People v. Button

California Court of Appeal·Decided August 17, 2017·No. D070341·Published

Opinion

Filed 8/17/17 CERTIFIED FOR PARTIAL PUBLICATION*

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D070341 Plaintiff and Respondent, v. (Super. Ct. No. SCN337266)

EDWARD BENJAMIN BUTTON, Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Harry M. Elias, Judge. Affirmed.

Allison L. Ehlert, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Kathleen A. Kenealy, Acting Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Arlene A. Sevidal and Christine Yoon Friedman, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

* Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.1110, this opinion is certified for publication with the exception of part III.A.

I.

INTRODUCTION

A jury found Edward Benjamin Button guilty of one count of corporal injury to a spouse or roommate (Pen. Code, § 273.5, subd. (a))1 (count 1), and one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(4)) (count 2). With respect to both counts, the jury found true the allegation that Button personally inflicted great bodily injury upon the victim (§ 1192.7, subd. (c)(8)).2 The trial court imposed a sentence of 240 days in the custody of the Sheriff, stayed execution of the portion of the sentence that Button had not yet served (220 days), and placed Button on formal probation for three years.

On appeal, Button claims that the People failed to present sufficient evidence that he was not acting in self-defense when he punched the victim in the face, breaking her nose and causing her to suffer a concussion. In the unpublished portion of this opinion, we conclude that there is plainly evidence upon which the jury could have reasonably found that Button did not act in self-defense.

Button also claims that the jury's true findings on the serious felony allegations (§ 1192.7, subd. (c)(8)) must be reversed because the findings are premised on an invalid stipulation entered into between the People and the defense pursuant to which Button

1 Unless otherwise specified, all subsequent statutory references are to the Penal Code. 2 Section 1192.7, subdivision (c) defines "serious felony" as including "any felony in which the defendant personally inflicts great bodily injury on any person, other than an accomplice." (§ 1192.7, subd. (c)(8).)

effectively admitted the truth of the allegations. Button contends that the stipulation is invalid because the trial court failed to admonish him pursuant to Boykin-Tahl3 and their progeny with respect to the constitutional rights that he was foregoing by entering into the stipulation, and also failed to advise him of the penal consequences of the stipulation. We conclude that the trial court was not required to provide the admonishments because the stipulation did " 'not have the definite penal consequences necessary to trigger the Boykin-Tahl requirements.' " (People v. Cross (2015) 61 Cal.4th 164, 171 (Cross).) Accordingly, we affirm the judgment.4 II.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND A. The People's evidence 1. Button punches the victim in the face twice At the time of the charged offenses, Button and the victim,5 B.D., were students at Palomar College. They had been in a dating relationship for approximately a year and a

3 (Boykin v. Alabama (1969) 395 U.S. 238 (Boykin); In re Tahl (1969) 1 Cal.3d 122 (Tahl).) 4 Button also filed a petition for habeas corpus (In re Button, D071889) that we deny by way of a separate order filed today. 5 As of January 1, 2017, California Rules of Court, rule 8.90 (Rule 8.90) became effective. Rule 8.90, subdivision (b) requires appellate courts to "consider referring to" certain individuals "by first name and last initial or, if the first name is unusual or other circumstances would defeat the objective of anonymity, by initials only," in order to protect those individuals' privacy. The list of people to whom this rule applies includes victims of crimes. (Rule 8.90(b)(4).) After consideration, we have decided to refer to the victim in this case by her initials, in order to try to provide the victim with some measure of anonymity.

half and had previously been engaged. Their engagement ended a couple of weeks prior to the incident giving rise to the charged offenses.

Although their engagement had ended, on the day before the incident, Button and B.D. had sexual intercourse. According to B.D., Button told B.D. that they could continue to be "lovers" if she would agree not to reveal the nature of their relationship to anyone.

The next day, B.D. and Button had a class together. During class, B.D. learned that a group of Button's friends were going to a restaurant after class. One of the friends invited B.D. to come along. While B.D. was gathering her belongings after class, everyone left without her. Shortly thereafter, B.D. called Button a couple of times and sent him some text messages. She received no immediate response.

Later that day, B.D. received a call from Button. B.D. asked Button to meet her so that they could talk. They agreed to meet in front of a building on campus. When Button arrived to the meeting, he appeared to be very upset. His hands were clenched and his face and voice conveyed anger. Button accused B.D. of telling two of his friends that they were still dating. B.D. denied the accusation, and Button called her a liar.

B.D. took off her glasses because she was crying. She then stepped forward with her arms open in order to give Button a hug. Button grabbed both of B.D.'s biceps and began squeezing her. B.D. was shocked and struggled to get free. Once B.D. escaped Button's grasp, she slapped Button across the face with an open hand.

Button immediately punched B.D. in the face, twice. B.D.'s hands were at her sides at the time Button punched her. B.D. bent over and blood rushed into her mouth. Immediately after the incident, the two walked to a health services office on campus.

2. Button's statement to police Officer Stephen Wilson, a police officer at the college, responded to the health services office. According to Officer Wilson, immediately upon seeing Officer Wilson, Button said, "I know, I know, I did it, I punched her, you might as well arrest me now." Button held his arms out and gestured as if he wanted Officer Wilson to handcuff him.

Button told Officer Wilson that when he met B.D. in front of the building where the incident took place, he was upset that B.D. was telling people that they were still together. Button also admitted to starting the fight by grabbing B.D.'s arm.6 According to Button, after grabbing B.D.'s arm, B.D. slapped him on the side of the face, and he punched her. Button told Officer Wilson that he knew he was wrong for punching B.D. and that he knew he was going to go to jail. At no time during their conversation did Button say that he had acted in self-defense.

3. B.D.'s injuries B.D. suffered a concussion as a result of the blows to her face. In addition, B.D.

suffered three acute fractures of her facial bones—a hairline fracture through her left

6 At trial, B.D. testified that Button grabbed both of her arms.

nasal bone and two additional fractures through the frontal process of the maxillary bones.7 B.D. eventually underwent surgery in order to treat the injuries. B. The defense Three students who had been at the lunch with Button and who witnessed the incident from a considerable distance, testified. The witnesses stated that B.D. struck Button first, and that Button then struck B.D.

III.

DISCUSSION

A. There is sufficient evidence to support the jury's implicit finding that Button did not act in self-defense

Button claims that there is insufficient evidence to support the jury's implicit finding that he was not acting in self-defense when he punched B.D. in the face.

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