People v. Garcia, Cr. 2605

Decision Date25 May 1950
Docket NumberCr. 2605
Citation97 Cal.App.2d 733,218 P.2d 837
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
PartiesPEOPLE v. GARCIA.

Noal R. Gray, San Francisco, for appellant.

Fred N. Howser, Attorney General, David K. Lener, Deputy Attorney General, Edmund G. Brown, District Attorney, Francis Mayer, Assistant District Attorney, San Francisco, for respondent.

NOURSE, Presiding Justice.

Defendant was tried to a jury and convicted of a violation of the Deadly Weapons Act, Stats.1923, p. 695, Deering's Penal Code Appendix p. 774, Gen.Laws, Art. 1970. The charge of a prior conviction of a felony and release on parole was admitted.

The evidence showed that defendant and a companion were driving a car about the streets of San Francisco at about 11 p. m. and were followed by two members of the police force whose suspicions were aroused and who stopped the car for investigation. As one of the officers opened the door of the car in which defendant was riding he saw defendant slip a gun under the seat. When ordered out of the car the defendant said: 'Here I go back again.' 'Back to Quentin.' When asked the meaning of those remarks the defendant explained that he was on parole. The Deadly Weapons Act declares it a felony for any person to have in his possession or control a deadly weapon when such person had been previously convicted of a felony.

Three grounds are urged for a reversal of the judgment. First, that under section 1 of article I of the state Constitutional all men are guaranteed the right to bear arms for the protection of their life, liberty and property. Hence it is said the penal statute is unconstitutional. It has been held that the statute is a proper exercise of the police power of the State enacted for the safety and general welfare of society. People v. Cordero, 50 Cal.App.2d 146, 122 P.2d 648. It has also been held that a similar statute relating to the possession of weapons by those confined in a state prison did not violate section 1 of article I of the Constitution nor the Second Amendment to the federal Constitution which gives a citizen the right to keep and bear arms. People v. Wells, 68 Cal.App.2d 476, 156 P.2d 979.

Second, that there is a variance between information and proof in that it was charged that defendant did 'own and have in his possession' such a weapon and there was no proof of ownership. The statute is in the disjunctive reading, 'own or have in his possession.' Since the proof of possession was complete the defendant was not prejudiced by the wording of the information, and proof of possession alone is sufficient to support the judgment. People v. Gonzales, 72 Cal.App. 626, 237 P. 812.

Finally, it is argued that defendant was subjected to an...

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6 cases
  • Galvan v. Superior Court of City and County of San Francisco
    • United States
    • California Supreme Court
    • April 23, 1969
    ...Dangerous Weapons' Control Act which have been challenged have been upheld as not violative of the Second Amendment. (People v. Garcia, 97 Cal.App.2d 733, 734, 218 P.2d 837 (Pen.Code, § 12021); People v. Wells, 68 Cal.App.2d 476, 480--481, 156 P.2d 979 (Pen.Code, § 4502).) It is long since ......
  • State v. Noel
    • United States
    • Arizona Court of Appeals
    • May 13, 1966
    ...v. Cranor, 41 Wash.2d 567, 250 P.2d 542 (1952), cert. denied 345 U.S. 967, 73 S.Ct. 954, 97 L.Ed. 1385 (1953); People v. Garcia, 97 Cal.App.2d 733, 218 P.2d 837 (1950); State v. Krantz, 24 Wash.2d 350, 164 P.2d 453 (1945); State v. Tully, 198 Wash. 605, 89 P.2d 517 (1939); People v. James, ......
  • Nelson v. State
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • February 22, 1967
    ...Jackson v. State, 37 Ala.App. 335, 68 So.2d 850 (1953), cert. denied 260 Ala. 698, 68 So.2d 853 (Ala.1953); People v. Garcia, 97 Cal.App.2d 733, 218 P.2d 837 (D.C.A.1st 1950); People v. Camperlingo, 69 Cal.App. 466, 231 P. 601, 604 (D.C.A.2nd 1924):'Acting within the scope of such power, th......
  • People v. Evans
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • July 10, 1974
    ...and we are not required to determine whether the statute is or is not, in such a context, overbroad. (See People v. Garcia (1950), 97 Cal.App.2d 733, 734, 218 P.2d 837.) The incident that occurred here is the very thing the Legislature was seeking to prevent. As stated in People v. Washingt......
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