A Motion To Dismiss Otherwise Known As A 995 Motion

A motion to dismiss is used to ask a judge to dismiss all or part of the counts included in the information that the prosecutor files after the preliminary hearing.

Below I will explain when an attorney can use a motion to dismiss and in what circumstances it can be successful.

Let’s get started…

Overview Of A Motion To Dismiss

When a defendant is charged with a felony offense, he or she may be indicted by a grand jury or have a preliminary hearing where a judge determines if there is probable cause or “sufficient evidence” that a crime has been committed and that the defendant committed it¹.

If so, then the defendant is committed and is ordered to be brought before the trial court for further proceedings. At this time, a defense attorney may bring a motion to dismiss under Penal Code 995.

A 995 motion may be filed to weed out felonies to misdemeanors as well as charges that a prosecutor may add to the information that was not covered at the preliminary hearing.

Defendants can also challenge sentence enhancements and special circumstances allegations. A 995 motion is based on the transcript from the preliminary hearing where a judge determines if probable cause exists as to each element of the charged offense or offenses or if enhancement or special circumstances exist.

When Can You Use a 995 Motion?

A defense attorney can use or file a 995 motion following the preliminary hearing and before the trial when there is evidence that the defendant was:

• Illegally committed
• Or committed without probable cause

Illegal Commitment

To assert that you were illegally committed, your defense attorney must argue that you were denied a substantial right at your hearing.

This may include:

• Your right to be represented by an attorney².
• Your right to be advised of the right to be represented by an attorney³.
• Your right to have the hearing conducted in one session⁴.
• Your right to confront, cross-examine and to offer witnesses⁵.

Lack of Probable Cause

In a preliminary hearing, the judge must ascertain if there is probable cause that a crime was committed and that the defendant was the one who committed it. Probable cause is defined as “a state of facts as would lead a man of ordinary care and prudence to believe and conscientiously entertain an honest and strong suspicion that the person is guilty of a crime.”⁶

The standard is much lower than that of proof beyond a reasonable doubt since guilt or innocence is not the issue. So long as there is some evidence that ties the defendant to a crime, then the defendant will be committed to the trial court⁷.

Procedural Errors

When the preliminary hearing is over, the prosecutor has 15 days to file an information⁸, which charges you with the counts deemed to have probable cause to charge you. If the prosecutor misses the deadline, you can use the 995 motion to dismiss the charges⁹.

In What Circumstances Can A 995 Motion Be Successful?

There are a number of circumstances under which a 995 motion can be successful:

1) Evidence was illegally seized

• If there was testimony and evidence at the preliminary hearing that indicated that law enforcement personnel obtained evidence without a search warrant, And
• The search did not fit within any of the exceptions to the warrant requirement, And
• The only evidence was obtained through an illegal search then the judge should grant the 995 motion¹⁰.

If a search warrant was issued but the search exceeded its scope or the officer who secured the warrant fabricated facts in support of its issuance, the 995 motion should also be granted.

2) Lack of sufficient evidence

The prosecution has the burden of presenting enough evidence to demonstrate probable cause as to each element of a charged offense or to a sentence enhancement.

For example, the prosecution must show probable cause that a defendant had specific intent to commit a certain offense. Another is sufficient proof of an element of the offense¹¹

such as proof that property that was stolen had a value of at least $950 so as to charge the defendant with grand theft.

3) Failure to provide exculpatory evidence or other discovery

Before the preliminary hearing, the prosecution has a duty to provide any exculpatory evidence, or evidence that would tend to exonerate the defendant, to the defense¹².

If no provided, then this violates your due process right to a fair trial.

4) Missed deadline

As indicated above, the prosecution has 15 days to file an information after the preliminary hearing. If not, the defense can move to dismiss the charges.

5) Factual finding

The judge at the preliminary hearing can make a factual finding that is adverse to the prosecution and fatal to the case.

For example, if the sole witness to a crime testifies and the court finds that the witness lacked credibility¹³ or that the testimony was too incredible for any reasonable person to believe, then a 995 motion to dismiss should be granted if the preliminary hearing judge found probable cause nonetheless.

6) Preliminary hearing was not held in a “single” session

While most preliminary hearings can be fully conducted in an hour or less, there are some cases where there are multiple counts or the case is extremely complex so that the proceeding may take several days or longer.

A “single” session does not mean one day or even one week. If the hearing is to extend over time, the preliminary court judge must make the hearing a priority.

If the judge puts the hearing off to conduct a one-week trial, for example, the defendant can request a dismissal for violating his procedural due process rights.

A prosecutor can re-file charges on counts that were dismissed unless there was a factual finding that was expressly made and which should have been fatal to the case.

If the charges are again dismissed, then the prosecution is barred from re-filing the charges a third time¹⁴.

The prosecutor can also appeal a 995 motion that dismisses certain counts and request a continuance of the trial until the appeal is heard and resolved or move forward to trial on those counts that remain.

A defendant may also appeal an adverse 995 motion ruling.

If the motion was based on lack of probable cause, you have 15 days to appeal the ruling¹⁵.

If it was based on your being illegally committed, you have 60 days from your arraignment to file the appeal¹⁶.

1. California Penal Code 872 PC [↩]
2. People v. Napthaly (1895) 105 Cal. 641 [↩]
3. People v. Miller (1932) 123 Cal.App. 499 [↩]
4. People v. Bucher (1959) 175 Cal.App.2d 343 [↩]
5. Jennings v. Superior Court of Contra Costa County (1967) 66 Cal.2d 867 [↩]
6. People v. Ingle (1960) 53 Cal.3d 407; see also Malleck v. Superior Court (1956) 142 Cal.App.2d 396 [↩]
7. Garabedian v Superior Court (1963) 59 C2d 124; Barber v Superior Court (1991) 1 CA4th 793 [↩]
8. California Penal Code 1382 PC. [↩]
9. People v. Ganger (1950) 97 Cal.App.2d 11. [↩]
10. People v Lilienthal (1978) 22 Cal 3rd 891; People v Scoma (1969) 71 Cal 2nd 332; People v. Sherwin (2000) – 82 Cal. App. 4th 1404, 98 Cal. Rptr. 2d 888. [↩]
11. People v Upton (1968) 257 Cal. App. 2d 679 [↩]
12. Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 U.S. 83.  See also Izazaga v. Superior Court (1991) 54 Cal.3d 356. [↩]
13. People v. Superior Court (Gibson) (1980) 101 Cal.App.3d 551. [↩]
14. California Penal Code 1387 PC [↩]
15. California Penal Code 999a PC [↩]
16. California Penal Code 1510 PC [↩]