Opinion ID: 844230
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Fulton Decision

Text: In Fulton, a jury convicted defendant David Louis Fulton for evading an officer with willful or wanton disregard and for driving on a suspended license. Waiving his right to a jury determination, Fulton entered a negotiated admission of a prior prison term allegation in exchange for the dismissal of the remaining allegations. ( Fulton, supra, 179 Cal.App.4th at p. 1232.) After the trial court denied his motion to withdraw his admission of the prior prison term, Fulton appealed without first obtaining a certificate of probable cause. Although he had not pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to the substantive charges, the Court of Appeal concluded that Fulton needed a certificate to challenge his admission. ( Id. at p. 1237.) In reaching this conclusion, the court focused on several cases suggesting that admissions of sentencing enhancements should be treated virtually the same as guilty pleas in this context. ( Id. at pp. 1236-1238, discussing People v. Perry (1984) 162 Cal.App.3d 1147, 1151 [209 Cal.Rptr. 414] ( Perry ), People v. Lobaugh (1987) 188 Cal.App.3d 780, 785 [233 Cal.Rptr. 683] ( Lobaugh ), and People v. Thurman (2007) 157 Cal.App.4th 36 [68 Cal.Rptr.3d 425] ( Thurman ).) In Perry, the defendant pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery and admitted a firearm use allegation. He appealed the admission of the allegation, but did not obtain a certificate of probable cause under section 1237.5. Dismissing the appeal, the Court of Appeal reasoned: Section 1237.5 applies to a judgment of conviction after a `plea of guilty or nolo contendere.' At issue here is the validity or truth of a `use' allegation. A technical, literal argument could be made that defendants do not `plead guilty' to enhancement allegations, they `admit' them. We can see no reason to draw such a fine distinction regarding the words used. Appellant's attack goes to his guilt or innocence, the truth of the alleged enhancement, and would require consideration of evidence. Such issues have been removed from consideration by the plea and admission. ( Perry, supra, 162 Cal.App.3d at p. 1151, italics added.) It concluded that an appeal which questions proceedings before appellant's admission of the use of a firearm must comply with section 1237.5. ( Ibid. ) Similarly, in Lobaugh, the defendant pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery and admitted allegations for firearm use, a prior serious felony conviction, and a prior prison term. ( Lobaugh, supra, 188 Cal.App.3d at p. 783.) Regarding the defendant's challenge to the evidentiary sufficiency of the firearm allegation, the Court of Appeal concluded that it was not cognizable on appeal because the defendant had not obtained a certificate of probable cause: As part of his guilty plea, defendant admitted the firearm use allegation. Admissions of enhancements are subject to the same principles as guilty pleas. (See People v. Jackson (1985) 37 Cal.3d 826, 836 [210 Cal.Rptr. 623, 694 P.2d 736].) A guilty plea admits every element of the offense charged and is a conclusive admission of guilt. ( People v. DeVaughn (1977) 18 Cal.3d 889, 895 [135 Cal.Rptr. 786, 558 P.2d 872]; People v. Turner (1985) 171 Cal.App.3d 116, 125 [214 Cal.Rptr. 572].) It waives any right to raise questions about the evidence, including its sufficiency. ( Lobaugh, supra, 188 Cal.App.3d at p. 785, italics added.) Both Perry and Lobaugh are distinguishable. In each case, the defendant had pleaded guilty to the substantive charge. This factual circumstance alone triggers section 1237.5's requirement that a defendant obtain a certificate of probable cause. (See Chavez, supra, 30 Cal.4th at pp. 650-651; Mendez, supra, 19 Cal.4th at pp. 1094-1095.) Regarding the underlying analysis, we conclude that each case incorrectly equated an admission of an enhancement with a guilty plea for purposes of section 1237.5. Neither case lends support to the conclusion that a certificate is required to challenge an admission on appeal where the defendant goes to trial on the main charge. (4) Both Perry and Lobaugh concluded that like a guilty plea, an admission removes from consideration evidence going to the truth of the alleged enhancement. ( Perry, supra, 162 Cal.App.3d at p. 1151; Lobaugh, supra, 188 Cal.App.3d at p. 785; see also Fulton, supra, 179 Cal.App.4th at pp. 1236-1237.) This aspect of a guilty plea, however, has little to do with the application of section 1237.5. As we have observed, A guilty plea admits every element of the crime and constitutes a conviction. [Citations.] For that reason, and without regard to section 1237.5, issues going to the determination of guilt or innocence are not cognizable on appeal; review is instead limited to issues going to the jurisdiction of the court or the legality of the proceedings, including the constitutional validity of the plea. ( People v. Hoffard (1995) 10 Cal.4th 1170, 1177-1178 [43 Cal.Rptr.2d 827, 899 P.2d 896], italics added ( Hoffard ).) Section 1237.5 is a procedural statute whose impact `relates to the procedure in perfecting an appeal from a judgment based on a plea of guilty, and not to the grounds upon which such an appeal may be taken.' [Citation.] Section 1237.5 does not restrict the scope of inquiry into a cognizable error once a certificate has been issued. ( Hoffard, supra, 10 Cal.4th at p. 1178.) Contrary to both Perry and Lobaugh, section 1237.5 by its terms is triggered only by a defendant's plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the substantive charge. In other words, whether or not a defendant's appellate claim challenges the validity of his pleaor in this case, his admission of an enhancement allegationmatters only if the appeal implicates section 1237.5 in the first place. (See Hoffard, supra, 10 Cal.4th at p. 1177 [§ 1237.5 determines only whether or not an appeal may be taken].) [4] In fact, Perry and Lobaugh each concluded that the defendant's challenge to the admission of enhancements was noncognizable on appeal irrespective of section 1237.5 considerations. Each found that had the defendant obtained a certificate of probable cause, the claim could not be reviewed on appeal. ( Perry, supra, 162 Cal.App.3d at p. 1152 [Aside from the procedural bar of section 1237.5, the limited scope of review after a guilty plea precludes review of appellant's contention.]; Lobaugh, supra, 188 Cal.App.3d at p. 785 [any error regarding evidentiary sufficiency was waived by his guilty plea and may not be raised on appeal].) In addition, Lobaugh 's generalized conclusion that the same principles govern an admission of an enhancement and a guilty plea is based on a misapplication of our decision in People v. Jackson, supra, 37 Cal.3d 826. ( Lobaugh, supra, 188 Cal.App.3d at p. 785.) Jackson, which did not discuss section 1237.5, dealt with the specific and narrow issue of allowing a defendant as part of a plea bargain to admit an enhancement the prosecution may be unable to prove (see People v. West (1970) 3 Cal.3d 595, 612-613 [91 Cal.Rptr. 385, 477 P.2d 409]). ( Jackson, supra, 37 Cal.3d at p. 836 [defendant should have the same latitude with respect to enhancements . . . as with substantive offenses].) Contrary to Lobaugh 's suggestion, Jackson does not support its sweeping assertion that admissions of enhancements and guilty pleas should be treated the same in this context. [5] Based on the foregoing, we conclude that Fulton erroneously determined that section 1237.5 applies to appeals where the defendant has not pleaded guilty or nolo contendere. We disapprove People v. Fulton, supra, 179 Cal.App.4th 1230 to the extent it is inconsistent with the views expressed in this opinion.