Majority
Opinion
On July 1, 2002, appellant David John Hagedorn entered a Money Mart in Ridgecrest and used a copy of Arthur Pettet’s Social Security card and birth certificate, without Pettet’s permission, in an attempt to cash a check. Although made payable to Pettet, the check constituted payment for work performed by appellant under Pettet’s name. As a result, a jury
I
DISCUSSION
SECTION 530.5
Although section 530.5 has been amended several times since its enactment, at all times pertinent to this case, subdivision (a) has provided:[3] “Every person who willfully obtains personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b), of another person, and uses that information for any unlawful purpose, including to obtain, or attempt to obtain, credit, goods, services, or medical information in the name of the other person without the consent of that person, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished either by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both that imprisonment and fine, or by imprisonment in the state prison, a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both that imprisonment and fine.”[4] Appellant’s jury was instructed accordingly, pursuant to CALJIC No. 15.60, and was also told that the necessary mental state for the offense charged in count 2 was “use of personal identifying information for an unlawful purpose, specifically the obtaining of or attempted obtaining of goods, credit, or services without the consent of the other person.”
Appellant does not challenge the instruction per se, but contends that, as applied to him, section 530.5 violates due process because it did not give him fair warning that he was committing a crime by cashing a check, albeit in the
1 All statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated.
2 Sentence in this case was ordered to run concurrent to that in another matter.
3 References to undesignated subdivisions are to section 530.5.
4 Included within subdivision (b)’s definition of “personal identifying information” are an individual person’s name and social security number. The subdivision was amended after the date of the instant offenses to encompass a much wider array of information, including that contained in a birth certificate.
“ ‘ “Our role in construing a statute is to ascertain the Legislature’s intent so as to effectuate the purpose of the law. [Citation.]” ’ ” (People v. Canty (2004) 32 Cal.4th 1266 ,1276 [ 14 Cal.Rptr.3d 1 , 90 P.3d 1168 ].) “ ‘[W]e begin with the words of a statute and give these words their ordinary meaning.’ [Citation.] ‘If the statutory language is clear and unambiguous, then we need go no further.’ [Citation.] If, however, the language supports more than one reasonable construction, we may consider ‘a variety of extrinsic aids, including the ostensible objects to be achieved, the evils to be remedied, the legislative history, public policy, contemporaneous administrative construction, and the statutory scheme of which the statute is a part.’ [Citation.] Using these extrinsic aids, we ‘select the construction that comports most closely with the apparent intent of the Legislature, with a view to promoting rather than defeating the general purpose of the statute, and avoid an interpretation that would lead to absurd consequences.’ [Citation.]” (People v. Sinohui (2002) 28 Cal.4th 205 , 211-212 [ 120 Cal.Rptr.2d 783 , 47 P.3d 629 ].)
In our view, subdivision (a) clearly and unambiguously does not require an intent to defraud. In reaching this conclusion, “[w]e do not . . . consider the statutory language ‘in isolation.’ [Citation.] Rather, we look to ‘the entire substance of the statute ... in order to determine the scope and purpose of the provision .... [Citation.]’ [Citation.] That is, we construe the words in question ‘ “in context, keeping in mind the nature and obvious purpose of the statute . . . .” [Citation.]’ [Citation.] We must harmonize ‘the various parts of a statutory enactment... by considering the particular clause or section in the context of the statutory framework as a whole.’ [Citations.]” (People v. Murphy (2001) 25 Cal.4th 136 , 142 [ 105 Cal.Rptr.2d 387 , 19 P.3d 1129 ].) We also “give ‘significance to every word, phrase, sentence, and part of an act in pursuance of the legislative purpose. [Citation.]’ [Citations.]”
5 CALJIC No. 15.26 defines intent to defraud as “[a]n intent to deceive another person for the purpose of gaining some material advantage over that person or to induce that person to part with property or to alter that person’s position to [his] [her] [its] injury or risk, and to accomplish that purpose by some false statement, false representation of fact, wrongful concealment or suppression of truth, or by any other artifice or act designed to deceive.”
Contrary to appellant’s assertion, section 530.5, subdivision (d) was not enacted as part of the original statute, but was added by Statutes 2002, chapter 254, section 1. It provides: “Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires, transfers, or retains possession of the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b), of another person is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.” (Italics added.) Obviously, if the Legislature meant for subdivision (a) to require an intent to defraud, it knew how to so provide. (See In re Ivan J. (2001) 88 Cal.App.4th 27 , 30 [ 105 Cal.Rptr.2d 382 ].) Instead, it is apparent, from a comparison of the language and punishment contained in the two subdivisions, that the Legislature chose to treat use of personal identifying information, as opposed to mere acquisition or possession, as the more serious offense and worthy of a more expansive scope.
Because subdivision (a) is not ambiguous, the rule of lenity does not apply. Under that rule, “language in a penal statute that truly is susceptible of more than one reasonable construction in meaning or application ordinarily is construed in the manner that is more favorable to the defendant. [Citation.] Nonetheless, ‘ “the rule of lenity applies only if the court can do no more than guess what the legislative body intended; there must be an egregious ambiguity and uncertainty to justify invoking the rule.” . . . “The rule of statutory interpretation that ambiguous penal statutes are construed in favor of defendants is inapplicable unless two reasonable interpretations of the same provision stand in relative equipoise, i.e., that resolution of the statute’s ambiguities in a convincing manner in impracticable.” [][] Thus, although true ambiguities are resolved in a defendant’s favor, an appellate court should not strain to interpret a penal statute in a defendant’s favor it if can fairly discern a contrary legislative intent.’ [Citations.]” (People v. Canty, supra, 32 Cal.4th at p. 1277; accord, Moskal v. United States (1990) 498 U.S. 103 , 107-108 [ 112 L.Ed.2d 449 , 111 S.Ct. 461 ].)
In our view, the legislative history of section 530.5 does not assist appellant. It is true the bill’s supporters reportedly argued “that the problem of ‘identity theft’ is growing due to the claim that stealing a person’s identity is ‘easy’ because a defrauder must obtain only a consumer’s first or last name and a Social Security number before completing a fraudulent credit application.” (Assem. Com. on Banking and Finance, Analysis of Assem. Bill No. 156 (1997-1998 Reg. Sess.) as amended Mar. 31, 1997, p. 2, at <http:// www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/97-9 8/bill/as m/ab_0151-0200/ab_l56_cfa_19970404_155153_asm_comm.html> [as of Mar. 17, 2005], italics added.) It is also true that the bill’s author reportedly referred to an identity thief as a “defrauder,” and used the example of a criminal who walks into a store that provides instant credit, fills out a credit application using someone else’s identifying information, opens an account, charges thousands of dollars of merchandise, and never pays a dime. (Sen. Com. on Public Safety, Analysis of Assem. Bill No. 156 (1997-1998 Reg. Sess.) as amended July 3, 1997, p. 4, at <http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/97-98/bill/asm/ab_0151-200/ab_l56_cfa_l9970715_170405_sen_comm.html> [as of Mar. 17, 2005].) However, the fact that the bill’s author and supporters may have used a shorthand term to describe someone who makes unauthorized use of personal identifying information of another, or “[t]he fact that the Legislature may not have considered every factual permutation of [identity theft], including [conduct which purportedly causes no financial harm or loss], does not
“[I]t is beyond question that the Legislature may, and has, defined crimes and punishments in which causation analysis plays no practical part. For example, if a defendant has possessed contraband, burglarized a premises or battered another, criminal punishment is imposed to deter socially intolerable conduct regardless of any injury which may have been caused by the act. [Citation.]” (People v. Jackson (2000) 77 Cal.App.4th 574 , 578 [ 91 Cal.Rptr.2d 805 ].) In light of the indisputable evil to be remedied with respect to identity theft, the Legislature rationally appears to have concluded that willfulness, when coupled with use for an unlawful purpose, provides a sufficient mens rea for the offense, and that no injurious intent or result is required.[6] (See People v. Rathert (2000) 24 Cal.4th 200 , 205-206 [ 99 Cal.Rptr.2d 779 , 6 P.3d 700 ].) “The judiciary ordinarily has no power to insert in a statute an element the Legislature has omitted [citation]” (People v. Superior Court (Aishman) (1995) 10 Cal.4th 735 , 740-741 [ 42 Cal.Rptr.2d 377 , 896 P.2d 1387 ]); where, as here, the statute has an appropriate mens rea requirement, “no reason appears ... to warrant departure from this rule.” (Ibid.; People v. Valenzuela (2001) 92 Cal.App.4th 768 , 778 [ 112 Cal.Rptr.2d 209 ].)
To summarize, we conclude that subdivision (a) of section 530.5 does not require an intent to defraud. Does this, then, render the statute unconstitutionally vague as applied to appellant? We conclude the answer is no.
“An as applied challenge [to the constitutional validity of a statute] may seek . . . relief from a specific application of a facially valid statute . . . to an individual or class of individuals who are under allegedly impermissible present restraint or disability as a result of the manner or circumstances in which the statute . . . has been applied .... It contemplates analysis of the facts of a particular case or cases to determine the circumstances in which the statute . . . has been applied and to consider whether in those particular circumstances the application deprived the individual to whom it was applied of a protected right. [Citations.] When a criminal defendant claims that a facially valid statute . . . has been applied in a constitutionally impermissible
6 “The word ‘willfully’ as generally used in the law is a synonym for ‘intentionally,’ i.e., the defendant intended to do the act proscribed by the penal statute.” (People v. Lewis (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 837 , 852 [ 15 Cal.Rptr.3d 891 ].) “It does not require any intent to violate law, or to injure another, or to acquire any advantage.” (§ 7, subd. 1.)
“The constitutional interest implicated in questions of statutory vagueness is that no person be deprived of ‘life, liberty, or property without due process of law,’ as assured by both the federal Constitution [citation] and the California Constitution [citation]. Under both Constitutions, due process of law in this context requires two elements: a criminal statute must ‘ “be definite enough to provide (1) a standard of conduct for those whose activities are proscribed and (2) a standard for police enforcement and for ascertainment of guilt.” ’ [Citations.]
“We evaluate the specificity of [subdivision (a) of section 530.5] according to the following standards: ‘ “Vague laws offend several important values. First, because we assume that man is free to steer between lawful and unlawful conduct, we insist that laws give the person of ordinary intelligence a reasonable opportunity to know what is prohibited, so that he may act accordingly. Vague laws may trap the innocent by not providing fair warning. Second, if arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement is to be prevented, laws must provide explicit standards for those who apply them. A vague law impermissibly delegates basic policy matters to policemen, judges, and juries for resolution on an ad hoc and subjective basis, with the attendant dangers of arbitrary and discriminatory application.” ’ [Citations.]
“The starting point of our analysis is ‘the strong presumption that legislative enactments “must be upheld unless their unconstitutionality clearly, positively, and unmistakably appears. [Citations.] A statute should be sufficiently certain so that a person may know what is prohibited thereby and what may be done without violating its provisions, but it cannot be held void for uncertainty if any reasonable and practical construction can be given to its language.” ’ [Citation.]” (Williams v. Garcetti (1993) 5 Cal.4th 561 , 567-568 [ 20 Cal.Rptr.2d 341 , 853 P.2d 507 ].)
With respect to the determination whether a statute imparts fair warning, the United States Supreme Court has stated: “There are three related
“It is impossible, given the complexities of our language and the variability of human conduct, to achieve perfect clarity in criminal statutes. Reasonable specificity exists if the statutory language ‘conveys sufficiently definite warning as to the proscribed conduct when measured by common understandings and practices.’ [Citations.]” (People v. Basuta (2001) 94 Cal.App.4th 370 , 397 [ 114 Cal.Rptr.2d 285 ].) 11 ‘[Statutes are not automatically invalidated as impermissibly vague simply because difficulty is found in determining whether certain marginal offenses fall within their language. [Citation.]’ [Citation.]” (People v. Serrano (1992) 11 Cal.App.4th 1672 , 1675-1676 [ 15 Cal.Rptr.2d 305 ].) Moreover, “ ‘[o]ffenders cannot complain of the vagueness of a statute if the conduct with which they are charged falls clearly within its bounds [citation].’ [Citation.]” (People v. Ballard (1988) 203 Cal.App.3d 311 , 317 [ 249 Cal.Rptr. 806 ].)
We find nothing vague about subdivision (a) as applied to appellant. Standing alone, the phrase “uses ... for any unlawful purpose” might be considered unconstitutionally vague under particular circumstances, because persons of common intelligence might have to guess at its meaning and could differ as to its application. However, the statute goes on to define “uses ... for any unlawful purpose” as including the obtaining, or attempted obtaining, of “credit, goods, services, or medical information in the name of [an] other person without the consent of that person . . . .”
Appellant contends “[t]he evidence is clear that [he] did not obtain or attempt [to obtain] credit, goods, or medical information in the name of Arthur Pettet,” and that “[t]he only possible application of the statute to [him] lies in whether his attempt to obtain pay for his employment was use of personal identifying information for an unlawful purpose as an attempt to
Appellant’s arguments not only misquote the statute, they miss the mark. It is indisputable that a check cashing business such as Money Mart provides a service, for which it receives a fee. (See Civ. Code, § 1789.35; People v. Simon (1964) 227 Cal.App.2d 849 , 851 [ 39 Cal.Rptr. 138 ].) Appellant sought to have cashed a paycheck which, while constituting payment for work he himself performed, was made payable to Arthur Pettet. In' order to obtain the check cashing service, appellant used Pettet’s personal identifying information, the nature of which was such that it could not have been acquired unintentionally. Clearly, then, appellant “willfully obtained] personal identifying information ... of another person, and use[d] that information for [the] unlawful purpose [of] . . . attempting] to obtain . . . services ... in the name of the other person without the consent of that person,” in violation of subdivision (a).[7] Thus, appellant’s conduct was clearly covered by the statute, the terms of which gave him fair warning that his conduct was forbidden. By setting out concrete examples of what constituted an unlawful purpose, the plain language of subdivision (a) criminalized appellant’s conduct and ameliorated any potential vagueness. (See People v. Pulliam (1998) 62 Cal.App.4th 1430 , 1436 [ 73 Cal.Rptr.2d 371 ].) To put it in more specific terms, the statute provides that an “unlawful purpose” includes the conduct here in question. What the statute contemplates and proscribes is using someone else’s personal identifying information, without consent and for purposes that include obtaining credit or goods. It does not require an intent to defraud the person whose identity is assumed. The wording of the statute contemplates misleading the person or entity from whom the goods, services, etc. are obtained.
Whether appellant realized he was violating the law does not affect subdivision (a)’s constitutionality as applied to him. “No person of ordinary intelligence would be left guessing as to the meaning of’ the statutory
7 We leave for another day the question whether receipt of the paycheck itself falls within the purview of the statute, or whether the process of cashing a check involves obtaining or attempting to obtain credit within subdivision (a)’s provisions.
In light of our conclusion that a violation of section 530.5, subdivision (a) does not require an intent to defraud, we reject appellant’s related claims that his convictions were unsupported by substantial evidence.[8] Appellant implicitly concedes there was sufficient evidence of both charged offenses, absent an intent-to-defraud requirement with respect to section 530.5. We have examined the evidence in light of settled principles of appellate review (see, e.g., Jackson v. Virginia (1979) 443 U.S. 307 , 319 [ 61 L.Ed.2d 560 , 99 S.Ct. 2781 ]; People v. Alvarez (1996) 14 Cal.4th 155 , 224 [ 58 Cal.Rptr.2d 385 , 926 P.2d 365 ]; People v. Johnson (1980) 26 Cal.3d 557 , 578 [ 162 Cal.Rptr. 431 , 606 P.2d 738 ]); it is sufficient to sustain the convictions on both counts.
II[9]
IMPOSITION OF UPPER TERMS
8 With respect to count 1, the jury was instructed: “Now the defendant is accused in count one of having committed the crime of burglary, a violation of Section 459 of the Penal Code. Every person who enters any building with the specific intent to commit the crime of unauthorized use of personal identifying information of another person is guilty of the crime of burglary, in violation of Penal Code Section 459. [B ... [ID In order to prove this crime, each of the following elements must be proved: One, a person entered a building; and two, at the time of the entry that person had the specific intent to commit the crime of unauthorized use of the personal identifying information of another person.”
* See footnote, ante, page 734.
The judgment is affirmed. The trial court is directed to cause to be prepared a corrected sentencing minute order, showing sentence on count 1 stayed pursuant to section 654, and to transmit a certified copy of same to the appropriate authorities.
Dibiaso, J., and Gomes, J., concurred.
Appellant’s petition for review by the Supreme Court was denied June 29, 2005. Baxter, J., and Brown, J., did not participate therein.
Cases cited
- People v. Canty 32 Cal.4th 1266 at 1276 p. 741
- People v. Sinohui 28 Cal.4th 205 at 211-212 p. 741
- People v. Murphy 25 Cal.4th 136 at 142 p. 741
- People v. Drake 19 Cal.3d 749 at 755 p. 742
- People v. Silva 114 Cal.App.4th 122 at 129 p. 742
- People v. Sainz 74 Cal.App.4th 565 at 573 p. 742
- People v. Ivan J. 88 Cal.App.4th 27 at 30 p. 742
- Moskal v. United States 498 U.S. 103 at 107-108 p. 742
- People v. Townsend 62 Cal.App.4th 1390 at 1395 p. 743
- In re Michele D. 29 Cal.4th 600 at 606 p. 743
- People v. Jackson 77 Cal.App.4th 574 at 578 p. 744
- People v. Rathert 24 Cal.4th 200 at 205-206 p. 744
- People v. Superior Court 10 Cal.4th 735 at 740-741 p. 744
- People v. Valenzuela 92 Cal.App.4th 768 at 778 p. 744
- Tobe v. City of Santa Ana 9 Cal.4th 1069 at 1084 p. 745
- City of Los Angeles v. Superior Court 29 Cal.4th 1 at 11 p. 745
- Williams v. Garcetti 5 Cal.4th 561 at 567-568 p. 745
- United States v. Lanier 520 U.S. 259 at 266 p. 746
- People v. Basuta 94 Cal.App.4th 370 at 397 p. 746
- People v. Serrano 11 Cal.App.4th 1672 at 1675-1676 p. 746
- People v. Ballard 203 Cal.App.3d 311 at 317 p. 746
- People v. Simon 227 Cal.App.2d 849 at 851 p. 747
- People v. Pulliam 62 Cal.App.4th 1430 at 1436 p. 747
- People v. Truong 90 Cal.App.4th 887 at 899 p. 748
- People v. Heitzman 9 Cal.4th 189 at 200 p. 748
- People ex rel. McKune v. Weller 11 Cal. 49 at 65 p. 748
- People v. Mayer 108 Cal.App.4th 403 at 413 p. 748
- Jackson v. Virginia 443 U.S. 307 at 319 p. 748
- People v. Alvarez 14 Cal.4th 155 at 224 p. 748
- People v. Johnson 26 Cal.3d 557 at 578 p. 748