In the Matter of the Personal Restraint of: Jose Leonel Moncada

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided March 26, 2020·No. 34165-8·Unpublished

Opinion

FILED

MARCH 26, 2020

In the Office of the Clerk of Court WA State Court of Appeals, Division III

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION THREE

In the Matter of the Personal Restraint ) No. 34165-8-III of: )

)

JOSE LEONEL MONCADA, ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION )

Petitioner. )

PER CURIAM — Jose Leonel Moncada was convicted by a Yakima County jury in 2011 of first degree rape of a child and attempted first degree child molestation. On appeal, we remanded to correct errors in the judgment and sentence. See State v. Moncada, No. 30222-9-III (Wash. Ct. App. June 17, 2014) (unpublished), http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/302229.pdf.), review denied, 181 Wn.2d 1031 (2015). In this timely personal restraint petition, Mr. Moncada now contends (1) he has discovered new evidence that would probably change the verdict, and (2) he had ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, who failed to argue that (a) he was entitled to a unanimity instruction, (b) the trial court’s aggravating factor instruction constituted an unconstitutional comment on the evidence, and (c) the law did not support imposition of the exceptional sentence. We find no merit and dismiss.

In re Pers. Restraint of Moncada

FACTS

In the summer of 2009, 39-year-old Jose Moncada lived in Yakima with his girlfriend, R.Q., and her 11-year-old daughter, A.C. For years, A.C. had mistakenly believed Mr. Moncada was her father, until her mother revealed earlier that year that he was not. In April 2010, A.C. told family members and the police that Mr. Moncada had begun touching her inappropriately during the previous year. She related the following incidents: (1) One night in August 2009, A.C. crawled into her mother’s bed to watch a movie. She fell asleep, but awoke later with Mr. Moncada’s erect penis against her thigh and his fingers inside her vagina. She removed herself from the bed by telling him she had to go to the bathroom; (2) Several months later, in February 2010, A.C. asked Mr. Moncada to massage her injured back. During the massage, he slid his hand inside her underpants and massaged her buttocks; (3) In March 2010, Mr. Moncada entered A.C.’s room three times, kissed A.C. on her lips and neck, and patted her buttocks. Soon after these events, A.C. began cutting herself.

The State charged Mr. Moncada with first degree rape of a child and two counts of attempted child molestation in the first degree, all occurring between separate date ranges. At trial, the State presented evidence from investigating officers, A.C., her mother, her aunt Maria Piña, her brother, and chaplain Sister Fe Sumalde. Detective Mark Andrews testified that Mr. Moncada stated that he could not remember sexually touching A.C. in August 2009, but that he could have confused her with his wife while he

In re Pers. Restraint of Moncada

was asleep. A.C. described the three periods of incidents and explained that she finally told her aunt because she was afraid of being left alone with Mr. Moncada during spring break in April 2010. She denied telling anyone that Mr. Moncada had inserted his penis in her. Ms. Piña described how agitated A.C. was when describing the abuse, and A.C.’s brother stated that, shortly before she reported the incidents, A.C. had said she did not want to be alone with Mr. Moncada. Sister Sumalde, who talked to A.C. at the hospital, testified that A.C. was very upset and said that Mr. Moncada sexually abused her.

Defense counsel cross-examined A.C. and the other witnesses to show that A.C.’s reports of abuse were sometimes inconsistent. Defense counsel also presented the testimony of a hostile witness, neighbor Judith Garcia, who stated that A.C. had recently claimed for the first time that Mr. Moncada penetrated her vagina three times with his penis. Mr. Moncada testified on his own behalf that he would never touch A.C. inappropriately. He explained that he only massaged her back when she asked him to do so, and that A.C.’s mother was always present. He also suggested that A.C. made up the incidents because she was angry that he had lied about being her father, and to avoid punishment for stealing money from Mr. Moncada’s mother.

The jury found Mr. Moncada guilty of counts 1 and 3 and not guilty of count 2.

For both counts 1 and 3, the jury found the aggravating circumstance that he used his position of trust or confidence to facilitate the commission of the crimes. The trial court imposed an upward exceptional sentence.

In re Pers. Restraint of Moncada

NEWLY DISCOVERED EVIDENCE In preparation for filing this personal restraint petition, Mr. Moncada gave his investigator names of people who eventually led to the discovery of two witnesses who claimed that A.C. told them stories inconsistent with her statements to police and the testimony at trial. He contends the declarations of these two witnesses are newly discovered evidence that requires a new trial.

To prevail in this personal restraint petition, Mr. Moncada must show that he was actually and substantially prejudiced either by an error of constitutional magnitude or by a fundamental nonconstitutional error that caused a complete miscarriage of justice. In re Pers. Restraint of Finstad, 177 Wn.2d 501, 506, 301 P.3d 450 (2013); In re Pers. Restraint of Benn, 134 Wn.2d 868, 884-85, 952 P.2d 116 (1998). He may not rely on conclusory allegations, but must show with a preponderance of competent, admissible evidence that the error caused him prejudice. In re Pers. Restraint of Ruiz-Sanabria, 184 Wn.2d 632, 636, 362 P.3d 758 (2015). Mr. Moncada’s claim of newly discovered evidence is nonconstitutional.

“Newly discovered evidence” may justify relief in a personal restraint petition if the new facts “in the interest of justice require vacation of the conviction, sentence, or other order entered in a criminal proceeding.” In re Pers. Restraint of Lord, 123 Wn.2d 296, 319, 868 P.2d 835 (1994) (quoting RAP 16.4(c)(3)). The standard applied is the same as that applied to a motion for a new trial, which requires the defendant to show

In re Pers. Restraint of Moncada

“‘that the evidence (1) will probably change the result of the trial; (2) was discovered since the trial; (3) could not have been discovered before trial by the exercise of due diligence; (4) is material; and (5) is not merely cumulative or impeaching.’” Id. at 319- 20 (quoting State v. Williams, 96 Wn.2d 215, 223, 634 P.2d 868 (1981)).

The evidence here consists of two declarations signed in February 2016 (after Mr.

Moncada’s appeal and resentencing): one by a childhood friend of A.C.’s cousin, Briseyda Pulido, and one by a young adult friend of A.C.’s family, Joanna Monteiro. Ms. Pulido, states that her family lived with A.C.’s aunt Piña in Yakima for about six months, presumably in early 2010, and that she played with A.C. several times a week during that time. One evening, A.C. and her brother were moved into her aunt’s house. Ms. Pulido overheard the adults say that Mr. Moncada had “sexually abused” A.C. Am. Br. in Support of Am. Pers. Restraint Pet., App. A., Decl. of Briseyda Pulido, at 1. Ms. Pulido then relates statements A.C. made during and after the time she was living in her aunt’s house:

6. One day while [A.C.] was staying at our house, she and I were jumping on the trampoline in the backyard. Her face was all splotchy. I asked why she was crying, but she acted like nothing had happened and kept on jumping. When we were both tired out from jumping, we sat down. I asked her again why she was crying. She told me it was because none of it was true. [A.C.] said nothing had happened with [Mr. Moncada].

7. A few weeks later, after [A.C.] and her brother moved back home, we had a girls’ night sleep over at [A.C.’s] house. . . .

8. That night, . . . I was curious, because of what [A.C.] told me by the trampoline and the way the adults were talking that night. I asked [A.C.] if what she told me on the trampoline was a lie. [A.C.] seemed

In re Pers. Restraint of Moncada

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