People v. Taylor

FOX, P. J.

Defendant was indicted for the possession of a narcotic (heroin) in violation of section 11500, Health and Safety Code. A jury having been duly waived, the defendant was found guilty by the court. His application for probation was denied and he was sentenced to the state prison for the term prescribed by law. He has appealed from the judgment and the sentence.

On the evening of September 27, 1958/ Officer Aguirre, of the Los Angeles Police Department assigned to the Narcotics Division, and his partner, Sergeant Horstkotte, were driving west on Temple Street in an unmarked police car on a plainclothes assignment. They passed a certain café which was known as a “hangout” for narcotic users and peddlers. Officer Aguirre observed defendant talking to two known addicts in front of this café. The officer previously had questioned both of these men regarding the use of narcotics and one of them had been arrested by him on a narcotics charge.

The police car made a U-turn and parked near the front of the café. The three men saw Officer Aguirre and ran up a nearby alley, where defendant turned into the café through a side door. Officer Aguirre started up the alley but was called back when his partner saw defendant emerging from the front door of the café. Horstkotte and Aguirre stopped the defendant and identified themselves as police officers. As he stopped, the defendant started to place his right hand in his right, front pants-pocket but was warned to keep his hands out of his pockets and away from his sides. When defendant was asked his name and address he made a very fast move

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ment with his right hand into this pocket. At this point Aguirre grabbed defendant’s wrist just at the trouser pocket, trapping his hand in the pocket. The officer asked defendant, “What do you have in your pocket?” The defendant replied, “Nothing.” The officer then queried, “Are you sure about that ? What are you trying to get out ? ’ ’ The defendant protested, “I have nothing.” Thereupon Aguirre stated to defendant, “Well, I’ll find out what you have in your pocket. I’ll feel.” To which defendant replied, “Go ahead.”

While the defendant’s hand was still partially in the pocket, being held there by the officer, the latter patted the outside and felt two small bundles inside the pocket. He asked the defendant what the objects in his pocket were, to which the defendant made no reply. He then inquired: “Is that junk you have in there?” Upon receiving no response, the officer said, “Well, then, we’ll find out what you have thpre.” The officer thereupon removed defendant’s hand from his pocket and put his own hand into it and removed two small balloons therefrom and a vial containing 10 capsules of whitish powder. The officer then inquired of the defendant whether this was all the “stuff” he had, to which he replied, “That’s all. ’ ’ The officer, however, continued the search of the defendant and found another balloon in his left front shirt pocket, which contained two capsules of whitish powder. As he was about to remove these two capsules from the pocket, the officer felt an object under his foot and as he looked down he saw another balloon on the sidewalk at the defendant’s feet, which he had stepped on. The officer recovered it and, upon examination, discovered five mutilated capsules containing a powder similar to that found in the other capsules. At the time the officer removed the two balloons from the defendant’s trouser pocket he noticed that there was a slit at the bottom of the pocket. Upon discovering the balloon on the sidewalk, the officer asked the defendant, “Did you push one of the balloons through the hole in the pocket?” The defendant replied, “Yes, I did.” The defendant was then placed under arrest, the officers acting without a warrant. Chemical analysis disclosed that the contents of these capsules was heroin.