People v. Bueno

243 Cal. Rptr. 3d 740, 32 Cal. App. 5th 342
California Court of Appeal, 5th District·Decided February 19, 2019·No. F074946·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

SNAUFFER, J.

*344INTRODUCTION

Appellant, Vanessa Bueno, was driving while intoxicated and lost control of her vehicle resulting in a single vehicle roll-over accident. Bueno's eight-year-old son was ejected from the vehicle and died. Additionally, her *345teenage daughter was injured and required medical attention. Bueno pled no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter *742while intoxicated (count 1; Pen. Code, § 191.5, subd. (a)1 ); driving under the influence causing injury (count 2; Veh. Code, § 23153, subd. (a) ); driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more causing injury (count 3; Veh. Code, § 23153, subd. (b) ); and two counts of felony child endangerment for endangering her son (count 4; § 273a, subd. (a)) and daughter (count 5; § 273a, subd. (a)). Bueno admitted great bodily injury allegations to counts 2 through 4 (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)); and multiple victim allegations and .15% or higher blood alcohol content allegations as to counts 2 and 3 ( Veh. Code, §§ 23558, 23578 ). Bueno was sentenced to a determinate prison term of 11 years, four months.

Bueno presents four claims on appeal. First, she contends that she never waived her right to be sentenced by the judge who took her plea and the matter should be remanded for resentencing. Second, if the matter is not remanded for resentencing, Bueno contends that counts two and three must be reversed and the respective enhancements stricken, rather than stayed, since they are lesser included offenses of count 1. Bueno also alleges that the great bodily injury enhancement applied to count 4 must be stricken because, despite being stayed under section 654, it increased the duration of her sentence by decreasing her credit earning capacity. Finally, Bueno claims that the trial court incorrectly calculated the fees and assessments relating to the convictions. We find that that Bueno did not waive her rights to have her sentence imposed by the judge that accepted her plea under People v. Arbuckle (1978) 22 Cal.3d 749, 756-757, 150 Cal.Rptr. 778, 587 P.2d 220 ( Arbuckle ), and therefore reverse and remand.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On July 1, 2016, a criminal complaint was filed against Bueno alleging the five criminal counts described above. On September 23, 2016, Bueno entered a no contest plea to the charges and filled out and signed a change of plea form memorializing the terms of the plea agreement. Bueno also admitted each enhancement in the criminal complaint. As noted on the change of plea form, Bueno entered into an open plea, and had no agreement with the prosecution regarding the length of her potential sentence. While Bueno initialed many of the provisions on the plea form, she marked certain other provisions with an "X".2 Bueno placed an "X," rather than her initials, in the *346space provided next to term 31 on the form, which stated "(Arbuckle Waiver) I agree that any judge may impose sentence on me." No discussion of term 31 was raised during the oral pronouncement of her plea.

On December 7, 2016, Bueno was sentenced by a different judge than the one who took her plea. Bueno did not object to the fact that a different judge pronounced her sentence.

DISCUSSION

I. Arbuckle Waiver

A. Legal Standard

" '[A] negotiated plea agreement is a form of contract and is interpreted *743according to general contract principles.' " ( K.R. v. Superior Court (2017) 3 Cal.5th 295, 304, 219 Cal.Rptr.3d 451, 396 P.3d 581 ( K.R. ); Doe v. Harris (2013) 57 Cal.4th 64, 69, 158 Cal.Rptr.3d 290, 302 P.3d 598.) "When enforcing such an agreement, courts will apply general contract principles ' "to give effect to the mutual intention of the parties." ' " ( K.R. , supra , 3 Cal.5th at p. 304, 219 Cal.Rptr.3d 451, 396 P.3d 581.) In addition to the express terms of negotiated plea agreements, courts have recognized and incorporated certain implied terms to such agreements. ( Ibid. )

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People v. Bueno, 243 Cal. Rptr. 3d 740, 32 Cal. App. 5th 342 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019).

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