Opinion ID: 1307571
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Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The penalties and disabilities released include the exclusionary provisions of section 3052.

Text: The Legislature has not defined what penalties and disabilities it intended to release pursuant to the expungement provisions of sections 1179 and 1772. (See Kelly v. Municipal Court (1958) 160 Cal. App.2d 38, 41-42 [324 P.2d 990]; People v. Mackey (1922) 58 Cal. App. 123, 130 [208 P. 135].) It has defined some disabilities it did not intend to release by amendments to sections 1203.4, 1203.4a and 1203.45 of the Penal Code, and to the licensing provisions of other codes. It has modified the mandatory exclusions applicable to persons with felony convictions in section 3052 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and in section 1029 of the Government Code. [25] It has specifically stated some, but not all of the rights restored upon the granting by the Governor of a full and unconditional pardon based upon a certificate of rehabilitation and upon a full pardon (Pen. Code, §§ 4852.17, 4853). [26] In sections 1203.4 and 1203.4a of the Penal Code the Legislature specifically provided that after such relief is granted the prior conviction may be pleaded and proved in any subsequent prosecution of the defendant for another offense and shall have the same effect as if such relief had not been granted. It appears to be significant that this provision was not included in sections 1179 and 1772 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. It is also noted that these sections contain no provision for sealing of records such as provided in section 1203.45 of the Penal Code and section 781 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Very few states have enacted expungement legislation. In 1950 the Federal Youth Offender Act (18 U.S.C.A. § 5005) was adopted, partly upon the basis of the California Youth Authority experience (see 1950 U.S. Code Cong. & Admin. News, pp. 3983, 3989). This act provides for the issuance of an order setting aside the conviction automatically upon unconditional discharge of a Youth Offender before expiration of his sentence or probation (§ 5021). This expunges the conviction. ( Tatum v. United States (1962) 310 F.2d 854 [114 App.D.C. 49]; see also People v. Robinson (1969) 1 Cal. App.3d 555 [81 Cal. Rptr. 666]; In re Ringnalda (S.D. Cal. 1943) 48 F. Supp. 975.) The direct and collateral consequences of a criminal conviction are becoming matters of increasing public concern. [27] The legal situation, confusing even to the trained lawyer, is generally quite beyond the understanding of the convicted offender who ordinarily is not advised as to the disabilities and disqualifications accompanying his conviction, nor as to any procedures which may be available for their removal. Such complexity and confusion would seem to detract from whatever deterrent function disabilities might serve. Similarly, restoration procedures cannot accomplish their purpose if convicted offenders are unaware of their availability (Task Force Report: Corrections, p. 89). [28] The present trend is towards increasing number of applications for expungement relief. There appears to be a need for clarification of procedural and substantive rights. The courts, in those few expungement cases that have come before them, have generally construed the phrase penalties and disabilities to refer to criminal or quasi-criminal penalties imposed for punishment or prevention of crime, and to have examined the seeming conflict between different statutes by analysis of the policies which each statute was designed to effectuate. (See Kelly v. Municipal Court, supra, 160 Cal. App.2d 38, 42, 45.) It is inappropriate to attempt to here define all the penalties and disabilities intended to be released by section 1772, or its counterpart section 1179. (See 17 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 34 (1951); 32 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 43 (1958) and his analysis of some of them.) We are concerned here with the specific question whether exclusion from the narcotic addicts treatment program is a penalty or disability resulting from a prior conviction which is released as to those persons receiving honorable discharge from the Youth Authority or as to those persons who did not receive an honorable discharge but subsequently applied to the court pursuant to section 1772 and obtained such relief. We decide this question categorically. As an individual addict, Navarro could be considered by the sentencing court herein, in its discretion, pursuant to section 3051 which allows it to make such commitments notwithstanding section 3052. We are concerned with the category or class into which he fits, to determine whether it composes a class of addicts which comes within the mandatory provisions of section 3051 because it has been released by an expungement statute from the exclusionary provisions of section 3052. To state the question is almost to answer it. Addicts in the class of Navarro are eligible for probation, prison sentence or commitment to the treatment program at the California Rehabilitation Center. The court refused his request for probation. The remaining sentence alternatives, state prison versus the treatment program, have different program and parole opportunities and time consequences. But for a prior conviction of an offense named in section 3052, persons in this class must be committed to the treatment program. It would clearly appear to be a criminal penalty arising from a prior criminal conviction which affects a present criminal sentence. We reject the Attorney General's contention that commitment to the treatment program is not a releasable disability under the expungement statutes. We do note, however, that retention in the treatment program is a matter within the final decision and discretion of the Director of Corrections. (§ 3053.) Looking at the legislative purpose in the enactment of sections 1772 and 3052 we find the same general purpose, protection of the public. The Youth Authority Act was enacted to protect society more effectively by substituting for retributive punishment methods of training and treatment directed toward the correction and rehabilitation of young persons found guilty of public offenses (§ 1700). The narcotic addicts act was enacted to carry out nonpunitive treatment of addicts and of those in imminent danger of becoming addicts, not only for their own protection and treatment but for the prevention of contamination of others (§ 3000). While on the streets addicts tend to influence others to use, to buy or to sell narcotics, and the legislation was designed not only to treat them for addiction but to protect the public by the policies, program and parole provisions of the narcotic addicts act. A public-protective purpose may be served by excluding from the treatment program persons convicted of the offenses enumerated in section 3052  the legislative presumption being that those persons would either not benefit by the program or might hamper the integrity of the program for other persons. This legislative presumption was commendably relaxed by the amendment to section 3051 allowing exceptions notwithstanding section 3052. It would appear to be also within the legislative presumption that persons who are entitled to release of penalties and disabilities arising from their prior conviction are persons entitled to be released from the exclusions stated in section 3052. Among the strong goals set for Youth Authority wards by the Legislature are receiving trade training and work furloughs, so that they may become honorably self-employed (§§ 1122, 1123, 1176, 1177, 1830), released on parole under supervision to assist in this goal, and discharged from parole when discharge is consistent with the protection of the public (§ 1766). Section 1772, as noted above, is incentive legislation. To apply it as releasing persons affected by it from the exclusions of section 3052, would appear to be within the public-protective purposes of the Legislature and not otherwise denied by statute. (23b) We therefore hold that the penalties and disabilities released pursuant to section 1772 of the Welfare and Institutions Code include release from the exclusionary provisions of section 3052. The proceedings are remanded to the court below for resentencing pursuant to the mandatory provisions of section 3051.