Majority
We conclude there was sufficient evidence to support both convictions, that the court did not err in its refusal to dismiss the burglary charge or its
Shortly thereafter, Rebecca's mother took her to the police station to make a report. The next day, after discovering Rebecca had talked to the police, Rodriguez sent Rebecca an e-mail asking her to sign a statement that said she was forced to give an inaccurate statement to the police after being told she was a party to a crime, and that she only knew Rodriguez from an online dating application. Rebecca did not sign the statement and, instead, spoke with a detective from the police department several more times and went with the detective to identify each of the hotel rooms she had visited with Rodriguez. However, she also remained in contact with Rodriguez, both directly and through an intermediary, and he continued to threaten her and pressure her to change her story.
The police arrested Rodriguez in June. While in jail, he had his brother send another phone to Rebecca so he could communicate with her. He also moved to represent himself at the preliminary hearing and rehearsed the questions he planned to ask Rebecca over the phone with her. By the time of the preliminary hearing in August, Rodriguez had convinced Rebecca to change her testimony to say that she never had a sexual relationship with him. However, the court did not find her testimony credible and allowed the case to continue.
After the preliminary hearing, Rodriguez moved to set aside the burglary charge pursuant to section 995. He argued he could not be guilty of burglary in violation of section 459 because, in accordance with People v. Gauze (1975) 15 Cal.3d 709 , 125 Cal.Rptr. 773 , 542 P.2d 1365 ( Gauze ), section 459 requires an entry that invades a possessory right and he had an unconditional possessory right to the hotel room he rented. The People opposed the motion and the trial court denied it.
In late 2014, the police discovered Rodriguez and Rebecca were still in contact and, in January 2015, they seized three phones from Rebecca's home, including two that Rodriguez had sent to her. Rebecca had no further contact with Rodriguez after that and, several months later, she testified at trial
I. Burglary Conviction
Rodriguez appeals.
DISCUSSION
Rodriguez contends he could not have committed burglary by entering the hotel room because he had an unconditional possessory interest in the room during the rental period. He therefore asserts there was insufficient evidence to support the burglary conviction, and that the trial court should have granted either his section 995 motion to set aside the information prior to trial or his section 1118.1 motion to dismiss the burglary charge after the trial. In the alternative, he argues the court should have provided a pinpoint instruction to the jury regarding the significance of a possessory interest with respect to the burglary charge, and that the conviction must be reversed as a result. In addition, Rodriguez asserts any determination that he did not have an unconditional possessory interest in the hotel room would violate his constitutional right to equal protection by treating him differently than a homeowner or lessee. In response, the People argue Rodriguez waived his argument with respect to at least the section 995 motion, and that the trial court did not err in any event by denying the motions or instructing the jury as to the burglary charge.
A. Court's Refusal to Dismiss the Burglary Charge
Rodriguez combines his arguments that there was insufficient evidence to support the burglary conviction and that the court erred in failing to dismiss
Rodriguez argues he had an unconditional right to possession during the rental period because he alone had the legal right to come and go from the hotel room. We disagree. Presumably the hotel maintained access to the room as well-for such purposes as housekeeping and maintenance-and the hotel had the right to eject him from the room should he engage in illegal activity therein. (See Minervini, supra , 20 Cal.App.3d at p. 840, 98 Cal.Rptr. 107 [guest may be excluded from hotel premises and his or her privilege of occupancy forfeited because of unlawful conduct].) Rodriguez asserts a hotel's ability to eject a guest is no different than a lessor's ability to evict a tenant, but evicting a tenant involves a complex legal process aimed in part at protecting the tenant's occupancy rights while ejecting a hotel guest does not. (See, e.g., Code Civ. Proc., § 1161 ; Roberts, supra , 36 Cal.App.2d Supp. at p. 771, 93 P.2d 654 [hotel guest's rights are contractual].) While Rodriguez may have had the hotel's consent to enter and use the room during the rental period, consent is not equivalent to a possessory interest and, in any event, the consent was not given with knowledge of Rodriguez's felonious intent. ( Pendleton, supra , 25 Cal.3d at p. 382, 158 Cal.Rptr. 343 , 599 P.2d 649 ; Salemme, supra , 2 Cal.App.4th at p. 781, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 398 ; People v. Sherow (2011) 196 Cal.App.4th 1296 , 1304, 128 Cal.Rptr.3d 255 .) Regardless, Rodriguez did not argue a consent defense in the trial court, nor does he expressly raise the issue of consent on appeal.
Rodriguez also points the court to a number of cases regarding a hotel guest's expectation of privacy, but those cases are not instructive. The right to privacy at issue in those cases derives from the right to be free of unlawful searches and seizures set forth in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Rodriguez provides no authority indicating that right is dependent on a possessory interest, let alone an unconditional possessory interest. (See Rakas v. Illinois (1978) 439 U.S. 128 , 146-147, 99 S.Ct. 421 , 58 L.Ed.2d 387 [suggesting one may have a right to privacy even absent a possessory interest in the searched property]; People v. Koury (1989) 214 Cal.App.3d 676 , 686, 262 Cal.Rptr. 870 [possessory interest not required to assert a reasonable expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment]; People v. Zabelle (1996) 50 Cal.App.4th 1282 , 1286, 58 Cal.Rptr.2d 105 [hotel room is considered a dwelling for the purpose of the Fourth Amendment ]; see also
B. Jury Instruction
Alternatively, Rodriguez contends the trial court should have given a pinpoint instruction to the jury regarding the significance of an unconditional possessory interest to the elements of section 459.
The People contend Rodriguez forfeited this argument as well and he concedes he did not request a pinpoint instruction, but argues the trial court had a sua sponte duty to provide the instruction because it concerned a general principle of law relevant to the issues raised by the evidence. (See People v. Martinez (2010) 47 Cal.4th 911 , 953, 105 Cal.Rptr.3d 131 , 224 P.3d 877 ; People v. Earp (1999) 20 Cal.4th 826 , 885, 85 Cal.Rptr.2d 857 , 978 P.2d 15 .) However, the cases Rodriguez primarily relies on relate to the trial court's sua sponte duty to instruct on defenses where there is sufficient evidence to support the defense and, similarly, lesser included offenses when the evidence raises a question of whether the elements of the charged offense are met. ( Martinez , at p. 953, 105 Cal.Rptr.3d 131 , 224 P.3d 877 ; Earp , at p. 885, 85 Cal.Rptr.2d 857 , 978 P.2d 15 ; People v. Breverman (1998) 19 Cal.4th 142 , 157, 77 Cal.Rptr.2d 870 , 960 P.2d 1094 .) Pinpoint instructions, on the other hand, relate to the elements of a charged offense and, specifically, whether the prosecution has met its burden of proof as to each such element. ( People v. Anderson (2011) 51 Cal.4th 989 , 996-997, 125 Cal.Rptr.3d 408 , 252 P.3d 968 ( Anderson ).) Pinpoint instructions must be given only upon request, and the trial court has no sua sponte obligation to give them absent such a request. ( Ibid . ; People v. Hernandez (2010) 183 Cal.App.4th 1327 , 1331, 107 Cal.Rptr.3d 915 ["Once the trial court adequately instructs the jury on the law, it has no duty to give clarifying or amplifying instructions absent a request."].)
C. Equal Protection
Finally, Rodriguez asserts any distinction this court has drawn between the possessory interest he had in the hotel room he rented and the possessory interest a homeowner or lessee has in a home or apartment violates his constitutional right to equal protection. We disagree.
To prevail on an equal protection claim, the defendant must show that the state has adopted a classification that affects two or more similarly situated groups unequally. ( Cooley v. Superior Court (2002) 29 Cal.4th 228 , 253, 127 Cal.Rptr.2d 177 , 57 P.3d 654 .) Here, as discussed, California law has long recognized a distinction between the rights of a long-term tenant and a temporary lodger. (See Stowe, supra , 44 Cal.2d at p. 421, 282 P.2d 890 ; Bullock, supra , 221 Cal.App.3d at p. 1097, 271 Cal.Rptr. 44 ; Roberts, supra , 36 Cal.App.2d Supp. at p. 771, 93 P.2d 654 .) Accordingly, an individual renting a hotel room-particularly when, as is the case here, the room is rented for a short period and is not used as a residence-is not similarly situated to a homeowner or lessee of a home or apartment, and the equal protection clause does not apply.
Here, the prosecution presented evidence Rodriguez attempted to dissuade Rebecca immediately after he found out she made an initial report to the police. Specifically, the day after Rebecca went to the police, Rodriguez asked her to sign a statement indicating she was pressured to make an
We therefore conclude substantial evidence supports the conviction of attempting to dissuade a witness in violation of section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1).
DISPOSITION
The judgment is affirmed.
WE CONCUR:
McCONNELL, P. J.
HUFFMAN, J.
Rodriguez contends there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction for burglary because section 459 requires an invasion of a possessory interest in the subject room or building and, much like the lessee of an apartment, he had an unconditional possessory interest in the hotel room he rented. He asserts the trial court should have either dismissed the charge or provided the jury with a pinpoint instruction regarding the significance
1 All further unspecified statutory references are to the Penal Code.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
Rebecca went on a trip to San Francisco with a school group in January 2014 when she was 16 years old. While on the trip, she logged into a social media dating application on her phone that allowed her to create a profile and locate other individuals in the same geographic area. Using the application, Rebecca made contact with an individual identifying himself as "Max Powers." "Max" initially told Rebecca he was 16, but she eventually learned his real name was Pedro Rodriguez and that he was actually 41 years old.
Rebecca and Rodriguez continued talking on various messaging applications and exchanged telephone numbers within a couple of weeks. By mid-February, Rebecca had sent Rodriguez nude photographs of herself at his request. Around that time, they also started discussing meeting in person, but Rebecca told Rodriguez that she did not want to have sex until marriage and that she did not believe in using birth control, due to her religious beliefs.
On February 22, 2014, Rodriguez drove from San Francisco to San Diego County to see Rebecca. Rodriguez rented a hotel room and then drove to Rebecca's neighborhood. He parked his car in a cul-de-sac behind Rebecca's house and she snuck out through the backyard to ensure her parents would not see them. They drove around running errands together for a while, and then drove to the hotel Rodriguez was staying at so he could get a different shirt from his room. Rodriguez asked Rebecca to come up to the room but she said she did not feel comfortable and waited for him in the car. When Rodriguez returned, he continued to pressure her to go up to the hotel room, saying that he did not think she trusted him, and Rebecca eventually agreed. As soon as they entered the room Rodriguez grabbed her and kissed her. He then removed her clothes and engaged in various sex acts with her.
Rodriguez drove back to San Diego County on March 8, 2014, and rented a room at the same hotel. He took Rebecca out to breakfast, then back to the hotel, where he took her clothes off, orally copulated her, and engaged in intercourse with her. Rebecca took several photographs during the encounter, including one of Rodriguez orally copulating her and one of the two of them lying in bed together without any clothes.
Over the course of the next several months, Rodriguez met Rebecca and engaged in various sex acts with her on several other occasions. At their last
At the conclusion of the case, Rodriguez asked the court to dismiss all of the charges pursuant to section 1118.1, which the People opposed. The court granted the motion as to count 5 (sodomy of a person under the age of 18 in violation of § 286, subd. (b)(1) ) after finding Rebecca's testimony was incomplete as to that particular charge, but denied it as to all other charges.
The jury found Rodriguez guilty on all remaining charged offenses, including one count of burglary in violation of section 459, and one count of attempting to dissuade a witness from reporting a crime in violation of section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1).
1. Waiver
We turn first to the People's assertion Rodriguez waived his argument that the trial court erred by denying his section 995 motion to dismiss the burglary charge. The People assert section 999a required Rodriguez to seek a writ of prohibition within 15 days of the trial court denying his section 995 motion, and that his failure to do so precludes him from raising the argument on appeal.
The People rely on People v. Alcala (1984) 36 Cal.3d 604 , 205 Cal.Rptr. 775 , 685 P.2d 1126 , in which the California Supreme Court concluded arguments concerning a lack of probable cause at a preliminary hearing are waived if not timely pursued prior to trial, but they misinterpret the court's conclusion therein. ( Id . at p. 628, 205 Cal.Rptr. 775 , 685 P.2d 1126 .) The court in Alcala made that statement in the context of explaining that failures of evidence at the preliminary hearing are not jurisdictional defects because they are waived for all purposes if not raised prior to trial. ( Ibid . ) Here, Rodriguez did raise the issue prior to trial, pursuant to the mechanism for doing so set forth in section 995, and therefore complied with the court's statement in Alcala . (§ 995.) While section 999a sets forth the timeframe for filing a writ of prohibition challenging the trial court's denial of a section 995 motion prior to trial, neither Alcala nor any other authority requires a defendant to file such a writ to preserve the argument on appeal. Accordingly, we conclude Rodriguez has not waived his argument that the trial court erred by denying his section 995 motion.
2. Merits
Turning to the merits, a person commits burglary in violation of
In Gauze, supra , 15 Cal.3d 709 , 125 Cal.Rptr. 773 , 542 P.2d 1365 , the California Supreme Court discussed the legislative history of section 459 and concluded "the Legislature has preserved the concept that burglary law is designed to protect a possessory right in property, rather than broadly to preserve any place from all crime," and that, therefore, a "burglary remains an entry which invades a possessory right in a building ." ( Id . at pp. 713-714, 125 Cal.Rptr. 773 , 542 P.2d 1365 , italics added.) As a result, an individual does not violate section 459 if he or she has an unconditional possessory right to enter as the occupant of the structure. ( People v. Salemme (1992) 2 Cal.App.4th 775 , 781, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 398 ( Salemme ).) Since this pronouncement in Gauze , appellate courts in California have concluded an individual can commit a burglary by entering a hotel room with the intent to commit a felony when the hotel room was rented by the victim, but have not directly addressed whether the same is true in the case of a hotel room rented by the alleged burglar. (See People v. Villalobos (2006) 145 Cal.App.4th 310 , 316-317, 51 Cal.Rptr.3d 678 ( Villalobos ), but see People v. Minervini (1971) 20 Cal.App.3d 832 , 840-841, 98 Cal.Rptr. 107 ( Minervini ) [predating Gauze but concluding the fact that defendants acquired and paid for hotel rooms did not mitigate against a finding that they violated § 459 by entering the rooms with the intent to commit theft].)
The question the court addressed in Gauze was whether an individual could commit burglary in his or her own home. ( Gauze, supra , 15 Cal.3d at p. 711, 125 Cal.Rptr. 773 , 542 P.2d 1365 .) There, Gauze shared an apartment with two other roommates and, after arguing with one of the roommates at another location earlier in the day, entered the shared apartment with a shotgun and shot his roommate. ( Ibid . ) The court concluded Gauze did not violate section 459 by entering the apartment because he had an absolute right to enter his own apartment, even if for a felonious purpose. ( Gauze , at p. 714, 125 Cal.Rptr. 773 , 542 P.2d 1365 .) In so holding, the court explicitly distinguished another
2 We review assertions the evidence was insufficient for substantial evidence. ( People v. Casares (2016) 62 Cal.4th 808 , 823, 198 Cal.Rptr.3d 167 , 364 P.3d 1093 ( Casares ).) However, as stated here, Rodriguez does not seriously contend the evidence was insufficient, except insofar as it did not establish he invaded a possessory right in a building when he entered his own hotel room. Thus, to the extent we conclude, as we do, that one does not have an unconditional possessory interest in a rented hotel room and can commit burglary in violation of section 459 by entering one's own hotel room with the intent to commit a felony, we likewise conclude substantial evidence supports the burglary conviction, and that the court did not err by denying Rodriguez's sections 995 and 1118.1 motions.
However, in a subsequent case, the court differentiated between the unconditional possessory interest at issue in Gauze and consent, explaining, "one may be convicted of burglary even if he enters [a room or building] with consent, provided he does not have an unconditional possessory right to enter." ( People v. Pendleton (1979) 25 Cal.3d 371 , 382, 158 Cal.Rptr. 343 , 599 P.2d 649 ( Pendleton ), italics added.) Thereafter, in Salemme , the court further clarified the distinction between possessory interest and consent and summarized the state of the law as follows: "a person who enters a structure enumerated in section 459 with the intent to commit a felony is guilty of burglary except when he or she (1) has an unconditional possessory right to enter as the occupant of that structure or (2) is invited in by the occupant who knows of and endorses the felonious intent." ( Salemme, supra , 2 Cal.App.4th at p. 781, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 398 [concluding defendant violated § 459 despite homeowner's consent to entry because homeowner had no knowledge of defendant's felonious intent].) Consistent with these cases, various appellate courts, in other more recent cases, have upheld burglary convictions where the defendant entered a building or room with the intent to commit a felony and without an unconditional possessory interest. (See, e.g., Salemme , at p. 781, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 398 ; People v. Ulloa (2009) 180 Cal.App.4th 601 , 606-607, 102 Cal.Rptr.3d 743 [defendant guilty of burglary when he entered apartment he had coleased with his spouse because there was substantial evidence he had moved out and no longer had an unconditional possessory interest]; People v. Clayton (1998) 65 Cal.App.4th 418 , 421-424, 76 Cal.Rptr.2d 536 [defendant convicted of burglary when he entered a home with the intent to kill the victim even though husband who also lived in the home gave defendant a key].)
Here, Rodriguez claims he had an unconditional possessory interest in the hotel room he rented akin to that of a homeowner or lessee of a residence, but the law does not support his assertion. Instead, California law has long recognized a distinction between the possessory rights a tenant has in a home or apartment versus those a temporary lodger has in a rented room in a hotel, motel, or similar establishment; while a tenant has exclusive legal possession of the premises, a lodger only has a right to use the premises, subject to the renter's control and right of access. (See Stowe v. Fritzie Hotels, Inc. (1955) 44 Cal.2d 416 , 421, 282 P.2d 890 ( Stowe );
Based on the foregoing, we conclude Rodriguez did not have an unconditional possessory right to his hotel room and, thus, substantial evidence supports the
Regardless, as we have concluded ante , in section I.A., Rodriguez did not have an unconditional possessory right to the hotel room and the prosecution presented substantial evidence to support each element of the burglary charge. Therefore, we conclude the trial court did not err by failing to provide a pinpoint jury instruction on possessory interest and, even if the court had erred, any such error was harmless.
3 The court instructed the jury, in part: "[t]he defendant is charged in Count 3 with burglary in violation of ... section 459. To prove the defendant is guilty of this crime, the People must prove that: The defendant entered a building/room; and, when he entered a building-within the building or room, he entered and intended to commit unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger or oral copulation with a person under 18."
II. Dissuading a Witness
Rodriguez also contends there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction on the charge of attempting to dissuade a witness from reporting a crime in violation of section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1). He argues that the only evidence the prosecutor presented related to actions he took after Rebecca made her initial report to the police, that the statute requires an attempt to prevent the initial reporting of a crime, and that we must therefore reverse the conviction. We review assertions the evidence was insufficient to support the conviction for substantial evidence, and review any related issues of statutory interpretation de novo. ( Casares, supra , 62 Cal.4th at p. 823, 198 Cal.Rptr.3d 167 , 364 P.3d 1093 ; Weatherford v. City of San Rafael (2017) 2 Cal.5th 1241 , 1247, 218 Cal.Rptr.3d 394 , 395 P.3d 274 .)
Section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1) makes it a crime to dissuade the victim of a crime, or a witness, from "[m]aking any report of that victimization to any peace officer or state or local law enforcement officer or probation or parole or correctional officer or prosecuting agency or to any judge." (§ 136.1, subd. (b)(1).) Thus, a plain reading of the statute includes any report of a crime to a law enforcement officer, including both the initial report and additional information about the offense provided thereafter. (See
Rodriguez contends this case is akin to Fernandez , in which the court concluded the defendant did not violate section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1) by attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying, but it is not. (See Fernandez, supra , 106 Cal.App.4th at p. 945, 131 Cal.Rptr.2d 358 .) The court in Fernandez concluded the defendant did not violate section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1) because testimony was not the same as "reporting" and the "detailed and comprehensive statutory scheme for penalizing the falsification of evidence and efforts to bribe, influence, intimidate or threaten witnesses" required the court to construe the individual subdivisions of the statute narrowly. ( Id . at p. 948, 131 Cal.Rptr.2d 358 .) Here, as discussed, the People did not rely on Rodriguez's attempts to dissuade Rebecca from testifying, but instead asserted he violated section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1) by attempting to dissuade Rebecca from making further reports to the police in the very early days of the investigation. No other subdivision of section 136.1, or any related statute, covers attempts to dissuade a victim from providing additional information to the police after the initial reporting but before the defendant's arrest, and certainly the legislature did not intend to permit intimidation of a victim or witness solely during that time. Thus, we decline to extend the reasoning of the court in Fernandez to interpret section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1) as narrowly as Rodriguez suggests.
Rodriguez also asserts his actions are distinguishable from those of the defendant in People v. Navarro (2013) 212 Cal.App.4th 1336 , 152 Cal.Rptr.3d 109 , wherein the defendant took a phone from the victim to prevent her from calling the police. ( Id . at p. 1349, 152 Cal.Rptr.3d 109 .) Although the facts of the present case do differ from Navarro , there is more than one way for a given defendant to violate a given statute and, here, as discussed, there was substantial evidence indicating Rodriguez attempted to dissuade Rebecca from making further reports to the police. In any event, the court in Navarro also found the defendant there violated section 136.1, subdivision (b)(1) when he later threatened the victim and told her to tell the police everything was
Cases cited
- People v. Gauze 15 Cal.3d 709 p. 307, p. 1108
- People v. Barry 94 Cal. 481 p. 310
- People v. Sherow 196 Cal.App.4th 1296 p. 311
- Rakas v. Illinois 439 U.S. 128 p. 311
- People v. Koury 214 Cal.App.3d 676 p. 311
- People v. Zabelle 50 Cal.App.4th 1282 p. 311
- People v. Martinez 47 Cal.4th 911 p. 312
- People v. Earp 20 Cal.4th 826 p. 312
- People v. Breverman 19 Cal.4th 142 p. 312
- People v. Anderson 51 Cal.4th 989 p. 312
- People v. Hernandez 183 Cal.App.4th 1327 p. 312
- People v. Merritt 2 Cal.5th 819 p. 313
- Cooley v. Superior Court 29 Cal.4th 228 p. 313
- People v. Fernandez 106 Cal.App.4th 943 p. 314
- People v. Pettie 16 Cal.App.5th 23 p. 314
- People v. Alcala 36 Cal.3d 604 p. 1107
- Lockyer v. Shamrock Foods Co. 24 Cal.4th 415 p. 1108
- Ghirardo v. Antonioli 8 Cal.4th 791 p. 1108
- People v. Salemme 2 Cal.App.4th 775 p. 1108
- People v. Villalobos 145 Cal.App.4th 310 p. 1108
- People v. Minervini 20 Cal.App.3d 832 p. 1108
- People v. Deptula 58 Cal.2d 225 p. 1109
- People v. Pendleton 25 Cal.3d 371 p. 1109
- People v. Ulloa 180 Cal.App.4th 601 p. 1109
- People v. Clayton 65 Cal.App.4th 418 p. 1109
- Stowe v. Fritzie Hotels, Inc. 44 Cal.2d 416 p. 1109
- Bullock v. City & County of San Francisco 221 Cal.App.3d 1072 p. 1110
- Roberts v. Casey 36 Cal.App.2d Supp. 767 p. 1110
- Stoner v. California 376 U.S. 483 p. 1111
- People v. Superior Court 143 Cal.App.4th 1183 p. 1111
- People v. Hofsheier 37 Cal.4th 1185 p. 1113
- Weatherford v. City of San Rafael 2 Cal.5th 1241 p. 1113
- People v. Navarro 212 Cal.App.4th 1336 p. 1114