Opinion · California Court of Appeal

People v. Smith

6 Cal. Rptr. 866

Type: Opinion
Court: California Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: California
Date: 1960-08-11
Topic: litigation

DUNIWAY, J. Defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction of possession of heroin (Health & Saf. Code, § 11500). He is represented by court appointed counsel. He makes no claim that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the verdict of the jury.

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Cited by: 12 opinions

PEOPLEv.SMITH,183 Cal.App.2d 670(1960)

6 Cal.Rptr. 866

THE PEOPLE, Respondent, v. WILLIAM DAVID SMITH, Appellant.

Docket No. 3732.

Court of Appeal of California, First District, Division One.

August 11, 1960.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Contra Costa County. Wakefield Taylor, Judge. Affirmed.

R. Barry Churton, under appointment by the District Court of Appeal, for Appellant.

Stanley Mosk, Attorney General, Arlo E. Smith and Peter T. Kennedy, Deputy Attorneys General, for Respondent.

DUNIWAY, J.

Defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction of possession of heroin (Health Saf. Code, §11500). He is represented by court appointed counsel. He makes no claim that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the verdict of the jury. His sole contention is that certain important evidence was obtained by means of an unlawful search of his home. He himself expressly refused to consent to such aPage 671search. But consent was given by one Betty Lou James, and the question is whether that consent was sufficient. If it was, it is unnecessary to determine whether the officers had reasonable cause to make the search. (Peoplev.Burke,47 Cal.2d 45, 49 [301 P.2d 241];Peoplev.Michael,45 Cal.2d 751, 753 [290 P.2d 852].) We conclude that Mrs. James' consent was sufficient.[1]Appellant was arrested on the night of January 28, 1959. Mrs. James was in his car and was arrested with him. Both of them bore the physical marks of narcotics users, and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. She testified that she had been a "guest" in defendant's home since early November, 1958. They were not married. During that period she also stayed part of the time with a girl friend, at another address. She kept some of her things at each place. She paid no rent and bought no food while staying with defendant. On the night in question, she had quarrelled with the girl friend and had removed those of her belongings that were in the girl friend's apartment, and she and defendant were on the way to his place, with those things, which were to be put in his home. She had a key to defendant's place and called it her home. She told the officers that she was living there. She let the officers in, and gave them permission to search.

The foregoing evidence seems to us clearly to support the conclusion that Mrs. James was more than a mere temporary guest of defendant and was in fact one of those in possession of the premises, and free to admit others to them, because she was residing there with defendant. The case falls within the rule applied inPeoplev.Silva,140 Cal.App.2d 791, 794-795 [295 P.2d 942]; andPeoplev.Howard,166 Cal.App.2d 638, 651 [334 P.2d 105];cf. Peoplev.Herman,163 Cal.App.2d 821, 826 [329 P.2d 989]. It seems quite clear that the officers were justified in concluding that Mrs. James had the authority over appellant's home that she purported to have. (Peoplev.Caritativo,46 Cal.2d 68, 72-73 [292 P.2d 513];Peoplev.Gorg,45 Cal.2d 776, 782-783 [291 P.2d 469].)

Affirmed.

Bray, P.J., and Tobriner, J., concurred.Page 672