People v. Chavez CA4/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 8, 2022
DocketD079428
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Chavez CA4/1 (People v. Chavez CA4/1) 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. Chavez CA4/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 9/8/22 P. v. Chavez CA4/1

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D079428

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v. (Super. Ct. No. SCD274047)

ANDREW OMAR CHAVEZ,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Daniel F. Link, Judge. Affirmed as modified. Matthew A. Lopas, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Charles C. Ragland, Assistant Attorney General, Eric A. Swenson and Felicity A. Senoski, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. Defendant Andrew Omar Chavez pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon (count one) (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(1)),1 a serious felony, and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (count three) (§ 245, subd. (a)(4)), a nonserious felony. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Chavez was to complete a domestic violence recovery program (DVRP); upon successful completion of the DVRP, he would be permitted to withdraw his guilty plea to count one and that count would be dismissed. After over three years had passed and Chavez had not yet completed DVRP, the court declined to allow Chavez more time to do so. The prosecutor agreed to dismiss count three, the nonserious felony of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. Chavez was convicted of count one, assault with a deadly weapon. The court imposed three years of formal probation on certain terms and conditions, including that Chavez complete DVRP and comply with a criminal protective order protecting the victim of Chavez’s assault. On appeal, Chavez argues that the three-year probation term must be stricken and replaced with a two-year term in accordance with Assembly Bill No. 1950 (2019-2020 Reg. Sess.) (AB 1950)2 because the three-year probation term for domestic violence under section 1203.097 cannot apply where he did not commit domestic violence as defined in Family Code section 6211. Chavez also contends that the criminal protective order issued pursuant to section 136.2, subdivision (i)(1) is unauthorized and must be stricken because

1 Unless otherwise indicated, statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 AB 1950 amended section 1203.1 to limit a felony probation term to no longer than two years, with certain exceptions. Section 1203.1, subdivision (l)(1) provides that the two-year limit shall not apply to any felony offense “that includes specific probation lengths within its provisions.” 2 his conviction did not involve domestic violence as defined in section 13700 or Family Code section 6211. Chavez further argues that the probation condition requiring that he comply with the protective order must also be stricken. Finally, Chavez contends that the probation condition requiring that he complete DVRP must be stricken because the victim of Chavez’s assault does not qualify as a victim of domestic violence as defined in Family Code section 6211. We conclude that the three-year probation term was improper and that the order granting probation must be modified to impose a two-year probation term instead. We further conclude that the trial court erred in issuing a criminal protective order. The protective order, and the probation condition requiring that Chavez comply with the protective order, must be stricken. Finally, the DVRP probation condition must also be stricken. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND This case arises from Chavez’s attempt to stab FMD, the boyfriend of Chavez’s wife, TM, from whom Chavez is separated. Chavez and TM have one child together. In August 2017, FMD and TM went to meet Chavez to pick up the child. Chavez followed TM out to the car where FMD was waiting. Chavez approached FMD and tried to stab him with a kitchen knife. FMD backed up and Chavez tried to stab him again. After FMD retreated to the middle of the street, Chavez stabbed FMD’s car in the right rear bumper In October 2017, Chavez was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, with an allegation that Chavez used a dangerous and deadly weapon in the commission of that crime (count one) (§ 1192.7, subd. (c)(23)), and

3 vandalism (count two) (§ 594, subd. (a)(b)(2)(A)). The only named victim is FMD.3 In March 2018, Chavez pleaded guilty to count one, assault with a deadly weapon, without the dangerous and deadly weapon allegation. Chavez also pleaded guilty to count three, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, which was added by interlineation. The plea agreement states, “CTS @ plea, set out PHS to do DVRP, w/ successful completion, and N/S/S w/draw plea to ct 1 & dismiss that count — dismiss balance.” At the change of plea hearing on March 21, 2018, the court confirmed Chavez’s understanding of the plea agreement: “The form says that you are pleading guilty to count 1 and then an amended count 3 that the court will add by oral interlineation. So you’re pleading guilty to count 1, assault with a deadly weapon. You’re pleading guilty to an amended count 3, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.

“In exchange for your plea, then we will set out sentencing for you to enroll in and get started with the domestic violence recovery program. With your successful completion of that, you’ll—there’s an agreement that you will be released today. With your successful completion of that, it will be credit for time served, you may withdraw your plea to count 1, and that count will be dismissed, and then you’ll just have count 3, which is a nonviolent, nonserious felony, instead of a serious felony, and then the balance of the charges will be dismissed.

“Is that your understanding?”

3 The charges named the victim as “DM,” omitting FMD’s first name and transposing his middle and last names. However, the victim’s name was corrected on the record at sentencing to reflect his true name, FMD. 4 Chavez confirmed that this was his understanding of the plea agreement. There was no discussion regarding what would happen if Chavez were to fail to successfully complete DVRP. The court accepted Chavez’s guilty plea to count one, assault with a deadly weapon and count three, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. More than three years later, after a series of review hearings and a number of continuances to allow Chavez more time to complete DVRP, Chavez had still not completed DVRP. At sentencing on August 30, 2021, defense counsel reminded the court that when Chavez pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, he was given an opportunity to earn a nonstrike and withdraw his guilty plea to assault with a deadly weapon, by completing DVRP. Defense counsel informed the court that Chavez had completed approximately 46 DVRP sessions; however, the classes were stopped for some period of time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Chavez had not yet re-enrolled. Counsel asked the court to allow Chavez one final opportunity to complete the remaining classes, which were fewer than 20. The prosecutor argued that Chavez pleaded guilty in March 2018 and that he had time to complete DVRP prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The court declined to allow Chavez more time to complete DVRP.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Chavez CA4/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-chavez-ca41-calctapp-2022.