People v. Hutchinson

In People v. Hutchinson (1969) 71 Cal.2d 342, the mother of the teenage defendant discovered marijuana in a bedroom shared with his three brothers. (Id. at p. 344.) Two of the brothers were away from home, but the night before the discovery, some of their friends changed clothes in the room. (Id. at p. 345.) The court determined that if the evidence had shown only that the marijuana was hidden in the shared room, a finding of unlawful possession would not be supported. (Id. at pp. 345-346.) But the fact that the defendant fled when his mother threatened to call the police was sufficient additional evidence from which "the jury could reasonably infer that his flight reflected consciousness of guilt and that he therefore knowingly possessed the marijuana found in the bedroom and closet." (Id. at p. 346.)