People v. Baudoin ( 2022 )


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  • Filed 12/6/22
    CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION
    IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
    SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
    DIVISION ONE
    THE PEOPLE,                              B317130
    Plaintiff and Respondent,       (Los Angeles County
    Super. Ct. No. BA479343)
    v.
    TERRY CHRISTOPHER BAUDOIN,
    Defendant and Appellant.
    APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los
    Angeles County, Richard S. Kemalyan, Judge. Reversed.
    Jolene Larimore, under appointment by the Court of
    Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.
    Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief
    Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Senior
    Assistant Attorney General, Steven D. Matthews and J. Michael
    Lehmann, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and
    Respondent.
    ________________________
    Defendant Terry Christopher Baudoin appeals a restitution
    order imposed in connection with his conviction for battery with
    serious bodily injury. The trial court ordered defendant to pay
    restitution to the victim, L.W.,1 including for various expenses
    she incurred in relocating away from her home where the assault
    took place. Penal Code2 section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3)(I)
    (section 1202.4(f)(3)(I)) requires a trial court to include
    “[e]xpenses incurred by an adult victim in relocating away from
    the defendant” in a direct restitution award, but only if the
    expenses have been “verified by law enforcement to be necessary
    for the personal safety of the victim or by a mental health
    treatment provider to be necessary for the emotional well-being
    of the victim.” Defendant argues the restitution order here
    violates section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) because there was no verification
    by law enforcement or a mental health treatment provider
    supporting the necessity of L.W.’s relocation costs. We agree, and
    reverse and remand for further proceedings, including affording
    the People an opportunity to provide the required verification.
    1 Following  the guidance of California Rules of Court, rule
    8.90(b)(4), we refer to the victim by her initials only.
    2 Allfurther statutory references are to the Penal Code
    unless otherwise noted.
    2
    FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
    A.    The Assault on L.W.3
    On March 6, 2019, L.W. had an argument with her
    husband at his workplace. Defendant, who was a good friend of
    L.W.’s husband, was present during the argument.
    After the argument, L.W. returned to the home she shared
    with her husband and her two children, who were four and six
    years old. Arriving home, the doorbell rang. When she opened
    the door, defendant’s sister, Tiana Baudoin (Tiana),4 rushed at
    L.W. and began beating her about the face and head. Repeatedly
    struck, L.W. fell to the floor. Defendant, who was present with
    his sister, directed Tiana to let L.W. stand up, but Tiana
    continued beating her. Defendant then joined in. He “sucker
    punched” L.W. in the face. She fell on her back and lost
    consciousness.
    As a result of the beating, L.W. was taken by ambulance to
    the hospital, where she remained for approximately 24 hours.
    She suffered fractures to both eye sockets, and required
    approximately 14 stitches under one of her eyes.
    B.    Defendant Pleads Nolo Contendere and Is Sentenced
    to Prison
    By an amended information, defendant was charged with
    battery with serious bodily injury (§ 243, subd. (d)), assault by
    3 Because   this matter is on appeal from a negotiated plea,
    the facts of the case are taken from the preliminary hearing and
    the restitution hearings, which form the basis for the appeal.
    4 Because  Tiana shares the same last name as defendant,
    we refer to her by her first name for purposes of clarity and not
    out of any disrespect.
    3
    means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd.
    (a)(4)), and first degree burglary (§ 459). Defendant entered a
    plea of nolo contendere to battery with serious bodily injury and
    admitted inflicting great bodily injury on the victim.5 He also
    admitted a probation violation from a prior case. The court
    sentenced defendant to an upper term of four years in state
    prison to be served concurrently with the term for violating
    probation. The court dismissed the remaining counts, and put
    the matter over for a further hearing regarding victim
    restitution.
    C.     Restitution Overview
    Before we discuss the restitution related proceedings in the
    trial court, an overview of certain restitution provisions
    applicable to this case is helpful.
    “In 1982, California voters passed Proposition 8, also
    known as The Victims’ Bill of Rights. . . . [Citations.] Proposition
    8 established the right of crime victims to receive restitution
    directly ‘from the persons convicted of the crimes for losses they
    suffer.’ (Cal. Const., art. I, § 28, subd. (b).) The initiative added
    article I, section 28, subdivision (b) to the California
    Constitution . . . .” (People v. Giordano (2007) 
    42 Cal.4th 644
    , 652
    (Giordano).)
    Under this constitutional provision, “[r]estitution shall be
    ordered . . . in every case . . . in which a crime victim suffers a
    loss.” (Cal. Const., art. I, § 28, subd. (b)(13)(B).) “California
    Constitution, article I, section 28, subdivision (b), which is not
    5 Tiana was also charged, and entered a plea of nolo
    contendere to one count of assault by means of force likely to
    produce great bodily injury.
    4
    self-executing, directed the Legislature to adopt implementing
    legislation. [Citations.]” (Giordano, supra, 42 Cal.4th at p. 652.)
    The Legislature enacted section 1202.4 to “implement[ ] the
    broad mandate of California Constitution, article I, section 28,
    subdivision (b).” (Giordano, 
    supra,
     42 Cal.4th at pp. 656.)
    Subdivision (f) of section 1202.4 provides, with exceptions not
    relevant here, that “in every case in which a victim has suffered
    economic loss as a result of the defendant’s conduct, the court
    shall require that the defendant make restitution to the victim or
    victims in an amount established by court order, based on the
    amount of loss claimed by the victim or victims or any other
    showing to the court.” (§ 1202.4, subd. (f).) It further provides
    that “[t]he court shall order full restitution.” (Ibid.)
    Subdivision (f)(1) of section 1202.4 provides that a
    “defendant has the right to a hearing before a judge to dispute
    the determination of the amount of restitution.” (§ 1202.4, subd.
    (f)(1).) “The standard of proof at a restitution hearing is
    preponderance of the evidence, not reasonable doubt.” (People v.
    Holmberg (2011) 
    195 Cal.App.4th 1310
    , 1319.)
    Subdivision (f)(3) of section 1202.4 provides, in relevant
    part, that the restitution order “shall be of a dollar amount that
    is sufficient to fully reimburse the victim or victims for every
    determined economic loss incurred as the result of the
    defendant’s criminal conduct, including, but not limited to, all of
    the following . . . .” (§ 1202.4, subd. (f)(3).) What follows are 12
    subdivisions, (f)(3)(A) through (f)(3)(L), which address specific
    types of expenses. Among these subdivisions is (f)(3)(I), which
    addresses “[e]xpenses incurred by an adult victim in relocating
    away from the defendant.” Section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) requires that
    “[e]xpenses incurred pursuant to this section shall be verified by
    5
    law enforcement to be necessary for the personal safety of the
    victim or by a mental health treatment provider to be necessary
    for the emotional well-being of the victim.”
    D.     The Restitution Hearings and Resulting Order
    On November 9, 2021, the trial court held a hearing
    pursuant to section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(1) to consider
    restitution payable to L.W. by both defendant and Tiana.
    L.W. testified at the hearing as follows. After the assault,
    she was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and she later
    received a bill in the amount of $1,642, which was still unpaid.
    After she was released from the hospital, she did not return to
    her home because defendant and Tiana knew where she lived,
    and she was afraid of them assaulting her again or something
    else happening to her. L.W. further testified, “My husband—
    when the incident happened, I called him and told him what
    happened. He never answered. He never said come home. He
    never said—he never checked on me and the kids at all. It’s as if
    he knew that it happened, and he never reached out to say,
    ‘Okay. Come back home. It’s okay. You know, it was a mistake.’
    He never reached out. So basically, I got beat up by his friends
    and put out my house with my two young kids.” Defendant and
    Tiana were gang-affiliated and members of the gang would
    gather at the residence where L.W. lived with her husband.
    Faced with this situation, L.W. took her two children to the
    one-bedroom apartment of her father, where she was able to stay
    for a night. After that, she moved from place to place, including
    different motels and friends’ residences, because she was not able
    to afford a more permanent residence. L.W. stayed in motels for
    about six to eight months, and she provided receipts totaling
    $8,055.56; she was missing some receipts, so the actual expense
    6
    was higher. L.W. shared the motel rooms with a relative and
    each paid half of the expenses. In February 2020, L.W. was able
    to get into an apartment for $1,800 per month in rent; L.W. also
    shared the apartment with the same relative, and they each paid
    half of the rent. When L.W. had lived with her husband, she had
    paid no rent, and she was not on the lease. L.W. and her relative
    also had to pay a total of $3,600 for a security deposit and last
    month’s rent; the relative paid the “majority of it” but L.W.
    agreed to pay her back.
    At the conclusion of L.W.’s testimony, the prosecutor
    argued that L.W. should receive $1,642 for the ambulance charge,
    $9,000 for L.W.’s share of the hotel expenses (calculated at $50
    per day for 180 days), and $900 for L.W.’s share of the security
    deposit, for a total of $11,542. Defense counsel pointed out that
    L.W. admitted she had assumed, near the end of her period of
    staying in motels, that she would be returning home, and counsel
    argued that this admission showed L.W. did not fear returning
    home and was not entitled to restitution of relocation expenses
    under section 1202.4(f)(3)(I).
    Defense counsel also argued there was no verification from
    law enforcement that it was necessary for L.W. to move, and that
    such evidence was required by section 1202.4(f)(3)(I). In making
    this argument, counsel cited People v. Mearns (2002) 
    97 Cal.App.4th 493
     (Mearns), which counsel contended held that a
    verification by law enforcement was required to award relocation
    expenses under section 1202.4(f)(3)(I). The prosecutor responded
    the victim’s testimony alone was sufficient to award relocation
    expenses, and no verification by law enforcement was required.
    The trial court held a second hearing regarding restitution
    on November 22, 2021. The court found defendant was gang
    7
    affiliated, was a friend of L.W.’s husband, and was often at the
    home of L.W. and her husband. Because of these facts, L.W. did
    not feel safe returning home after the attack and did not do so
    because she was in fear for her life. She also did not return home
    because she was unsure if her husband was involved in the
    attack. Responding to defense counsel’s argument based on
    Mearns, the court stated that it read Mearns to hold restitution
    for relocation expenses was proper under the general
    introductory provisions of section 1202.4, subdivision (f), in
    addition to the more specific provisions of section 1202.4(f)(3)(I),
    thus obviating any need for a verification. (See Mearns, supra, 97
    Cal.App.4th at p. 503.)
    At the conclusion of the hearing, the court ordered
    defendant to pay restitution consisting of:
    (1) $1,642 in ambulance expenses.
    (2) Relocation expenses of 50 percent for six months of
    motel expenses, limited because L.W. shared costs with her
    relative. Because the relocation expense receipts submitted
    to the court varied in amounts (some were in excess of $100
    a day while others were for less) the court selected $100 a
    day as the reasonable expense, and awarded L.W. 50
    percent of the motel charges for 180 days, for a total of
    $9,000.
    (3) $900 for L.W.’s share of the first and last month’s rent
    on a new apartment and $900 for her share of the security
    deposit.
    The total restitution awarded to L.W. was $12,442.
    Defendant and Tiana were ordered jointly and severally liable for
    the restitution.
    8
    On December 13, 2021, defendant filed a timely notice of
    appeal.
    DISCUSSION
    Defendant contends the trial court’s order of restitution for
    relocation expenses violated section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) because there
    was no verification by law enforcement that those expenses were
    necessary for the personal safety of the victim, or from a mental
    health treatment provider that the expenses were necessary for
    the emotional well-being of the victim.6 Relying on Mearns, the
    People argue victim relocation costs can be awarded without
    reference to section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) and its verification
    requirement so long as those expenses constitute an economic
    loss under the general language of the first sentence of section
    1202.4, subdivision (f).
    A.     Standard of Review
    “A victim’s restitution right is to be broadly and liberally
    construed. [Citations.]” (Mearns, supra, 97 Cal.App.4th at
    pp. 500-501.) We review a restitution order for abuse of
    discretion. (Giordano, 
    supra,
     42 Cal.4th at p. 663; People v. Ortiz
    (1997) 
    53 Cal.App.4th 791
    , 800.) The abuse of discretion
    standard “ ‘asks in substance whether the ruling in question
    “falls outside the bounds of reason” under the applicable law and
    the relevant facts [citations].’ [(People v. Williams (1998) 
    17 Cal.4th 148
    , 162.)] Under this standard, while a trial court has
    broad discretion to choose a method for calculating the amount of
    restitution, it must employ a method that is rationally designed
    6 Defendant  does not dispute the portion of the restitution
    order for $1,642 in ambulance expenses.
    9
    to determine the surviving victim’s economic loss.” (Giordano,
    
    supra, at pp. 663-664
    .)
    In reviewing restitution orders, we do not reweigh the
    evidence or make credibility decisions. Our review is to
    determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support the
    inferences made by the trial court. (People v. Sy (2014) 
    223 Cal.App.4th 44
    , 63; People v. Baker (2005) 
    126 Cal.App.4th 463
    ,
    469.) “However, a restitution order ‘resting upon a
    “ ‘demonstrable error of law’ ” constitutes an abuse of the court’s
    discretion. [Citation.]’ [Citation.]” (People v. Millard (2009) 
    175 Cal.App.4th 7
    , 26; see People v. Williams (2010) 
    184 Cal.App.4th 142
    , 146 [“when the propriety of a restitution order turns on the
    interpretation of a statute, a question of law is raised, which is
    subject to de novo review on appeal”].)
    B.     Section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) Applies to the Trial Court’s
    Restitution Order
    By its own terms, section 1202.4(f)(3)(I)’s verification
    requirement applies when an adult victim incurs expenses to
    relocate away from a defendant. On appeal, defendant does not
    contest that L.W. relocated to get away from him. L.W. testified
    that she did not want to go back to her apartment where the
    assault happened because defendant and Tania knew where she
    lived, and she was still afraid of them. The trial court credited
    this testimony, noting defendant was gang affiliated, was a friend
    of L.W.’s husband, and was always at the home of L.W. and her
    husband. Because of these facts, the trial court found L.W. did
    not feel safe returning home after the attack and did not do so
    because she was in fear for her life.
    The People likewise do not contend the relocation was for
    some reason other than to get away from defendant. Nor does
    10
    the record indicate any reason that L.W. would have incurred
    relocation costs as a result of defendant’s conduct other than to
    move away from defendant. To the extent L.W. also moved to get
    away from her husband, the evidence showed the husband was a
    friend of defendant and always let defendant into L.W.’s home,
    the assault happened shortly after an argument with her
    husband at which defendant was present, and her husband did
    not speak to her after the assault. It was therefore
    understandable why L.W. did not feel safe from defendant
    staying in her current home and needed to relocate away from
    defendant. Defendant knew where L.W. lived and she reasonably
    feared her husband, who also lived there, would continue to
    provide defendant access to the apartment and thus to L.W. if she
    still resided there.
    Given that there is no dispute the relocation costs at issue
    were incurred by L.W. to move away from defendant, section
    1202.4(f)(3)(I) and its verification requirement are squarely
    applicable. The People rely on Mearns and its interpretation of
    section 1202.4 to argue that, so long as relocation costs are
    economic losses under the first sentence of section 1202.4,
    subdivision (f), those costs can be awarded without reference to
    section 1202.4(f)(3)(I). While an alternative holding in Mearns
    suggests section 1202.4 can be so interpreted, we find such a
    reading of the statutory language untenable.
    To help frame the discussion in Mearns, we begin by
    restating the pertinent statutory language. The first sentence in
    section 1202.4, subdivision (f) states in relevant part that “in
    every case in which a victim has suffered economic loss as a
    result of the defendant’s conduct, the court shall require that the
    defendant make restitution to the victim or victims in an amount
    11
    established by court order, based on the amount of loss claimed
    by the victim or victims or any other showing to the court.”
    Subdivision (f)(3) then states that the restitution order “shall
    identify . . . each loss to which it pertains, and shall be of a dollar
    amount that is sufficient to fully reimburse the victim or victims
    for every determined economic loss incurred as the result of the
    defendant’s criminal conduct, including, but not limited to” before
    listing examples of types of covered losses in subdivisions (f)(3)(A)
    through (f)(3)(L), including relocation costs in subdivision (f)(3)(I).
    While subdivisions (f)(3)(A) through (f)(3)(L) of section
    1202.4 list specific types of expenses that a court must include in
    a restitution award if they were incurred as a result of the
    defendant’s criminal conduct, the list is non-exclusive, as
    demonstrated by the introductory phrase “including, but not
    limited to” in subdivision (f)(3). (See People v. Henderson (2018)
    
    20 Cal.App.5th 467
    , 471 [“Section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3)
    expressly states that the enumerated list . . . is a nonexclusive list
    of examples”]; People v. Keichler (2005) 
    129 Cal.App.4th 1039
    ,
    1046 [“Because [§ 1202.4, subd. (f)(3)] uses the language
    ‘including, but not limited to’ these enumerated losses, a trial
    court may compensate a victim for any economic loss which is
    proved to be the direct result of the defendant’s criminal
    behavior, even if not specifically enumerated in the statute”].)
    Thus, even if a type of expense is not included in
    subdivisions (f)(3)(A) through (f)(3)(L), if it is an “economic loss”
    resulting from the defendant’s crime then it is proper to include it
    in a restitution order. (Mearns, supra, 97 Cal.App.4th at p. 503;
    see People v. Brooks (2018) 
    23 Cal.App.5th 932
    , 947; People v.
    Henderson, supra, 20 Cal.App.5th at p. 470.) The authority to
    impose restitution for categories of economic loss caused by a
    12
    defendant that are not listed as an example in the subparts of
    section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3), however, does not in our view
    excuse compliance with any requirements applicable to an
    example that is listed.
    In Mearns, the defendant raped the victim in her mobile
    home. After the rape, the victim sold her mobile home for
    $13,000 and purchased a new one for $26,575. The victim
    testified that she sold her mobile home because she wanted to
    leave her residence as a result of the rape, and bought a similar
    sized mobile home in a gated community for additional
    protection. A law enforcement investigator submitted a letter in
    connection with the restitution hearing stating the mobile home
    that was sold was incapable of being secured from intruders
    because of its shoddy construction, and that the victim was in
    constant fear of being assaulted again. The trial court imposed
    restitution of $13,575, representing the difference between the
    sale price of the original mobile home and the purchase price of
    the new mobile home. (Mearns, supra, 97 Cal.App.4th at p. 497.)
    On appeal, the court found the award satisfied section
    1202.4(f)(3)(I)’s requirements. There was a sufficient factual
    basis showing the victim’s move involved relocating away from
    the defendant because the defendant knew where the victim lived
    and where her son attended school, and she was in constant fear
    of being assaulted again. (Mearns, supra, 97 Cal.App.4th at
    p. 502.) There was no dispute that the letter from law
    enforcement complied with the verification requirement in
    section 1202.4(f)(3)(I), as the letter explained why the relocation
    expenses were necessary for the personal safety of the victim.
    (Mearns, supra, at pp. 497, 502-503.) Finally, Mearns found the
    trial court’s analysis of why the relocation expenses were
    13
    incurred as a result of the defendant’s conduct “rational, well
    reasoned, based on factual evidence presented at the hearing,
    and within its broad discretion.” (Id. at p. 502.)
    We take no issue with that portion of Mearns’s analysis.
    But the Mearns court then went on to hold, in the alternative,
    that the court’s restitution order was also authorized under the
    first sentence of section 1202.4, subdivision (f) regardless of the
    specific wording in section 1202.4(f)(3)(I). In its view, “putting
    aside the specific wording in section 1202.4, subdivision (f)(3)(I),
    the trial court reasonably could have concluded that the
    increased costs incurred in the move was an ‘economic loss’
    within the general language of the first sentence of section
    1202.4, subdivision (f). [The victim] moved in order to prevent
    [the] defendant from finding her again and reduce the fears
    engendered by the very mobilehome where she was sexually
    assaulted at knife point. The trial court could reasonably
    conclude that the enormous emotional trauma resulting from the
    attack was such that [the victim] virtually had to move and this
    was an ‘economic loss’ resulting from [the] defendant’s conduct
    without relying on the more specific language in section
    [1202.4(f)(3)(I)].” (Mearns, supra, 97 Cal.App.4th at p. 503.)
    This alternative holding led the trial court here to conclude
    that restitution for L.W.’s relocation expenses was proper under
    the general provisions of section 1202.4, subdivision (f), which
    obviated any need for a verification under the more specific
    provisions of section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) even if L.W.’s moving costs
    were incurred to relocate away from defendant. To the extent the
    alternative holding in Mearns says this, we do not agree with it.
    It is important to begin by noting that the alternative
    holding in Mearns was made on the assumption that the victim
    14
    “did not move in order to relocate away from [the defendant].”
    (Mearns, supra, 97 Cal.App.4th at p. 502, italics added.) Mearns
    correctly states that if section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) is inapplicable
    because the relocation was not to get away from the defendant,
    restitution may still be authorized if the more general provisions
    of subdivision (f) of section 1202.4 are met. Where the
    alternative holding Mearns erred, in our view, is stating that
    when a victim “moved in order to prevent [the] defendant from
    finding her again,” victim relocation costs can be subject to “the
    general language of the first sentence of section 1202.4,
    subdivision (f)” without being subject to “the specific wording in
    section [1202.4(f)(3)(I)].” (Mearns, supra, at p. 503.) A victim
    moving to prevent the defendant from finding the victim again
    and a victim moving to relocate away from the defendant are not
    distinct; they are two ways of saying the same thing. Indeed,
    elsewhere in Mearns the court acknowledged the equivalency,
    concluding the facts showed the victim there relocated away from
    the defendant because the defendant “knew where [the victim]
    lived” and “[o]nce she moved, [the] defendant had no knowledge
    of her whereabouts.” (Id. at pp. 502-503.)
    Because relocating away from the defendant and relocating
    to prevent a defendant from finding the victim again are two
    ways of saying the same thing, section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) applies
    regardless of which descriptor is used. To read the first sentence
    of section 1202.4, subdivision (f) as permitting imposition of
    moving related costs for relocating away from the defendant
    (including to prevent the defendant from finding the victim
    again) without giving force to the verification requirement set
    forth in section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) renders section 1202.4(f)(3)(I)
    surplusage and a nullity. Section 1202.4, like any statute, must
    15
    be construed as a whole. (Los Angeles County Metropolitan
    Transportation Authority v. Alameda Produce Market, LLC
    (2011) 
    52 Cal.4th 1100
    , 1106-1107.) “It is a maxim of statutory
    interpretation that courts should give meaning to every word of a
    statute and should avoid constructions that would render any
    word or provision surplusage. [Citations.] ‘An interpretation
    that renders statutory language a nullity is obviously to be
    avoided.’ [Citation.]” (Tuolumne Jobs & Small Business Alliance
    v. Superior Court (2014) 
    59 Cal.4th 1029
    , 1038-1039; see also
    Hassan v. Mercy American River Hospital (2003) 
    31 Cal.4th 709
    ,
    715-716 [judicial construction that renders part of a statute
    meaningless or inoperative is generally precluded].) Section
    1202.4(f)(3)(I) is undoubtedly an example of expenses subject to
    restitution, but when the facts fit the example set forth in section
    1202.4(f)(3)(I) compliance with its terms is required. That did not
    occur here, and the failure to comply with this statutory
    requirement mandates reversal.
    We wish to emphasize the limited nature of our holding
    here today so as to not chill the pursuit of restitution where
    appropriate. First, we do not hold that all potential relocation
    costs are subject to section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) and its verification
    requirement. If section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) is inapplicable because the
    relocation was for reasons not covered by that provision,
    restitution may still be authorized if the more general provisions
    of subdivision (f) of section 1202.4 are met.
    Second, as shown by Mearns itself, when moving expenses
    are incurred to relocate away from a defendant, the verification
    requirement serves simply to confirm the necessity of those
    expenses and should not limit an order of restitution for any
    expenses the court finds demonstrably necessary. Law
    16
    enforcement provided the required verification in Mearns, and
    relocation costs were properly included in the restitution order
    there as the requirements of section 1202.4(f)(3)(I) were met.
    Given concerns with whether relocation (which often involves
    considerable cost) is always necessary in every case to get away
    from a defendant either for personal safety or for emotional well-
    being, the Legislature imposed a requirement on law enforcement
    and/or mental health treatment providers to verify the relocation
    expenses sought. The verification requirement applies not only
    to direct restitution payable by the defendant, but also to
    requests for restitution from the California Victim Compensation
    Board for relocation expenses. (See Gov. Code, § 13957, subd.
    (a)(7)(A).) Requiring compliance with that statutory mandate
    prevents abusive or improper requests (People v. Brooks, supra,
    23 Cal.App.5th at p. 944), but it does not interfere with a
    restitution order fully reimbursing a victim for every determined
    economic loss incurred as a result of the defendant’s conduct.
    C.    Remand for Further Proceedings is Appropriate
    Defendant argues without citation to authority that this
    court should strike the relocation costs from the restitution
    award without any further proceedings. The People argue we
    should remand for a new restitution hearing as to the relocation
    expenses. We agree that remand for a new restitution hearing
    (including affording the People an opportunity to provide the
    necessary verification) is appropriate. (See People v. Harvest
    (2000) 
    84 Cal.App.4th 641
    , 650 [restitution award made at
    resentencing does not implicate double jeopardy]; People v.
    Thygesen (1999) 
    69 Cal.App.4th 988
    , 996 [remanding for
    rehearing following reversal of restitution award].)
    17
    DISPOSITION
    The order of restitution is reversed insofar as it included
    relocation expenses, and the matter remanded for further
    proceedings consistent with this opinion.
    CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION
    WEINGART, J.
    We concur:
    ROTHSCHILD, P. J.
    CHANEY, J.
    18
    

Document Info

Docket Number: B317130

Filed Date: 12/6/2022

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 12/6/2022