(HC) Daniel Frazer v. McDowell

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJanuary 26, 2022
Docket1:20-cv-01092
StatusUnknown

This text of (HC) Daniel Frazer v. McDowell ((HC) Daniel Frazer v. McDowell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
(HC) Daniel Frazer v. McDowell, (E.D. Cal. 2022).

Opinion

7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9

10 DANIEL FRAZER, Case No. 1:20-cv-01092-DAD-SAB-HC

11 Petitioner, AMENDED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDING 12 v. DENIAL OF PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS 13 NEIL MCDOWELL,

14 Respondent.

15 16 Petitioner is a state prisoner proceeding pro se with a petition for writ of habeas corpus 17 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. 18 I. 19 BACKGROUND 20 On July 31, 2015, Petitioner was convicted after a jury trial in the Merced County 21 Superior Court of two counts of first-degree robbery. (8 CT1 1929, 1931). Petitioner was 22 sentenced to an imprisonment term of twenty-five years to life. (9 CT 2297). On January 31, 23 2019, the California Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District affirmed the judgment. People v. 24 Frazer, No. F073793, 2019 WL 396856 (Cal. Ct. App. Jan. 31, 2019), as modified on denial of 25 reh’g (Feb. 25, 2019). On February 25, 2019, the California Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate 26 District denied Petitioner’s petition for rehearing. (LD2 24). On May 15, 2019, the California 27 1 “CT” refers to the Clerk’s Transcript on Appeal lodged by Respondent on October 30, 2020. (ECF Nos. 13–15). 1 Supreme Court denied Petitioner’s petition for review. (LDs 27, 28). All seven of Petitioner’s 2 state habeas petitions were denied. (LDs 31–42). 3 On August 6, 2020, Petitioner filed the instant federal petition for writ of habeas corpus. 4 (ECF No. 1). In the petition, Petitioner asserts that he is entitled to habeas relief on the following 5 grounds: (1) presentation of false evidence by the prosecution; (2) violation of the Equal 6 Protection Clause; (3) violation of Petitioner’s right to a speedy trial; and (4) violation of the 7 Confrontation Clause. (ECF No. 1 at 4–5).3 Respondent filed an answer, and Petitioner filed a 8 traverse. (ECF Nos. 12, 16). 9 On April 21, 2021, the undersigned issued findings and recommendation recommending 10 denial of the petition. (ECF No. 17). On June 24, 2021, the assigned district judge referred the 11 matter back to the undersigned for amended findings and recommendation addressing 12 Petitioner’s arguments with respect to Carpenter v. United States, 138 S. Ct. 2206 (2018). (ECF 13 No. 19). The Court ordered supplemental briefing on Carpenter. (ECF No. 21). Respondent filed 14 a supplemental brief. (ECF No. 27). 15 II. 16 STATEMENT OF FACTS4

17 On February 15, 2011, [Frazer] was charged by complaint with two counts of robbery (Pen. Code, § 21115) and three enhancements for prior convictions 18 (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12, 668) and was arraigned on the complaint on May 13, 2013. At his arraignment, [Frazer] waived his right to counsel and exercised 19 his right to represent himself pursuant to Faretta v. California (1975) 422 U.S. 806 (Faretta). Following a preliminary hearing, [Frazer] was held to answer to the 20 charges on November 8, 2013. A first amended information was filed on January 29, 2015, charging [Frazer] with two counts of robbery (§ 211) and four 21 enhancements for prior convictions (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12, 668). Trial commenced on July 15, 2015. 22 Prosecution Case 23 The charges alleged in the information arose out of a bank robbery that occurred 24 on November 6, 2009, against two tellers working at the bank. The primary issue in the case was identity. The robbery occurred in Livingston, California, at 25 approximately 10:21 a.m. The robber entered the bank with a lunch box-sized cooler. He wore a mask with cutouts for his eyes and nose, eye glasses, and latex 26 3 Page numbers refer to the ECF page numbers stamped at the top of the page. 27 4 The Court relies on the California Court of Appeal’s February 25, 2019 opinion for this summary of the facts of the crime. See Vasquez v. Kirkland, 572 F.3d 1029, 1031 n.1 (9th Cir. 2009). 1 gloves. He approached a teller, J.S., and demanded “100s and 50s.” She gave him the money, and the robber went to the window of the other teller, S.S., and 2 demanded “100s and 50s.” S.S., too, handed over money. The robber did not display a weapon or use a note. 3 S.S. testified the robber had a similar skin tone and build to [Frazer]. J.S. testified 4 the complexion of the robber was the same as [Frazer]’s and that they had the same eyes. 5 An expert witness in cellular technology testified he had reviewed cell phone 6 records related to [Frazer]’s phone and that at 9:58 a.m. on the day of the robbery, [Frazer]’s cell phone connected to the cell site that covered the same location as 7 the bank where the robbery occurred, raising an inference he was in the vicinity of the robbery when it occurred. 8 The prosecution offered evidence of three other robberies that took place in San 9 Joaquin County on September 11, 2009, October 6, 2009, and December 4, 2009, to prove identity pursuant to Evidence Code section 1101, subdivision (b). 10 [Frazer] was apprehended after the December 4, 2009, robbery at the end of a high-speed chase. At the time, he denied the September and October robberies, 11 though DNA evidence later tied him to those robberies. He pled guilty to the December 4, 2009, robbery and testified at trial he committed all three. 12 The September 11, 2009, robbery occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. [Frazer] 13 wore a mask with cutouts for his eyes and surgical gloves. He yelled at the tellers that he wanted “100s and 50s.” He did not use a gun or a note during the robbery. 14 The October 6, 2009, robbery occurred at the same bank as the September 15 robbery at approximately 10:45 a.m. [Frazer] wore a mask with cutouts for his eyes and surgical gloves. He approached two tellers and demanded 50’s and 100’s 16 from each.

17 The December 4, 2009, robbery took place in the same town as the first two robberies at a different bank at approximately 10:04 a.m. [Frazer] approached the 18 teller window and yelled that he wanted “100s and 50s.” He did not use a gun or a note. He was carrying a spray bottle. After he was arrested, he told law 19 enforcement he never uses weapons because he does not want to hurt anyone and “[y]ou don’t need a gun to rob a bank.” He said he typically carries something in 20 his hand to give the appearance he has a reason to be walking around the bank, and this is why he carried the spray bottle. 21 Defense Case 22 A detective testified that J.S. was unable to identify [Frazer] in a photo lineup. 23 [Frazer] also testified. He denied committing the charged November robbery and admitted to committing the three uncharged robberies. [Frazer] also testified he 24 never used a gun or note and wore his glasses during all his robberies.

25 [Frazer] was found guilty of both counts of robbery. A bifurcated bench trial was held on October 16, 2015, on [Frazer]’s prior convictions. The prosecution 26 dismissed two of the alleged prior convictions, and the trial court found the remaining two allegations true. [Frazer] was sentenced to a term of imprisonment 27 of 25 years to life on count 1 and a concurrent term of 25 years to life on count 2. Frazer, 2019 WL 396856, at *1–2 (footnote in original). 1 III. 2 STANDARD OF REVIEW 3 Relief by way of a petition for writ of habeas corpus extends to a person in custody 4 pursuant to the judgment of a state court if the custody is in violation of the Constitution or laws 5 or treaties of the United States. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(a); 28 U.S.C. § 2241(c)(3); Williams v. Taylor, 6 529 U.S. 362, 375 (2000). Petitioner asserts that he suffered violations of his rights as guaranteed 7 by the U.S. Constitution.

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