Opinion ID: 1145188
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Interpretation of Section 667.6, Subdivision (c)

Text: In addressing defendant's claims of sentencing error, the first question to consider is the relationship between section 667.6, subdivision (c) and section 1170.1. In particular, we must decide whether section 667.6, subdivision (c) provides merely a discretionary sentencing alternative to the general and more lenient consecutive sentencing provisions of section 1170.1. Section 667.6, subdivision (c) was enacted as part of chapter 944 of the 1979 Statutes, an extensive revision of legislation concerning sex crimes. (See Selected 1979 Cal. Legislation, 11 Pacific L.J. 429.) [3] Subdivision (c) provides: In lieu of the term provided in Section 1170.1, a full, separate, and consecutive term may be imposed for each violation of subdivision (2) or (3) of Section 261, Section 264.1, subdivision (b) of Section 288, Section 289, or of committing sodomy or oral copulation in violation of Section 286 or 288a by force, violence, duress, menace or threat of great bodily harm whether or not the crimes were committed during a single transaction. If such term is imposed consecutively pursuant to this subdivision, it shall be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, and shall commence from the time such person would otherwise have been released from imprisonment. Such term shall not be included in any determination pursuant to Section 1170.1. Any other term imposed subsequent to such term shall not be merged therein but shall commence at the time such person would otherwise have been released from prison. (Italics added.) Subdivision (d) of section 667.6 is similar to subdivision (c) in all respects except that it provides: A full, separate, and consecutive term shall be served for each violation of the specified forcible sex offense if such crimes involve separate victims or involve the same victim on separate occasions. (Italics added.) Section 1170.1 sets forth the general sentencing scheme for multiple convictions. Subdivision (a) provides: Except as provided in subdivision (c) [pertaining to offenses committed while in prison] and subject to section 654, when any person is convicted of two or more felonies ... and a consecutive term of imprisonment is imposed under Sections 669 and 1170, the aggregate term of imprisonment for all such convictions shall be the sum of the principal term, the subordinate term and any additional term imposed pursuant to section 667.5, 667.6 or 12022.1. The principal term shall consist of the greatest term of imprisonment imposed by the court for any of the crimes, including any enhancements imposed pursuant to sections 12022, 12022.3, 12022.5, 12022.6, 12022.7 or 12022.8. The subordinate term for each consecutive offense which is not a `violent felony' as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 shall consist of one-third of the middle term ... for which a consecutive term of imprisonment is imposed, and shall exclude any enhancements.... The subordinate term for each consecutive offense which is a `violent felony' as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 ... shall consist of one-third of the middle term of imprisonment prescribed for each other such felony conviction for which a consecutive term of imprisonment is imposed, and shall include one-third of any enhancements imposed pursuant to Section 12022, 12022.5 or 12022.7. Section 1170.1 contains other provisions regarding the computation and imposition of enhancements. The only additional part that specifically refers to sentencing for forcible sex offenses is subdivision (i), which provides that for violations of the offenses listed in section 667.6, the number of enhancements which may be imposed shall not be limited, regardless of whether such enhancements are pursuant to this or some other section of law. Each of such enhancements shall be a full and separately served enhancement and shall not be merged with any term or with any other enhancement. [4] (2) Section 667.6, subdivision (c) is obviously a much harsher sentencing measure than section 1170.1. Defendant contends that the trial court has discretion to choose between the two provisions in sentencing on the sex offenses. The People disagree. They assert that section 667.6 constitutes a new and separate sentencing scheme whereby terms for offenses listed in subdivision (c) are to be computed separately and then added to the terms calculated for other offenses pursuant to section 1170.1. The in lieu of language of section 667.6, subdivision (c), according to the People, inexorably directs the sentencing court away from the principal/subordinate scheme of section 1170.1. The People further contend that the word may in subdivision (c) merely permits the court to sentence to concurrent rather than consecutive sentences. The People's position is supported by People v. Ottombrino (1982) 127 Cal. App.3d 574 [179 Cal. Rptr. 676]. Defendant claims that Ottombrino is incorrect. He argues that the word may gives the court the option to choose between sentencing under section 1170.1 or section 667.6, subdivision (c). He points out that it would be illogical to interpret the word may as allowing only a choice between full concurrent or full consecutive sentences, since that would result in mandatory concurrent sentences if the court decided against full term consecutive sentences, depriving it of the option of imposing the normal consecutive term of section 1170.1  an inflexible leniency that the Legislature surely did not intend when it enacted the harsher sentencing provisions for forcible sex offenses. Defendant's position is the more logical one. Certainly nothing in section 1170.1 presents an obstacle to its application to sex offenses listed in section 667.6, subdivision (c). In fact, there is compelling proof that the Legislature visualizes continued utilization of section 1170.1 for such offenses. As part of the same legislation which enacted section 667.6  chapter 944 of the Statutes of 1979  the Legislature created two new enhancements  sections 12022.3 and 12022.8  which apply almost exclusively to sex crimes listed in section 667.6; yet it added the two sections to the enhancements listed in subdivision (a) of section 1170.1. (Stats. 1979, ch. 944, §§ 12, 17, 18.) Even more conclusive is the fact that the same legislation added subdivision (h)  now (i)  to section 1170.1, which, as noted, deals with the imposition of enhancements to violations of the very same sex crimes. Neither of these additions to section 1170.1 would make any sense if section 667.6 were the exclusive means for punishing violations of those offenses. Moreover, even if sections 667.6, subdivision (c), and 1170.1 were ambiguous as the People assert, under settled rules of statutory construction we would be bound to resolve the ambiguity in favor of defendant  and therefore to allow discretion to choose between the two schemes. (See People v. King (1978) 22 Cal.3d 12, 23, [148 Cal. Rptr. 409, 582 P.2d 1000]; People v. Davis (1981) 29 Cal.3d 814, 828 [176 Cal. Rptr. 521, 633 P.2d 186].) People v. Ottombrino, supra, 127 Cal. App.3d 574 is disapproved to the extent it is inconsistent with this opinion. (3) We part company with defendant, however, on the question of the scope of the trial court's options in applying the alternative sentences authorized by sections 1170.1 and 667.6, subdivision (c). Defendant asserts that if a listed sex offense carries the longest term of any of the offenses of which the defendant has been convicted, then that sex offense must be designated as the principal term under section 1170.1. Under this approach, a consecutive sentence for any offense not listed in section 667.6, subdivision (c) would necessarily be designated as a subordinate term, and the court would have discretion to sentence under section 667.6, subdivision (c) only as to additional sex offenses. Defendant suggests that his proposed interpretation follows because the first, i.e., principal, term is not imposed in lieu of a normal consecutive term under section 1170.1. We find nothing, however, in the legislative history or language of section 667.6, subdivision (c) that persuasively supports such an interpretation. The entire content of that provision points towards its being a separate and alternative sentencing scheme for offenses that fall within its ambit. Thus, we conclude that if a defendant is convicted of both sex offenses and nonsex offenses, a trial court may properly designate the longest nonsex offense as the principal term and may treat all of the sex offenses under section 667.6, subdivision (c). (4) In exercising its sentencing discretion, the court should make an individual determination as to each sex offense. Thus, a court could choose to have a sex offense serve as the principal term if it carried the longest sentence and to treat all other offenses  regardless of whether they include sex offenses listed in section 667.6, subdivision (c)  as subordinate terms under section 1170.1. A court could alternatively choose to treat some of the sex offenses under the principal/subordinate scheme of section 1170.1, while imposing fully consecutive sentences on others under section 667.6, subdivision (c). The computations under sections 1170.1 and 667.6, subdivision (c) are to be done separately; the total of the section 667.6 computation would then be added to the section 1170.1 total.