Court Opinion

ID: 9782251
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 18:13:52.651635+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:34:54.281442
License: Public Domain

WERDEGAR, J., Concurring and Dissenting.
I agree with the majority’s conclusion in part 2 (maj. opn., ante, at pp. 118-127) that both the “One Strike” (Pen. Code, § 667.61) and the “Three Strikes” (id., § 667, subds. (b)-(i)) laws may properly be applied to a defendant who qualifies for sentencing under both.
I disagree with the majority’s conclusion in part 3 (maj. opn., ante, at pp. 128-131) that a sentencing court may, despite the plain language of Penal Code section 667.61, subdivision (f), reuse for other sentencing purposes a factual circumstance already used to qualify a defendant for sentencing under the One Strike law. On this point, I generally agree with the concurring and dissenting opinions of the Chief Justice and Justice Kennard.
*141I also disagree with the majority’s conclusion in part 1 (maj. opn., ante, at pp. 112-118) that Penal Code section 667, subdivision (e)(2)(A)(i) directs the sentencing court to triple the minimum term for an indeterminate term in calculating a third-strike sentence. To be sure, a different provision of the Three Strikes law expressly directs the court to multiply the “minimum term for an indeterminate term” (id., § 667, subd. (e)(1)) in calculating a second-strike sentence. But the third-strike provision, option one (id., § 667, subd. (e)(2)(A)(i)), contains no such language. The majority views the difference in language between these two provisions as insignificant. In contrast, I view the difference as demonstrating beyond cavil that the Legislature knew how to tell courts to multiply the “minimum term for an indeterminate term” (id., § 667, subd. (e)(1)) when that is what the Legislature intended to do. The entire court apparently considered this point self-evident in People v. Jefferson (1999) 21 Cal.4th 86, 99 [86 Cal.Rptr.2d 893, 980 P.2d 441], (See also id. at p. 105 (dis. opn. of Werdegar, J.).) We should not add words the Legislature omitted.
On September 11, 2002, the opinion was modified to read as printed above.