People v. Baldridge CA1/3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 8, 2025
DocketA170863
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Baldridge CA1/3 (People v. Baldridge CA1/3) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Baldridge CA1/3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 4/8/25 P. v. Baldridge CA1/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, A170863 v. CODY BALDRIDGE, (City & County of San Francisco Super. Ct. No. CT23002443) Defendant and Appellant.

Cody Baldridge appeals from a judgment convicting him of burglary and vandalism and sentencing him to a two-year jail term. Baldridge refused to come to court for his trial or sentencing, which were conducted in his absence. (See Pen. Code, § 1043, subdivision (f) (§ 1043(f)); statutory references are to the Penal Code.) On appeal, he contends that the judgment must be reversed because his constitutional right to be present at trial was violated. Baldridge also contends that orders committing him to county jail must be modified because they do not state explicitly that he was awarded 604 days of presentence custody credits. We shall remand for modification of the commitment orders but otherwise affirm. BACKGROUND In February 2023, the San Francisco District Attorney filed a felony complaint charging Baldridge with committing three felonies at different

1 commercial establishments during nonbusiness hours: burglary with the intent to commit larceny at the Buena Vista Cafe (§ 459, count 1); burglary with intent to commit larceny at Square Pie Guys (§ 459, count 2); and vandalism at Ghirardelli Square causing damage of more than $400 (§ 594, subd. (b)(1), count 3). Baldridge failed to appear for arraignment and was subsequently taken into custody. On March 2, he appeared, entered not guilty pleas, and was released on his own recognizance pursuant to an order to appear at all subsequent hearings. Baldridge’s preliminary hearing was set for April 27, 2023. He failed to personally appear at the hearing. On May 3, the court revoked the order releasing Baldridge on his own recognizance, set bail, and ordered issuance of an arrest warrant. The warrant was discharged, the preliminary hearing was reset for July, and Baldridge was released on his own recognizance. Baldridge failed to appear at the July hearing, another warrant was issued, and on August 21, Baldridge was again remanded into custody. The preliminary hearing was reset several more times. Initially, the court denied Baldridge’s request to be released again on his own recognizance, but on September 18, Baldridge was released pursuant to conditions, including that he enter a treatment program and comply with electronic monitoring. In early October, his release was terminated, and while Baldridge was in custody, he refused to come to court multiple times despite having been ordered to appear. Finally on December 29, Baldridge appeared in court and was held to answer. On January 10, 2024, the People filed an information charging Baldridge with the three offenses alleged in the complaint. Baldridge refused to come to court for the arraignment, which was continued several times and then completed in his absence. Thereafter, he refused to come to court for

2 any hearing, including when the case was called for trial on March 14. On March 19, the court declined to proceed with motions in limine because Baldridge was not present, and the court had not received either a waiver from Baldridge or a declaration from a deputy at the jail attesting that Baldridge had been read his rights under section 1043 and still refused to come to court. The court notified the parties that if Baldridge refused to come to court the next day or thereafter, trial would proceed with defense counsel standing in as his representative if the court was provided with a declaration from a deputy attesting that Baldridge refused to come to court after having been read his rights under section 1043. On March 20, 2024, Baldridge refused to come to court for his trial. The court had received a signed declaration from a deputy, stating that Baldridge was admonished of his rights pursuant to section 1043(f)(1), and still refused to come to court. The declaration, which the court read into the record, was made on a form supplied by the court that consisted of an admonishment to be read to Baldridge, instructions to the deputy, and space for the deputy to provide Baldridge’s response. The admonishment stated: “Defendant Cody BALDRIDGE, . . ., your trial is set for today, March 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. [¶] 1. You have the right and obligation to be personally present in court today for your trial, and by refusing to go to court, you are waiving that right. [¶] 2. Your trial will proceed without you being present today. [¶] 3. You have the right to remain silent during the trial. [¶] 4. Your absence without good cause will constitute a voluntary waiver of any constitutional or statutory right to confront any witnesses against you or to testify on your own behalf at your trial. [¶] 5. Your defense counsel will be present and will appear for you at the trial.

3 [¶] Based on these rights, are you refusing to appear in court today for your trial?” The directions to the deputy stated: “Deputies: Please read the above admonition and note any observations regarding the inmate’s understanding of the consequences of the refusal and any statements made by the inmate related to their refusal to come to court for their trial.” The handwritten information on the declaration stated: “INMATE STATED, ‘YEAH’ AFTER BEING READ THIS ADMONISHMENT.” Defense counsel objected to proceeding without Baldridge, stating that Baldridge had told him that he would come to court that day. The court granted a recess so defense counsel could go to the jail to talk to Baldridge, but also observed that “we’ve already lost a day of trial due to Mr. Baldridge’s refusal to come to Court.” The court stated that 70 potential jurors had been waiting, and it wanted to “get this moving while obviously respecting Mr. Baldridge’s due process rights.” When proceedings resumed several hours later, Baldridge was not present. Defense counsel stated he had been unable to meet with Baldridge, but the court advised that it had contacted the sheriff’s office at the jail and obtained another confirmation that the deputy had delivered the admonishment to Baldridge and Baldridge refused to come to court. Accordingly, the court ruled that, pursuant to section 1043(f)(1), “I am finding that he has refused to come to court after being advised of his rights and advised of the fact that his defense counsel will be present and will appear for him at trial.” Thereafter, at the beginning of each trial day, the court made a record of the fact that Baldridge was read the admonishment provided by the court after which he refused to come to court. The jury was sworn on March 21,

4 and the People presented their case on March 25 and 26. The defense called no witnesses. On March 28, the jury found Baldridge guilty of all charges. The matter was called for sentencing on April 23, 2024. Baldridge refused to come to court. Concluding the refusal was willful, the court relied in part on the signed declaration of a deputy who had delivered an admonishment to Baldridge that morning, parts of which the court read into the record. The deputy told Baldridge his sentencing was set for that morning, and then delivered the following admonishment: “1. You have the right and obligation to be personally present in court today for your felony sentencing, and by refusing to go to court, without good cause, you are waiving that right. [¶] 2. Your sentencing will proceed without you being present today. [¶] 3.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Baldridge CA1/3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-baldridge-ca13-calctapp-2025.