Filed 1/10/14 In re James J. CA4/1

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS

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COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

In re JAMES J., a Person Coming Under 

the Juvenile Court Law.

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

JAMES J.,

Defendant and Appellant.

 D063949

 (Super. Ct. No. J227875)

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County, 

Browder A. Willis III, Judge. Affirmed.

Steven J. Carroll, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and 

Appellant. 

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney 

General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Peter Quon, Jr., and Quisteen S. 

Shum, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. 
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The juvenile court made a true finding on a petition filed under Welfare and 

Institutions Code section 602 that James J. (1) unlawfully took and drove a vehicle (Veh. 

Code, § 10851, subd. (a)); (2) unlawfully received stolen property (Pen. Code, § 496, 

subd. (d)); and (3) drove a vehicle without a license (Veh. Code, § 12500, subd. (a)). 

James appeals from the judgment, contending that insufficient evidence supports a 

finding that he unlawfully took and drove a vehicle and unlawfully received stolen 

property. He also contends that the trial court improperly shifted the burden of proof to 

him. We conclude that James's arguments are without merit, and accordingly we affirm 

the judgment.

I

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On March 15, 2013, while responding to a complaint about a loud party, a police 

officer discovered that one of the vehicles parked near the party had been reported as 

stolen. The vehicle was a 2006 Lincoln Town Car that had been taken from a used car lot 

either late on March 11 or early on March 12, with the thief having apparently gained 

access to the car keys. 

James and another male, M., approached the vehicle while the police officer was

investigating. Believing that the vehicle was going to be towed, James and M. asked the 

officer if there was something wrong with the vehicle and stated that they would like to 

remove some personal property from inside of it. James's cell phone and backpack were 

inside the vehicle. When the police officer asked James about his connection to the 

vehicle, he lied, stating that someone named Jay possessed the vehicle and had given him 
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a ride to the party. M. told the police officer the same false story about Jay giving him a 

ride. A few minutes later, after additional police questioning, James admitted that he 

made up the story about Jay, and no such person existed. The key to the vehicle was 

found in James's pocket. 

As James told the police officer, and as he later testified, he first came into contact 

with the vehicle on March 13 when his friend D. showed it to him. According to James, 

D. told him that "some girls had gave it to him off the lot." According to James, the girls 

gave the vehicle to D. because they did not have driver's licenses or know how to drive. 

D. was a juvenile and did not have a job. 

According to James, on March 14, D. and James drove in the car to meet their 

probation officers. D. was taken into custody by the probation officer and therefore 

asked James to take possession of the car. James drove the car home, and the next night

drove the car to the party. James did not have a driver's license. 

A petition was filed alleging that James unlawfully took or drove a vehicle (Veh. 

Code, § 10851, subd. (a)), unlawfully received stolen property (Pen. Code, § 496, 

subd. (d)), and drove a vehicle without a license (Veh. Code, § 12500, subd. (a)).

James testified before the trial court and denied knowing or believing that the 

vehicle was stolen. 

The trial court made a true finding on all of the counts alleged against James. In 

the course of announcing its findings, the court explained that it was undisputed that the 

vehicle was stolen and that James had driven the vehicle, and thus the only remaining 

issue was whether James knew the vehicle was stolen. The trial court stated, "Your 
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statement of denial is before the court. So it becomes a question of whether or not the 

statement of denial is a credible statement. . . . [T]he story about Jay just sticks in my 

brain as hard to massage and digest. And that coupled with the nuances associated with 

how [D.] presented the vehicle to you, how you accepted the representation that two girls 

got it from a lot. . . . But when I piece all the facts together they chip away at your 

credibility to where I don't find your denial credible. I find the issue of knowledge 

established." 

The trial court continued James as a ward of the court pursuant to Welfare and 

Institutions Code section 602 and placed him under the supervision of the probation 

officer. 

II

DISCUSSION

A. Substantial Evidence Supports a Finding That James Knew the Vehicle Was Stolen

James contends that because the People did not establish that he knew the vehicle 

was stolen, insufficient evidence supports the true findings that he unlawfully took and

drove a vehicle and unlawfully received stolen property. 

"Our review of the minors' substantial evidence claim is governed by the same 

standard applicable to adult criminal cases. . . . 'In reviewing the sufficiency of the 

evidence, we must determine "whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most 

favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential 

elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." . . .' . . . '"[O]ur role on appeal is a 

limited one." . . . Under the substantial evidence rule, we must presume in support of the 
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judgment the existence of every fact that the trier of fact could reasonably have deduced 

from the evidence. . . . Thus, if the circumstances reasonably justify the trier of fact's 

findings, the opinion of the reviewing court that the circumstances might also reasonably 

be reconciled with a contrary finding does not warrant reversal of the judgment.'" (In re 

V.V. (2011) 51 Cal.4th 1020, 1026, citations omitted.)

The true findings that James unlawfully took or drove a vehicle and that he 

unlawfully received stolen property are premised on the trial court's finding that James 

knew the vehicle was stolen. Specifically, the conviction for unlawfully driving or taking 

a vehicle (Veh. Code, § 10851) requires a finding that James intended to deprive the 

owner of title or possession without the owner's consent. "The elements necessary to 

establish a violation of section 10851 of the Vehicle Code are the defendant's driving or 

taking of a vehicle belonging to another person, without the owner's consent, and with 

specific intent to permanently or temporarily deprive the owner of title or possession." 

(People v. Green (1995) 34 Cal.App.4th 165, 180 (Green).) "[K]nowledge that the 

vehicle was stolen" is "one of various alternative factors evidencing an intent to deprive 

the owner of title and possession." (Ibid.) Similarly, the elements of receiving stolen 

property include "knowledge that the property was stolen." (People v. Sanchez

(2003) 113 Cal.App.4th 325, 332.)

Therefore, the issue before us is whether substantial evidence supports a finding 

that James knew the vehicle was stolen. In analyzing that issue, we must necessarily 

focus on circumstantial evidence. With respect to the crime of receiving stolen property, 

"[t]he knowledge element of receiving stolen property is normally proved not by direct 
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evidence but by an inference from circumstantial evidence." (People v. Alvarado (1982)

133 Cal.App.3d 1003, 1019.) "[P]ossession of stolen property, accompanied by no 

explanation, or an unsatisfactory explanation, or by suspicious circumstances, will justify 

an inference that the goods were received with knowledge that they had been stolen. 

Only slight corroboration is necessary to turn the inference into a verdict supported by 

substantial evidence." (People v. Perez (1974) 40 Cal.App.3d 795, 799.) "Our Supreme 

Court has indicated that the slight corroboration that permits an inference that the 

possessor knew that the property was stolen may consist of no explanation, of an 

unsatisfactory explanation, or of other suspicious circumstances that would justify the 

inference." (People v. O'Dell (2007) 153 Cal.App.4th 1569, 1575 (O'Dell).)

This principle applies equally to the crime of unlawfully driving or taking a 

vehicle. (O'Dell, supra, 153 Cal.App.4th at p. 1574.) "'Specific intent to deprive the 

owner of possession of his car may be inferred from all the facts and circumstances of the 

particular case. Once the unlawful taking of the vehicle has been established, possession 

of the recently taken vehicle by the defendant with slight corroboration through 

statements or conduct tending to show guilt is sufficient to sustain a conviction of 

Vehicle Code section 10851.'" (Green, supra, 34 Cal.App.4th at p. 181.) 

Here, there is no dispute that the vehicle was stolen. Therefore, only slight 

corroboration, based on suspicious circumstances or a false explanation to law 

enforcement, is necessary to support a finding that James J. knew the vehicle was stolen. 

As we will explain, ample evidence of suspicious circumstances gave rise to an inference 

that James J. did not innocently possess the vehicle. 
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First, when confronted by police, James J. gave a false explanation about his 

connection to the vehicle. Specifically, instead of admitting that he had possession of the 

vehicle, he fabricated a story that the vehicle belonged to "Jay," who drove him to the 

party. As noted above, a false explanation by a defendant in possession of a stolen 

vehicle is sufficient to give rise to an inference that the defendant knew the vehicle was 

stolen. (Green, supra, 34 Cal.App.4th at p. 181 [" 'Where recently stolen property is 

found in the conscious possession of a defendant who, upon being questioned by the 

police, gives a false explanation regarding his possession . . . an inference of guilt is 

permissible.' "].) 

Second, a reasonable trier of fact could find suspicious circumstances based on 

James's claim that he did not suspect the vehicle was stolen after D. told him that "some 

girls," who could not drive, got the vehicle "off of a lot" and then simply gave the car to 

D. A reasonable trier of fact could conclude that given the explanation proffered by D., 

James would not actually believe the vehicle was lawfully obtained. 

James argues that in light of the fact that he approached the police officers and 

identified himself as associated with the vehicle, no reasonable trier of fact would infer 

that James knew the car was stolen. We disagree. Regardless of whether James chose to 

identify himself to the police, he would have been associated with the vehicle because his 

cell phone and backpack were inside of it. His purpose in approaching the police appears 

to have been to try to regain possession of those identifying items. Further, when 

questioned by police about his connection with the vehicle, James denied that he was in 

possession of the vehicle and made up a lie about someone named "Jay" owning the car. 
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Under those circumstances, James' decision to approach the police about the vehicle does 

not preclude a finding that James knew the car was stolen. 

In sum, based on the suspicious circumstances surrounding James's possession of 

the stolen vehicle, we conclude that substantial evidence supports a finding that James 

knew the car was stolen, and accordingly sufficient evidence supports the true finding 

that James unlawfully took and drove a vehicle and unlawfully received stolen property.

B. The Trial Court Did Not Improperly Shift the Burden of Proof to James to Prove 

His Innocence

James contends that the trial court improperly shifted the burden of proof to James 

to establish his innocence rather than requiring the People to prove the allegations of the 

petition beyond a reasonable doubt. (In re Winship (1970) 397 U.S. 358, 368 [juveniles, 

like adults, are constitutionally entitled to proof beyond a reasonable doubt when they are 

charged with violation of a criminal law].)

James contends that the trial court improperly shifted the burden to James to prove 

his innocence because it focused on whether it believed James's testimony that he did not 

know the vehicle was stolen. James claims that "the trial court went beyond weighing 

the evidence and instead placed the burden on [James] to prove to the court that [he] was 

not guilty." As we will explain, the argument is without merit. 

As the trier of fact, the court was entitled to determine James's credibility. (People 

v. Harris (2013) 57 Cal.4th 804, 849 ["[I]t is the exclusive province of the trial judge or 

jury to determine the credibility of a witness and the truth or falsity of the facts upon 

which a determination depends."].) As we read the record, in discussing whether it 
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believed James's testimony that he thought the car was lawfully obtained, the trial court 

was simply explaining its determination on the issue of James's credibility. Contrary to 

James's argument, we see no reason to conclude that the trial court made a true finding 

that James unlawfully took and drove a vehicle and unlawfully received stolen property 

based solely on its rejection of James's denial. Instead, as the trial court explained, its 

conclusion that James knew the car was stolen was based on the suspicious circumstances 

surrounding James's possession of the car, namely, the fact that (1) James lied to the 

police about his connection with the car, and (2) unreasonably claimed to believe the car 

was lawfully obtained after D. told him that "some girls had gave it to him off the lot." 

Therefore, instead of placing the burden on James to convince the trial court of his 

innocence, the trial court properly focused on the evidence presented by the People, 

consisting of the suspicious circumstances surrounding James's possession of a stolen 

vehicle, to conclude that James committed the crimes that were alleged against him.

In a variation of his argument about the insufficiency of the evidence, James also 

contends that the trial court must have shifted the burden of proof to him to prove his 

innocence because the evidence would otherwise not have supported a true finding 

against him. Specifically, James argues that because "the trial court rejected the very 

definitive actions of [James] which demonstrated his lack of awareness of the stolen 

vehicle, in favor of the speculative 'nuances' of lying to the police officer . . . and how 

[James] was told by his friend how the car was obtained," the trial court must have held 

him "to a standard of proving his innocence." We reject this argument for the same 

reason that we rejected James's challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence. As we have 
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explained, ample circumstantial evidence supports a finding that James knew the car was 

stolen, and the trial court was within its discretion as the trier of fact to rely on that 

evidence to make a true finding that James committed the crimes alleged against him. 

DISPOSITION

The judgment is affirmed.

IRION, J.

WE CONCUR:

HUFFMAN, Acting P. J.

O'ROURKE, J.