Opinion ID: 1421847
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Reenactment of Penal Code Section 1538.5

Text: Subdivision (a) of Penal Code section 1538.5 provides that a defendant in a criminal prosecution may seek suppression of evidence obtained in a search or seizure in violation of state constitutional standards. [13] Section 28(d) abrogated this authority for exclusion of evidence obtained in violation of article I, section 13. Subsequent to the adoption of section 28(d) at the June 8, 1982, election, however, the Legislature twice enacted amendments to section 1538.5. Amicus curiae Attorneys for Criminal Justice contends that the second amendment which became chapter 1505 of the 1982 Statutes (Stats. 1982, ch. 1505, § 6, p. 5843) reestablished violation of article I, section 13, as a basis for exclusion of evidence. This argument is grounded upon the introductory proviso to section 28(d): Except as provided by statute hereafter enacted by a two-thirds vote of the membership in each house of the Legislature. The second amendment qualifies as an enactment under the proviso, amicus argues, because of article IV, section 9, of the California Constitution. That section states in relevant part: A section of a statute may not be amended unless the section is re-enacted as amended. The unamended portion of section 1538.5, amicus reasons, was reenacted as it was originally adopted in 1967 (Stats. 1967, ch. 1537, § 1, p. 3652) and applied prior to the adoption of section 28(d). The first obstacle to acceptance of that proposition is realization that chapter 1505 was unanimously adopted by the Legislature as part of a bill amending several sections of the Penal Code. The only mention of section 1538.5 in its summary of that measure by the Senate Judiciary Committee was a reference to the amendment as a noncontroversial clean-up amendment. [14] We cannot assume that the Legislature understood or intended that such far-reaching consequences  virtually a legislative repeal of the Truth-in-Evidence section of Proposition 8  would follow an amendment so casually proposed and adopted without opposition. Acceptance of amicus' reasoning would also require that we give no effect to the intervening, post-Proposition 8 amendment of section 1538.5 by chapter 625 of the 1982 Statutes. Chapter 625 had not been enacted when the Senate and Assembly bills which became chapter 1505 were passed on August 18 and 24, 1982, since chapter 625 had not then been signed by the Governor. ( In re Thierry S., supra, 19 Cal.3d 727, 738-739.) However, Senate Bill No. 1744 which became chapter 625, had been passed and enrolled, and on August 11, 1982, had been presented to the Governor, [15] who signed it on August 27, 1982. Assembly Bill No. 2984, which became chapter 1505, included a provision that it was not to go into effect unless Senate Bill No. 1744 was approved and chaptered first. Not only did this occur, but, as chapter 625, Senate Bill No. 1744 became effective on August 27, 1982, the day that Assembly Bill No. 2984 was enrolled and presented to the Governor, [16] while chapter 1505 was not enacted until the following day when the Governor signed Assembly Bill No. 2984. Chapter 625 was an urgency measure which became effective upon signing. The bill included both a declaration, in section 2, that the amendment of section 1538.5 did not create any new grounds for exclusion of evidence that did not exist prior to this act. The Legislature intended that the changes made by this act are procedural only. The urgency clause, section 3, also stated that urgency was necessary so that procedures relating to motions to suppress evidence may be made more uniform and economical as soon as possible. (Stats. 1982, ch. 625, §§ 2, 3, p. 2627.) Neither chapter 625, nor chapter 1505, made any changes in subdivision (a) of section 1538.5, and the changes made by those chapters were, indisputably, procedural only. [17] Government Code section 9605 establishes a statutory rule for interpreting legislative intent when a statute is amended ( In re Thierry S., supra, 19 Cal.3d 727, 745, fn. 17). That section specifies: Where a section or part of a statute is amended, it is not to be considered as having been repealed and reenacted in the amended form. The portions which are not altered are to be considered as having been the law from the time they were enacted ; the new provisions are to be considered as having been enacted at the time of the amendment; and the omitted portions are to be considered as having been repealed at the time of the amendment. (Italics added.) We do not agree that the section is inapplicable here or that it would be inconsistent with article IV, section 9, to apply it to the above sequence of events. The Legislature adopted section 9605 to ensure that the intent of the Legislature would be carried out, consistent with article IV, section 9, whenever statutes are amended. Amicus argues that since article IV, section 9, requires reenactment, the only effect of section 9605 is to avoid an implied repeal and reenactment of unchanged portions of an amended statute, ensuring that the unchanged portion operates without interruption. We agree that section 9605 has this effect. We do not agree, however, that the impact of section 9605 was to revive subdivision (a) of section 1538.5 and continue its operation as it had been construed and applied prior to the adoption of Proposition 8. Amicus assumes that because chapter 1505 included none of the indicia of legislative intent that had been included in chapter 625, and subdivision (a) of the reenacted section 1538.5 continues to recognize violation of state constitutional standards as a basis for suppression of evidence, that subdivision has been reenacted without the limitations created by section 28(d). That cannot be. As noted earlier, subdivision (a) of section 1538.5 was reenacted on August 27, 1982, when the Governor approved Senate Bill No. 1744. Senate Bill No. 1744 was not intended to, and did not, restore the pre-Proposition 8 law relative to admission of unlawfully obtained evidence. Assembly Bill No. 2984 or chapter 1505 was enacted on August 28, 1982, and became effective January 1, 1983. It reenacted not the law as it was before Proposition 8, but the law as it was on August 27, 1982, the date of the most recent prior amendment and reenactment of the section by chapter 625. [18] The law which continued without interruption pursuant to Government Code section 9605, and was reenacted by chapter 1505 pursuant to article IV, section 9, was section 1538.5 as limited by the impact of section 28(d). (15) We conclude that the amendments to section 1538.5 adopted by the Legislature in 1982 had neither the intent nor effect of reviving exclusionary rules abrogated by Proposition 8. Therefore, although section 1538.5 continues to provide the exclusive procedure by which a defendant may seek suppression of evidence obtained in a search or seizure that violates state constitutional standards, a court may exclude the evidence on that basis only if exclusion is also mandated by the federal exclusionary rule applicable to evidence seized in violation of the Fourth Amendment.