.
Although the trial court identified the value of the property acquired from the gas
station as an issue in this case, it made no findings with respect to value. Defendant
alleged the value at issue was $950 or less, but he was not transported from custody for
the hearing and his attorney introduced no evidence of value. Moreover, it is unclear
whether the People’s opposition to the petition challenged defendant’s allegation
regarding value on count 2. On remand, the trial court shall conduct a new hearing to
determine whether the value of the property acquired was, in fact, $950 or less. Contrary
to defendant’s suggestion in his reply brief, he bears the burden of proving the value.
(Sherow, supra, 239 Cal.App.4th at pp. 878-880; People v. Rivas-Colon (2015) 241
Cal. App. 4th 444, 449-450; People v. Perkins (2016) 244 Cal. App. 4th 129, 136-137.) In
addition, on remand, the trial court may, in its discretion, determine whether defendant
should not be resentenced because he poses an unreasonable risk of danger to public
safety. (§ 1170.18, subds. (b), (c).)
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C. Proposition 47 Applies to the Offense of Acquiring or Retaining Access
Card Account Information When the Value of the Property Does Not Exceed $950
Defendant also contends the trial court erred by denying his petition for
resentencing on his conviction for acquiring or retaining access card account information
in violation of section 484e, subdivision (d). Whether a conviction under section 484e,
subdivision (d), qualifies for reclassification and resentencing as petty theft under
Proposition 47 (§§ 490.2, 1170.18) is pending before the California Supreme Court.
(People v. Romanowski (2015) 242 Cal. App. 4th 151, review granted Jan. 20, 2016,
S231405.) We conclude it does.
Section 484e, subdivision (d), provides: “Every person who acquires or retains
possession of access card account information with respect to an access card validly
issued to another person, without the cardholder’s or issuer’s consent, with the intent to
use it fraudulently, is guilty of grand theft.” Prior to the passage of Proposition 47, grand
theft by acquiring or retaining access card account information was a felony punishable
by no more than one year in county jail pursuant to section 1170, subdivision (h)(2).
(§ 489.)
The crime of acquiring or retaining access card account information in violation of
section 484e, subdivision (d), is not expressly listed in section 1170.18. However,
Proposition 47 added section 490.2, subdivision (a), which provides, in pertinent part,
“Notwithstanding Section 487 or any other provision of law defining grand theft,
obtaining any property by theft where the value of the money, labor, real or personal
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property taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) shall be considered petty
theft and shall be punished as a misdemeanor . . . .” (Italics added.) “Petty theft is
punishable by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in
the county jail not exceeding six months, or both.” (§ 490.) A conviction that would
have been petty theft under section 490.2, had Proposition 47 been in effect at the time, is
eligible for reclassification and resentencing under section 1170.18.
On its face, section 490.2 applies to all theft convictions if the value of the
property acquired did not exceed $950. Acquiring or retaining access card account
information is statutorily defined as grand theft (§ 484e, subd. (d)), so the offense should
qualify as petty theft under section 490.2 and for resentencing under section 1170.18.
However, the People argue a conviction under section 484e, subdivision (d), does not
constitute petty theft because: (1) section 484e is part of a comprehensive consumer
protection scheme the voters did not intend to disturb; and (2) section 484e,
subdivision (d), “is not purely a ‘theft’ crime” and, therefore, does not qualify as petty
theft. We are not persuaded.
As the People contend, “Penal Code section 484e, subdivision (d) is part of a
‘comprehensive statutory scheme which punishes a variety of fraudulent practices
involving access cards.’” (People v. Molina (2004) 120 Cal. App. 4th 507, 512-513
(Molina), quoting People v. Butler (1996) 43 Cal. App. 4th 1224, 1232; see §§ 484e-484j.)
By adopting section 484e, “The Legislature intended to provide broad protection to
innocent consumers.” (Molina, at p. 519.) The People contend the voters are presumed
to be aware of the broad consumer protection function behind section 484e, and we
13
should not impute to the voters an intent to override the Legislature’s intent. But as
already noted, Proposition 47 clearly and unambiguously applies, without exception, to
all theft offenses, including offenses that were previously defined as grand theft.
(§ 490.2, subd. (a).) The voters specified that Proposition 47 is to be “broadly” and
“liberally” construed to effectuate its purposes. (Ballot Pamp., supra, text of Prop. 47,
§ 18, p. 74.) Therefore, unless we can discern a contrary intent, we must presume the
voters intended to reduce to a misdemeanor the offense of acquiring or retaining access
card account information.
Nor are we convinced our interpretation of section 490.2 undermines the intent
behind section 484e. Molina found section 484e, subdivision (d), was enacted “to
provide broad protection to innocent consumers” because the intent to defraud found in
section 484e is broader than the intent to alter a card found in the previous statute.
(Molina, supra, 120 Cal.App.4th at pp. 518-519.) By reducing section 484e,
subdivision (d), from grand theft to petty theft, Proposition 47 merely reduced the
punishment for acquiring or retaining access card account information and did not narrow
the broad scope of the offense.
As for the People’s characterization of section 484e, subdivision (d), as not purely a
theft crime, the People are correct a defendant may violate the statute by acquiring or
retaining access card account information with the intent to defraud, and there is no
requirement a defendant actually use the information and cause a loss. (Molina, supra,
120 Cal.App.4th at p. 516 [§ 484e, subd. (d) “does not require that the information
actually be used or that the account of an innocent consumer actually be charged or
14
billed”].) Fraudulent use of access card account information is a separate crime. (§ 484g.)
However, although mere retention of access card account information with the intent to
use it fraudulently might not fit the ordinary definition of theft (§ 484, subd. (a)), and
access card account information might not fit the ordinary definition of personal property,
we are not free to ignore the fact the Legislature expressly defined the offense as “grand
theft.” (§ 484e, subd. (d), italics added.)
Unlike with count 2, the trial court did not expressly state why it denied
defendant’s petition for resentencing on count 3. Because the People’s opposition to
defendant’s petition only argued the conviction on count 3 was not a qualifying felony,
we assume the trial court denied the petition with respect to count 3 because it concluded
a conviction under section 484e, subdivision (d), does not qualify as petty theft under
section 490.2. On appeal, the People do not argue the order should nonetheless be
affirmed because the value of the property exceeded $950. For the foregoing reasons, we
reverse the order.
As with defendant’s second degree burglary conviction on count 2, the record on
appeal does not reflect the value of the access card account information. On remand, the
trial court shall conduct a hearing to determine in the first instance what that value is and
determine whether defendant poses an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.
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III.
DISPOSITION
The order denying defendant’s petition for reclassification and resentencing under
Proposition 47 is reversed. On remand, the trial court shall conduct a new hearing to
determine whether the value of the property acquired in counts 2 and 3 did not exceed
$950. If the trial court concludes the value did not exceed $950, and that defendant does
not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, it shall resentence defendant
pursuant to section 1170.18.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
McKINSTER
J.
We concur:
RAMIREZ
P. J.
CODRINGTON
J.
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