People v. Arnold CA2/5

BACKGROUND

Arnold was a troubled juvenile. He began drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in his early teens. He dropped out of school in tenth grade. According to his mother, Arnold was a “very disturbed child” who went “crazy” when he became intoxicated. He was arrested on two occasions as a minor for petit larceny. In his early twenties, Arnold began regularly using crack cocaine and PCP. From 1980, when he was 20, to 1991 when he was 31, Arnold was repeatedly arrested for many different crimes, including larceny, theft, fraud, robbery, possession of stolen property, possession of narcotics, assault, and criminal possession of a firearm or knife. On at least nine occasions, he was convicted and sentenced. A. Arnold’s arrests and convictions for sexually violent crimes On four occasions Arnold was arrested for committing sexually violent crimes. In June 1984, Arnold was arrested for

1 Unless otherwise stated, all further statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

2 rape in concert with force or violence. The victim, however, declined to assist the prosecution, and the case was not pursued. In August 1984, Arnold was arrested and charged with forcible…