Court Opinion

ID: 9624921
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:21:33.008799+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:56.618230
License: Public Domain

*690TOBRINER, Acting C. J.
I dissent.
In granting probation to defendant in the instant case, the trial court followed the recommendations of both the probation officer who conducted an in-depth study of defendant’s background and two of the three psychiatrists who interviewed him in connection with the dispositional proceedings. Despite the fact that the trial court’s disposition was thus clearly and fully supported by the expert opinions before it, the majority conclude that the court abused its discretion and overturn its order. In reaching this conclusion, I believe that the majority have ignored the appropriate standard of appellate review, and have improperly substituted their own view of the appropriate disposition for that of the trial court. Under the proper standard of review, I think that the trial court order should be affirmed.
To begin with, it is axiomatic that in reviewing an order granting probation, an appellate court enjoys no prerogative to render a “de novo” determination as to the wisdom or advisability of granting probation in a particular case. (See, e.g., People v. Giminez (1975) 14 Cal.3d 68, 72 [120 Cal.Rptr. 577, 534 P.2d 65]; People v. Henderson (1964) 226 Cal.App.2d 160, 163-164 [37 Cal.Rptr. 883]; People v. Fields (1933) 131 Cal.App. 56, 57 [20 P.2d 988].) Thus, even when an appellate court is of the view that a challenged probationary order is not the “preferable” order in the prevailing circumstances, the order cannot be set aside unless the record demonstrates that the court acted arbitrarily or capriciously. (See People v. Lippner (1933) 219 Cal. 395, 400-403 [26 P.2d 457].)
Although the majority cite People v. Lippner, supra, for the proposition that the trial court may reject the recomméndation of the probation officer, they pay little heed to the principal holding of Lippner which in fact directly contradicts their conclusion in this case. In Lippner, a case arising during the 1930’s depression, a trial court followed a probation officer’s recommendation and revoked a defendant’s probation because the defendant had not complied with a condition of probation requiring him to reimburse his creditors. Although on appeal this court noted that the record would have supported a more lenient result, and that in its view such leniency would have been “preferable,” the court nonetheless affirmed the trial court’s decision.
In reaching that conclusion, the Lippner court stated: “[A] wide discretion in these matters is necessarily lodged in the trial court. The *691latter is guided in a large measure by the reports of the probation officer. The latter officer is provided by law to assist the court in dealing with probation cases. To hold that the court acted arbitrarily when it based its order of revocation upon the report of its probation officer would do violence to the whole scheme of the law upon the subject of probation. We do not mean to intimate that the court should substitute the judgment of the probation officer in place of its own. The court in the final analysis must act upon its own judgment in these matters. In doing so, it may reject in toto the report and recommendation of the probation officer, and make its decisions in total disregard of that officer and of his recommendations. On the other hand, as is frequently, and we may say, as is usually, the case, the court may adopt a course in harmony with the conclusions reached by the probation officer. In the event it pursues this latter course, its acts can in no way be subject to the criticism that they are arbitrary or without the legal discretion with which the court is invested1” (Italics added.) (219 Cal. at p. 403.)
In the instant case, of course, the trial court followed the recommendation of the probation officer in granting probation.1 In finding, an abuse of discretion under these circumstances, the majority sub silentio overrule Lippner’s basic holding.
At a minimum, Lippner, and indeed all decisions which review a trial court’s discretionary action, require that an appellate court uphold the lower court’s action as long as a “fairly debatable” or rational justification sustains the action taken, even if as a question of first impression the appellate court might feel inclined to reach a different decision. (People v. Henderson, supra, 226 Cal.App.2d 160, 163-164; People v. Fields, supra, 131 Cal.App. 56, 57. See also Gonzales v. Nork (1978) 20 Cal.3d 500 [143 Cal.Rptr. 240, 573 P.2d 458]; Harrison v. Sutter St. Ry. Co. (1897) 116 Cal. 156, 161 [47 P. 1019].) In the instant case, the majority do not suggest that the probation report contained serious inaccuracies, omissions or observations devoid of factual support which undermined the reliability or probative value of the probation officer’s recommendation. (Cf. People v. Peterson (1973) 9 Cal.3d 717, 726-727 [108 Cal.Rptr. 835, 511 P.2d 1187]; People v. Calloway (1974) 37 Cal.App.3d 905, 908-909 [112 Cal.Rptr. 745].) Moreover, the majority do not—and could not properly *692—suggest that the present record lacks substantial evidence to support the recommendation of the probation officer and the decision of the trial court.
As we have noted, in this case the probation officer relied upon the expert opinions of psychiatrists who examined the defendant, and upon accurate information concerning the defendant’s criminal record, his social situation, educational aspirations, and employment history. The officer considered the arguments against granting probation, studied the psychiatric evaluations and solicited comments from persons in the community before arriving at a considered recommendation in favor of probation. Under the traditional and well-established standard of appellate review, I do not believe that this court can properly find an abuse of discretion in the trial court’s reliance upon the officer’s recommendation in these circumstances.2
In reaching a contraiy conclusion, the majority depart from the established standard of review of a trial court’s discretionary decision. Although initially acknowledging the trial court’s “broad discretion” in granting or denying probation (p. 683, ante), the majority proceed to conduct an independent de novo review of the probation report and other materials before the trial court “to determine whether they support the conclusion that there are ‘circumstances in mitigation of the punishment prescribed by law or that the ends of justice would be subserved by granting probation’ to defendant.” (P. 684, ante.) The majority, however, present neither argument nor precedent to support this radical departure from the accepted standard of appellate review.
In the instant case, the probation officer and the trial court recognized that in view of the defendant’s past criminal record, probation would not normally be appropriate. After considering the recommendations of the majority of psychiatrists who had examined defendant and reviewing defendant’s recent academic, employment and social activities, however, both the probation officer and the court below concluded that a closely supervised probation, with mandatory psychiatric treatment, provided the most promising disposition, both in terms of rehabilitating defendant *693and serving society’s long-term interest in reducing the possibility of future criminal behavior. I would affirm the judgment.
Mosk, J., and Sullivan, J.,* concurred.
Respondent’s petition for a rehearing was denied March 30, 1978. Bird, C. J., Tobriner, J., and Mosk, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.

Contrary to the intimation of the majority opinion (fn. 2, ante, p. 683), the trial court did grant probation on substantially the same conditions recommended by the probation officer. Although it did not impose an extended term in county jail as recommended, the trial court made clear that it did not do so because it felt the 122 days defendant had already served in county jail while the case was pending satisfied this condition.

My research has disclosed only one prior California decision, People v. Beasley (1970) 5 Cal.App.3d 617, 630-633 [85 Cal.Rptr. 501], in which an appellate court reversed a trial court order granting probation. In Beasley, the Court of Appeal found that the trial court had abused its discretion primarily because it had failed to give adequate consideration to the probation report.

Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court sitting under assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council.