People v. Akoma

Superior Court of Guam·Decided July 15, 2024·No. CM0363-22·Unknown

Opinion

FILED | L E D 1 CLERK of COURT CLERK OF couRT 2 2021IJUL 202~ JUL f15 5 AHII= r, : 15 3 SUPERJOR COURT SUPERKBR COURT UF GU&M¢é@< OF GUAMA:---t_ 4 IN THE THE SUPERIOR SUPERIOR COURT COURT OF OF GUAM GUAM 5

6 PEOPLE OF GUAM GUAM Criminal Case No. CM0363-22 GPD GPD Report Report No. No. 21-26405 21-26405 7 vs.

8 UGOCHUKWU E. AKOMA, DECISION DECISION AND AND ORDER 9 (Motion (Motion to to Dismiss) Dismiss) Defendant. 10

11 11 This matter came before matter came before the the Honorable Honorable Alberto Alberto E. E. Tolentino Tolentino on on April April 15, 15, 2024, 2024, upon upon 12 12 Defendant Ugochukwu E. E. Akoma's Aroma's oral oral motion motion to to dismiss dismiss this case case with with prejudice. prejudice. At At the the hearing, 13 Attorney Joaquin Joaquin C. Arriola, Arriola, Jr. Jr. appeared appeared on behalf of of Defendant, Defendant, and Assistant Assistant Attorney General 14

15 15 Randall Winston B. Randall Winston B. Albright Albright appeared appearedon onbehalf behalfofofthe thePeople PeopleofofGuam Guam("People"). ("People"). Having Having duly duly

16 16 considered the oral arguments, considered the subsequentwritten arguments, subsequent writtenbriefings, briefings, and and the the applicable applicable law, law, the Court Court 17 DENIES DENIES Defendant's Defendant's Motion. 18 BACKGROUND 19 19 Defendant, a medical doctor, stands accusedof stands accused oftwo two counts countsof of Fourth FourthDegree Degree Criminal Sexual 20 Conduct (as aa Misdemeanor). Conduct (as Misdemeanor). Mag. Comal. Compl. (Oct. 20, 20, 2022). 2022). Defendant's Defendant's jury jury trial trial began on April April 21

22 8, 2024, 2024, and andconcluded concludedon onApril April 15, 15,2024, 2024,with withthe thedeclaration declarationof ofaamistrial. mistrial. As explained in more

23 detail in in the Court's Court's April April19, 19,2024, 2024, Decision Decisionand and Order, the trial was plagued with with evidentiary issues,

24 which ultimately ultimately led led to to the the exclusion exclusion of of much of the People's evidence. much of evidence. Defendant Defendant eventually eventually 25 requested, and the the Court granted, granted, a mistrial. mistrial. See See generally generally Dec. & Order Order (Apr. (Apr. 19, 19, 2024). 26

28 Page 1 of9 11 Upon the Upon the Court's Court's grant ofmistrial, grant of mistrial,Defendant Defendant informed informedthe the Court Courtthat that he he intended intended to make make

2 an oral oral motion to dismiss dismiss the the case case with with prejudice. The Court prejudice. The Court heard heard Defendant's Defendant's oral oral motion for

3 dismissal dismissal later that that same same day. day. At Atoral oralarguments, arguments, Defendant Defendant made made two core core arguments: arguments: aa retrial retrial 4 violate double would violate double jeopardy, jeopardy, and and rescheduling rescheduling this this trial trial would would lead to to a violation ofhis violation of his statutory statutory 5 right to to a speedy speedytrial. trial. Min. Entry Entry at at2:15:04 2:15:04PM PM(Mot. (Mot. Hr'g, Apr. 15, 15, 2024). The The People People argued argued in in 6 response that response that double double jeopardy to these jeopardy does not apply to these facts and that there is still time time on on the the speedy 7

8 trial "clock" retrial. Id. at 22:28:05 "clock" for aa retrial. 128 PM. At At the the conclusion the hearing, the Court took the conclusion of the the

9 matter under matter advisement.Id. underadvisement. Id at 2:55:05 2:55:05 PM. TheCourt PM. The Courtalso also gave gaveparties parties leave leave to tosubmit submit written written

10 10 briefing by the the end endof thefollowing of the following day. Id. at day. Id at 2:52:15 2:52:15 PM. Both Bothparties See Mot. parties did so. See Mot. Dismiss Dismiss 11 11 (Apr. 16, 2024), (Apr. 16, 2024); Opp. Mot. Dismiss (Apr. 16, 16, 2024). 12 12 DISCUSSION 13 13 1. Double Double Jeopardv DoesNot Jeopardy Does Not Bar Bar Defendant's Defendant's Retrial Retrial 14 14 The general rule rule is is that that when when a mistrial is is granted granted upon upon the request of the the defendant, double 15 15

16 16 jeopardy does not bar bar a retrial. retrial. People v. Pablo, Pablo, 2016 2016 Guam Guam 29 29 1] 25, Oregon v, ,i 25; v. Kennedy, Kennedy, 456 U.S.

17 17 667 (1982). This Thisisisbecause because"a "amotion motionby bythe thedefendant defendant is is deemed deemed to to be be aa deliberate election election on on his

18 18 part to forgo his part to his valued valued right right to have his guilt have his guilt or or innocence innocence determined by the determined by the first first trier of fact.99" trier of 19 19 United United States States v. v. Scott, Scott, 437 U.S. U.S. 82, 82, 93 93 (1978). (1978). However, However, both the Guam Guam Supreme Court and and the 20 U.S. Supreme have recognized a "narrow exception" Supreme Court have exception" to tothis this rule rule in inthe the circumstance circumstance where 21 "the "the mistrial mistrial arose arose from from prosecutorial prosecutorial or or judicial judicialactions actions done done in inorder orderto to goad goad the the defendant defendant into 22 requesting requesting aa mistrial." mistrial." Id Id.Defendant Defendantargues arguesthat thathe he was was "goaded" "goaded"into intorequesting requesting aa mistrial mistrial here here by 23

24 the People's "lack the People's "lackofofpreparation preparationand and inability inabilitytotomeet meetbasic basicevidentiary evidentiaryburdens, burdens, and and repeated repeated

25 motions to reconsider motions to reconsider basic basicevidentiary evidentiaryrulings." rulings." Mot. Dismiss Dismiss at at 6, 6; see see generally generally Dec. & Order Order 26 (Apr. (Apr. 19, 19, 2024) 2024) (summarizing (summarizing the the evidentiary issues). 27

28 Page 2 of9 Page 1 1 The burden of of proof proof on a "goading" claim belongs "goading" claim belongs to to the defendant defendant and and is is a difficult standard

2 to meet. See Earnest v. Dorsey, 1123, 1130 Dorsey, 87 F.3d 1123, 1130 (10th Cir. 1996) (the standard standard is is "extremely

3 v. August, 375 P.3d 140, exahing"); People v. exacting"), 140, 144 144 (Colo. Ct. App. 2016) ("a heavy burden"); burden"), People .: 4 v. v. Dawson, Ct. App. 1986) Dawson, 397 N.W.2d 277, 282 (Mich. Ct. 1986) (a "near impossible burden"), burden"); see also also 5 Kennedy, at 688 Kennedy, 456 U.S. at 688 (Steve (Stevens, fs, J., J., concurring) concurring) ("It is almost inconceivable that a defendant 6 prosecutor's deliberate could prove that the prosecutor's deliberate misconduct misconduct was was motivated motivated by by an intent to provoke a 7

8 mistrial."). Thus, "in mistrial."). Thus, "in practice, practice, the Kennedy standard standard isis rarely rarelymet. ...Nationwide, met.... Nationwide, such such cases cases are are

9 few and far between." between." United United States States v. Lopez-Avila, 678 F.3d 955, 955, 962 962 (9th (9th Cir. Cir. 2012).

10 10 "whether the The key inquiry is "whether the conduct conduct giving giving rise rise to to the the mistrial mistrial in this case was intended 11 11 to provoke a mistrial." Pablo, Pablo, 2016 2016 Guam Guam 29 29126 1126 (emphasis (emphasis in in original). original).

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