People v. Hopkins CA1/1

BACKGROUND

The underlying crime that gave rise to the imposition, and eventual revocation, of probation was a 2010 incident in which Hopkins shoplifted a boxed gift set of alcohol from a store in El Cerrito.1 At the time of the offense, Hopkins had a long string of prior convictions. The information filed by the district attorney charged Hopkins with one

1 Because the case was resolved by plea, our understanding of the facts of the case comes from the probation report, which in turn relied on police reports.

1 count of petty theft with a prior2 and alleged nine prior convictions, including six prior strikes (three robberies in 1983 and three robberies in 1990) and five prior convictions for which Hopkins had served a prison term under section 667.5, subdivision (b). Hopkins eventually entered into a plea agreement in which he pleaded no contest to the charge and admitted one prior strike conviction (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12). Under the agreement, Hopkins was placed on probation for four years, with a suspended six-year prison sentence. The agreement included a probation condition requiring Hopkins to complete treatment at the Jericho Project drug and alcohol recovery…