Majority
Opinion
I. Introduction
Defendant, Mark Anthony Carr, has filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the award of presentence conduct credits he received in a case where
II. Factual and Procedural Background
III. Discussion
Defendant was charged with one count of lewd conduct with a child under the age of fourteen in violation of section 288, subdivision (a). On June 3, 1998, defendant pled no contest pursuant to a plea bargain and was placed on probation for five years. One of the terms of probation required that defendant spend one year in the county jail. He was given credit for 172 days served in custody prior to the probation and sentence hearing. However, over the objection of defense counsel, the trial court, acting pursuant to section 2933.1, awarded defendant only 15 percent presentence conduct credits as measured against the time actually spent in the county jail prior to the probation and sentence hearing. Defense counsel contended that presentence conduct credits should be calculated pursuant to section 4019. Under defense counsel’s calculation, defendant should have received 86 days of presentence conduct credits.
On July 28, 1998, defendant filed his habeas corpus petition challenging the award of presentence conduct credits. On the same day, we requested an informal response from the district attorney. The informal response of the district attorney was filed on July 31, 1998. On July 31, 1998, we shortened the time for filing defendant’s response as permitted by rule 60 of the California Rules of Court. Defendant’s response was filed on August 4, 1998. On August 6, 1998, after consideration of the parties’ papers, we issued our order to show cause. We heard oral argument on the petition on August 10, 1998.
Subject to limitations not present in this case (e.g., People v. Bruner (1995) 9 Cal.4th 1178 , 1183-1194 [ 40 Cal.Rptr.2d 534 , 892 P.2d 1277 ]; In re Joyner (1989) 48 Cal.3d 487 , 491-495 [ 256 Cal.Rptr. 785 , 769 P.2d 967 ]; In re Rojas (1979) 23 Cal.3d 152 , 155-157 [ 151 Cal.Rptr. 649 , 588 P.2d 789 ]), at the time of the probation and sentence hearing, a defendant is entitled to credit for time served in county jail prior to sentencing. (§ 2900.5, subd. (b).) Section 2900.5, subdivision (a) states in pertinent part, “In all
1 All future statutory references are to the Penal Code.
Section 2933.1 was adopted as urgency legislation effective September 21, 1994. (Stats. 1994, ch. 713.) Section 2933.1', states in its entirety: “(a) Notwithstanding any other law, any person who is convicted of a felony offense listed in Section 667.5 shall accrue no more than 15 percent of worktime credit, as defined in Section 2933. [H] (b) The 15 percent limitation provided in subdivision (a) shall apply whether the defendant is sentenced under Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 1170) of Title 7 of Part 2 or sentenced under some other law. However, nothing in subdivision (a) shall affect the requirement of any statute that the defendant serve a specified period of time prior to minimum parole eligibility, nor shall any offender otherwise statutorily ineligible for credit be eligible for credit pursuant to this section. [1Q (c) Notwithstanding Section 4019 or any other provision of law, the maximum credit that may be earned against a period of confinement in, or commitment to, a county jail, industrial farm, or road camp, or a city jail, industrial farm, or road camp, following arrest and prior to placement in the custody of the Director of Corrections, shall not exceed 15 percent of the actual period of confinement for any person specified in subdivision (a). [10 (d) This section shall only apply to offenses listed in subdivision (a) that are committed on or after the date on which this section becomes operative.” Defendant does not dispute that he has been convicted of a violent felony as defined in section 667.5, subdivision (c). He has been convicted of committing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14, which is a violent felony. (§ 667.5, subd. (c)(6); People v. Reed (1998) 62 Cal.App.4th 593 , 595 [ 72 Cal.Rptr.2d 615 ]; People v. Caceres (1997) 52 Cal.App.4th 106 , 108 [ 60 Cal.Rptr.2d 415 ].) Defendant argues that the 15 percent limitation on section 4019 conduct credits should only apply when the accused is sentenced to prison. Defendant argues that section 2933.1 does not apply when the accused is placed on probation.
Therefore, the parties agree that the applicable provision of section 2933.1 which controls the outcome of this case is subdivision (c) which, as already noted, states, “Notwithstanding Section 4019 or any other provision of law, the maximum credit that may be earned against a period of confinement in, or commitment to, a county jail, industrial farm, or road camp, or a city jail, industrial farm, or road camp, following arrest and prior to placement in the custody of the Director of Corrections, shall not exceed 15 percent of the actual period of confinement for any person specified in subdivision (a).” The district attorney contends: “[Defendant’s] probationary jail term commitment is following his arrest, and because he has not yet been sentenced to state prison, it is also prior to his placement in the custody of the Director of Corrections. Therefore, [defendant] clearly falls within the plain language of subdivision (c).” (Fn. omitted.) Defendant argues that the language “and prior to placement in the custody of the Department of Corrections. . . .” in section 2933.1, subdivision (c) qualifies the preceding phrase which refers to “a period of confinement in, or commitment to, a county jail . . . .” Defendant argues that the reduction to 15 percent of conduct credits only occurs when an accused is committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections. Both parties contend that the plain language of section 2933.1, subdivision (c) applies to them. However, section 2933.1, subdivision (c) is ambiguous because it is unclear whether the word “and” is intended to describe two separate scenarios where the credits must be reduced, viz. probationary confinement and when the accused is sentenced to prison, or conduct credits can only be reduced when there is a sentence to the state penitentiary.
We begin our analysis by examining the language of section 2933.1, subdivision (c). The Legislature has chosen to use the words “and prior to placement in the custody of the Director of Corrections. . . .” in section 2933.1, subdivision (c). Those words must be given effect. The district attorney’s interpretation of section 2933.1, subdivision (c) would render the words “following arrest and prior to placement in the custody of the Director
Because the statutory language is ambiguous, it is proper to review appropriate documents prepared during the legislative process. (Williams v. Garcetti (1993) 5 Cal.4th 561 , 569 [ 20 Cal.Rptr.2d 341 , 853 P.2d 507 ]; California Teachers Assn. v. San Diego Community College Dist. (1981) 28 Cal.3d 692 , 698-702 [ 170 Cal.Rptr. 817 , 621 P.2d 856 ].) Section 2933.1 was originally contained within Assembly Bill No. 113 (1993-1994 Reg. Sess.). As will be noted, the proposed adoption of section 2933.1 was later inserted in Assembly Bill No. 2716 (1993-1994 Reg. Sess.). When Assembly Bill No. 113 was pending, committee reports consistently indicated that new section 2933.1 would apply to defendant committed to state prison. A report prepared for a hearing on May 11, 1993, states: “1) Provides that any person
2 It is noteworthy that the Legislature in enacting section 2933.2 which bans all worktime credit for murderers did not add the language “and prior to placement in the custody of the Director of Corrections” to the statute. Section 2933.2, subdivision (c) states, “Notwithstanding Section 4019 or any other provision of law, no credit pursuant to Section 4019 may be earned against a period of confinement in, or commitment to, a county jail, industrial farm, or road camp, or a city jail, industrial farm, or road camp, following arrest for any person specified in subdivision (a).” Section 2933.2, subdivision (c) is clear—no murderer, even one receiving an extremely unlikely grant of probation, would ever be entitled to presentence conduct credits.
As noted previously, the language in Assembly Bill No. 113 was placed in Assembly Bill No. 2716. The Office of Senate Floor Analyses reported as follows concerning Assembly Bill No. 2716: “The 7/6/94 amendments deleted the subject matter of this bill dealing with the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund. [IQ This new language is the identical language in AB 113 (Katz) that was converted to a budget trailer bill on 5/6/94. The present language dealing with worktime credits passed the Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committee in AB 113.” (Off. of Sen. Floor Analyses, analysis of Assem. Bill No. 113 (1993-1994 Reg. Sess.) Aug. 9, 1994.) The report further stated: “Existing law provides that inmates who participate in full-time work or education programs receive time credits of 50 percent. Inmates housed in reception centers and inmates awaiting a full-time work or education slot receive 33 percent credit. flQ All determinatively sentenced inmates are eligible for these credits, except those convicted of specified violent offenses who have served two or more prison terms for specified violent offenses and inmates under institutional disciplinary action. [IQ This bill would provide that any person who is convicted of a violent felony, as defined, shall accrue no more than 15% of worktime credit, as defined. HQ This bill also would provide that, whenever any person who is subject to the 15% worktime credit limitation, the maximum credit that may be earned against a period of confinement in, or commitment to, those facilities, following arrest and prior to placement in the custody of the Director of
Additionally, the Legislative Counsel’s Digest is consistent with defendant’s position. The Legislative Counsel’s Digest for Assembly Bill No. 2716 as chaptered states in pertinent part: “(1) Existing law provides that every person convicted of any specified felony offense, who has been previously convicted 2 or more times, on charges separately brought and tried, and who has previously served 2 or more separate prior prison terms, as defined, for any of those specified felony offenses shall be ineligible to earn credit on their terms of imprisonment. fl[| This bill would provide, among other things, that notwithstanding any other law, any person who is convicted of a violent felony, as defined, shall accrue no more than 15% of worktime credit, as defined, [f] (2) Existing law provides that a prisoner confined in or committed to a county jail, industrial farm, or road camp, or any city jail, industrial farm, or road camp is entitled to reduction in the time served for good behavior and for performance in work. [^0 This bill also would provide
Of further relevance in terms of the Legislature’s intent was Governor Wilson’s letter when he signed Assembly Bill No. 2716. A governor’s written memoranda issued upon signature of a bill is admissible on the issue of the Legislature’s intent. (People v. Ledesma, supra, 16 Cal.4th at p. 100 [signature message]; People v. Tanner (1979) 24 Cal.3d 514 , 520 [ 156 Cal.Rptr. 450 , 596 P.2d 328 ] [press release]; see Legislature v. Reinecke (1972) 6 Cal.3d 595 , 598 [ 99 Cal.Rptr. 481 , 492 P.2d 385 ] [“. . . we urge the Legislature and the Governor, in the exercise of their shared legislative power to enact laws”]; Lukens v. Nye (1909) 156 Cal. 498 , 503 [ 105 P. 593 ] [Governor is participating in the Legislative process when bills are considered and signed].) In the present case, Governor Pete Wilson wrote the Legislature explaining why he was signing Assembly Bill No. 2716 and noted: “I have signed this date Assembly Bill No. 2716. HO This bill would limit to 15% the credit inmates in state prison or local custody could earn to reduce their prison sentences for violent crimes.” (Governor Wilson, Letter to Leg., re: Stats. 1994, ch. 713.)
Finally, section 2933.1 is part of article 2.5 of part 3, title 1, chapter 7 of the Penal Code. Article 2.5 is entitled “Credit on Term of Imprisonment.” As noted previously, such headings are in the words of the California Supreme Court entitled to “considerable weight.” (People v. Hull, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 272; Bowland v. Municipal Court, supra, 18 Cal.3d at p. 489.) Although not conclusive, the placement of section 2933.1 in article 2.5, which is addressed to imprisonment, not probation, is evidence that probationers were not to be subject to the 15 percent limitation on preprobation and sentence hearing conduct credits.
To sum up, as is the case in many situations,. the evidence concerning legislative intent is in conflict. (In re Marriage of Bouquet (1976) 16 Cal.3d 583 , 590-591 [ 128 Cal.Rptr. 427 , 546 P.2d 1371 ]; Union Bank v. Superior Court (1995) 31 Cal.App.4th 573 , 891, fn. 9 [ 37 Cal.Rptr.2d 653 ].) However, most of the evidence indicates the Legislature did not intend to have probationers subject to the 15 percent limitation. The Legislature used the phrase “following arrest and prior to placement in the custody of the Director of Corrections” which reasonably can be construed to read that the
The petition is granted. Within 10 days of filing date of this opinion, the respondent court is to set aside its order applying Penal Code section 2933.1 to defendant. The respondent court is to issue a new order granting defendant credits in compliance with Penal Code sections 2900.5, subdivision (b) and 4019.
Armstrong, I., and Godoy Perez, I., concurred.
Cases cited
- People v. Bruner 9 Cal.4th 1178 at 1183-1194 p. 1528
- In re Joyner 48 Cal.3d 487 at 491-495 p. 1528
- In re Rojas 23 Cal.3d 152 at 155-157 p. 1528
- People v. Reed 62 Cal.App.4th 593 at 595 p. 1529
- People v. Caceres 52 Cal.App.4th 106 at 108 p. 1529
- Freedom Newspapers, Inc. v. Orange County Employees Retirement System Board of Directors 6 Cal.4th 821 at 826 p. 1530
- People v. Jones 5 Cal.4th 1142 at 1146 p. 1530
- Delaney v. Superior Court 50 Cal.3d 785 at 798 p. 1530
- Lakin v. Watkins Associated Industries 6 Cal.4th 644 at 658-659 p. 1530
- Lungren v. Deukmejian 45 Cal.3d 727 at 735 p. 1530
- People v. Hull 1 Cal.4th 266 at 272 p. 1530
- Bowland v. Municipal Court 18 Cal.3d 479 at 489 p. 1530
- People v. Navarro 7 Cal.3d 248 at 273 p. 1530
- People v. Nichols 3 Cal.3d 150 at 158 p. 1530
- People v. Christian S. 7 Cal.4th 768 at 780 p. 1530
- People v. Ledesma 16 Cal.4th 90 at 101 p. 1530
- People v. Aguirre 56 Cal.App.4th 1135 at 1140 p. 1531
- People v. Hill 37 Cal.App.4th 220 at 225 p. 1531
- California Ass'n of Psychology Providers v. Rank 51 Cal.3d 1 at 18 p. 1532
- Gay Law Students Ass'n v. Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. 24 Cal.3d 458 at 478 p. 1532
- People v. Pool 27 Cal. 572 at 580-581 p. 1532
- Melamed v. City of Long Beach 15 Cal.App.4th 70 at 78 p. 1532
- Houge v. Ford 44 Cal.2d 706 at 712 p. 1532
- Williams v. Garcetti 5 Cal.4th 561 at 569 p. 1532
- California Teachers Ass'n v. San Diego Community College District 28 Cal.3d 692 at 698-702 p. 1532
- People v. Tanner 24 Cal.3d 514 at 520 p. 1535
- Legislature v. Reinecke 6 Cal.3d 595 at 598 p. 1535
- Lukens v. Nye 156 Cal. 498 at 503 p. 1535
- Bouquet v. Bouquet 16 Cal.3d 583 at 590-591 p. 1535
- Union Bank v. Superior Court 31 Cal.App.4th 573 at 891 p. 1535
- People v. Stuart 47 Cal.2d 167 at 175 p. 1536