Court Opinion

ID: 9720313
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:25:58.12711+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:15.907622
License: Public Domain

WOOLPERT, Acting P. J.
I concur. I write separately only to state expressly my agreement with Justice Ardaiz’s analysis and conclusion that retrial should not be barred. I recognize this court’s recent opinions in People v. Luna (1988) 204 Cal.App.3d 726 [250 Cal.Rptr. 878] and People v. Atkins (1988) 203 Cal.App.3d 15 [249 Cal.Rptr. 863] compel the conclusion that retrial is barred as to counts I, II, III, IV, VI and VII. Although I concurred in the majority opinion in Luna, after careful reconsideration, I join Justice Ardaiz in his criticism of both Luna and Atkins. I must also express my dissatisfaction with any judicial resolution that awards a multiple offender with an acquittal for lack of specific “distinguishing” proof, and convicts a one-time offender even though the victim is uncertain when the offense took place. Although compelled to reach such a result, we cannot justify it on a logical basis.
If a vendor of newspapers testifies in court that he was robbed three times by the defendant, but cannot identify the specific days or identify any distinguishing characteristics of the robberies, except that they were all the same, would the same result apply? Would it be enough for the victim to describe the first incident and then say it was the same the next two times? Probably so. The difference seems to be in the youthfulness of the child sexual assault victim, the fear of overcharging, and the potential of a lengthier sentence than for some homicides.
*856It might be asking too much of our courts to solve this complex issue of proof and constitutional rights. The solution might better be achieved by a legislative enactment of an appropriate resident child molester statute providing broad sentencing discretion to the trial court based on the offenses and offender, subject to the limitations expressed in In re Rodriguez (1975) 14 Cal.3d 639 [122 Cal.Rptr. 552, 537 P.2d 384]. In any event, despite the complex nature of the issue involved, I do not believe the multiple offender should be rewarded by barring retrial where there is a lack of specific distinguishing proof.