People v. Garcia

• Decision Date: 19 March 1962
• Docket Number: Cr. 1500
• Citation: 20 Cal.Rptr. 242,201 Cal.App.2d 589
• Court: California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
• Parties: The PEOPLE of the State of California, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Carlos GARCIA, Defendant and Appellant.

Page 242

20 Cal.Rptr. 242

201 Cal.App.2d 589

The PEOPLE of the State of California, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Carlos GARCIA, Defendant and Appellant.

Cr. 1500.

District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, California.

March 19, 1962.

[201 Cal.App.2d 591] Barton C. Sheela, san Diego, for appellant.

Stanley Mosk, Atty. Gen., William E. James, Asst. Atty. Gen., Norman H. Sokolow, Deputy Atty. Gen., for respondent.

SHEPARD, Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment of conviction of sale of narcotics (violation of Health & Safety Code, § 11501), amidone, after jury verdict of guilty.

FACTS

On 23 March 1961, maldonado, through another known user, Espinosa, started out to make contact with one Rubin Azhocar but they saw Rubin's brother, Alfredo Azhocar, driving a 1954 Chevrolet near 38th & National Avenue and contacted him. Defendant was riding as a passenger with Alfredo. Alfredo parked directly in front of Maldonado's car. Espinosa got out, walked to the passenger side of Alfredo's car and talked to the occupants. Maldonado heard none of this talk. Espinosa returned to Maldonado. They waited while Alfredo drove away. Over defense objections, Maldonado was allowed to testify to what Espinosa told him about Espinosa's conversation with Alfredo and appellant. Espinosa was not a witness. Alfredo returned in about five minutes and parked across the street from Maldonado. Appellant was still a passenger. Alfredo walked across to Maldonado and sold to Maldonado, through Espinosa, 2 grams of narcotic amidone for $35.00.

Over defendant's objection the prosecution introduced evidence that on March 4 At the time of trial, defendant Alfredo Azhocar had fled to Mexico and co-defendant Espinosa had already been sentenced to prison. Thus appellant was the sole defendant present at this trial. Appellant testified he was a passenger in Alfredo's car; that the talk between Alfredo and Espinosa was in Spanish; that he (defendant) did not speak Spanish and did not understand what was said; that his father is Spanish and his mother Italian; that he did not assist Alfredo in any way and knew nothing of the narcotics transaction. He admitted some acquaintance with Espinosa and Azhocar and that he had seen Maldonado on March 4. He denied being a dealer in narcotics. He was not asked whether or not he spoke while Alfredo and Espinosa were conversing during the first contact on March 23, 1961.

1961, State Narcotics Officer Maldonado, through a known user named Contreras, made contact with defendant in the Logan Heights area near the intersection of 38th and National Avenue of San Diego. Defendant left after the contact, driving a 1948 Buick. In about 10 minutes defendant returned and sold to Maldonado through Contreras two and a half grams of narcotic heroin for the agreed price of $35.00. The actual sale was all in the presence and hearing of Maldonado, who testified fully thereto. On oral argument we are informed that on this offense of March 4, 1961 defendant was separately charged, tried and convicted and is now serving a term in state prison.

SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE

Appellant contends that the evidence was insufficient, as a matter of law, to sustain the jury's verdict. With this we agree. It is true that on appeal all presumptions and inferences reasonably deducible from the evidence must be indulged in favor of the judgment (People v. Newland, 15 Cal.2d 678, 681, 104 P.2d 778), and that if the evidence reasonably supports the jury's verdict, the mere fact that it might also be reasonably reconciled with a defendant's innocence will not justify a disturbance of the verdict on appeal. (People v. Love, 53 Cal.2d 843, 850, 3 Cal.Rptr. 665, 350 P.2d 705.) It is also true that a conspiracy may be proved as the basis for admitting extrajudicial statements of co-conspirators made out of the presence of a defendant against whom such evidence is received even though no conspiracy has been charged. (People v. Terrell, 138 Cal.App.2d 35, 54, 291 P.2d 155; People v. Richardson, 152 Cal.App.2d 310, 317, 313 P.2d 651.) Once prima facie evidence of the fact of conspiracy has been established, such extrajudicial statements of the co-conspirator made in furtherance of the conspiracy but out of the presence of the defendant against whom they are offered, are classified as an exception to the hearsay rule and may be admitted in evidence. (Code Civ.Proc. §§ 1870[6-7], 1850.) Instructions on conspiracy under such circumstances are proper. (People v. Davis, 48 Cal.2d 241, 250, 309 P.2d 1). Proof by circumstantial evidence is sufficient and it is not necessary to prove a physical meeting of the co-conspirators as long as the circumstances reasonably show that the conspiratorial agreement has been reached in some manner. (People v. Curtis, 106 Cal.App.2d 321, 325-326[4-11], 235 P.2d 51; People v. Moran, 166 Cal.App.2d 410, 414, 333 P.2d 243). Proof of other like crimes may be received in narcotics cases to show knowledge of the narcotics nature, intent, or common scheme or plan. (People v. Smith, 185 Cal.App.2d 638, 643, 8 Cal.Rptr. 581; People v. McCaughan, 49 Cal.2d 409, 422, 317 P.2d 974; People v. Ballard, 145 Cal.App.2d 94, 98, 302 P.2d 89.)

However, none of these principles advanced by respondent reach the real crux of our difficulty in the present case. Proof of other...