People v. Cuevas

213 Cal. App. 4th 94, 151 Cal. Rptr. 3d 880, 2013 WL 323945, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 55
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 28, 2013
DocketNo. H037182
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 213 Cal. App. 4th 94 (People v. Cuevas) 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. Cuevas, 213 Cal. App. 4th 94, 151 Cal. Rptr. 3d 880, 2013 WL 323945, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 55 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

Opinion

MÁRQUEZ, J.

1. Introduction

Under statutes in effect in March 2011, a person could be committed involuntarily to the State Department of Developmental Services (Department) for up to one year after a petition alleged (Welf. & Inst. Code, former § 6500; Stats. 1996, ch. 1076, § 5, p. 7265)1 and a court found “that the person is mentally retarded, and that he or she is a danger to himself, herself, or to others.” (Former § 6509; see Stats. 1996, ch. 1076, § 8.5, p. 7268.)2 That is what has happened in this case with Ronald Cuevas.3 After a petition and a court trial, the court committed Ronald to the director of the Department for a year beginning on July 11, 2011.4

On appeal, Ronald asserts there were constitutional defects in his commitment. He argues that People v. Bailie (2006) 144 Cal.App.4th 841 [50 Cal.Rptr.3d 761] (Bailie) and People v. Sweeney (2009) 175 Cal.App.4th 210 [95 Cal.Rptr.3d 557] (Sweeney) require the petition to allege and the court to find not simply that he is mentally retarded and dangerous, but that his mental [97]*97retardation is a cause of his dangerousness. He also asserts that there was insufficient evidence to support such a finding.

Ronald originally also contended that he was entitled to a jury trial as he did not personally waive jury trial after receiving judicial advice of his right. In supplemental briefing, however, Ronald has conceded that the California Supreme Court has recently held that neither due process nor equal protection requires judicial advice or personal waiver of the right to a jury trial by a person alleged to be mentally retarded. (People v. Barrett (2012) 54 Cal.4th 1081, 1105-1106, 1109 [144 Cal.Rptr.3d 661, 281 P.3d 753] (Barrett).)

In response to our requests for supplemental briefing, the parties agree that section 6500 should be construed to authorize commitment only if a person’s “mental retardation [i]s a substantial factor in causing her serious difficulty in controlling her dangerous behavior.” (Sweeney, supra, 175 Cal.App.4th 210, 225.) The Attorney General further acknowledges that “neither of the experts explicitly stated that [Ronald’s] mental retardation was a substantial cause or factor in his dangerous lack of self control,” but nevertheless asserts that the evidence supports that conclusion. The Attorney General does not assert that the petition included such an allegation or that the trial court expressly made such a finding.

After reviewing the record, we will agree with Ronald that he should not have been committed under the existing legal standard, as there was no substantial evidence that he has a dangerous lack of self-control resulting from his mental retardation. For the reasons stated more fully below, we will reverse the commitment order.

2. Trial Court Proceedings

A. Petition

On March 15, 2011, the Santa Clara County District Attorney filed a petition asking the court to commit Ronald Cuevas “to involuntary treatment at California Psychiatric Transitions (CPT) for a period not to exceed one year.” The petition was based upon reports from the San Andreas regional center and the Department which concluded, among other things, “that Respondent is a person mentally retarded and is a danger to himself or others.” The petition was requested by Vasantha Siddappa, a service coordinator from the regional center, which was responsible for the care, support, and maintenance of Ronald. Ronald was then residing in the Barbara Arons Pavilion (BAP), the mental health wing of Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Attached to the petition were confidential documents including a nine-page typed declaration by Siddappa reviewing Ronald’s history since birth in [98]*98January 1966, with emphasis on the psychological treatment he had received since 1992, and a four-page typed psychological evaluation and diagnosis by a psychologist, Dr. Gerri Walker.

B. Pretrial Proceedings

On March 15, 2011, the court made a temporary order placing Ronald in the custody of the director of the Department for placement at California Psychiatric Transitions (CPT) upon his release from BAP. This order was renewed on March 22, 2011. Court trial was originally scheduled for April 4, 2011, but was continued to June 9, with a readiness hearing on May 23.

On May 23, 2011, Ronald, his brother Rodney, his psychologist, and his caseworker, Siddappa, appeared. The People agreed to return Ronald home for two weeks so long as Rodney promised to provide 24-hour supervision. The June 9 trial date was vacated.

On June 6, 2011, after an in-chambers hearing, Ronald was returned to BAP, and trial was scheduled for July 11.

C. Court Trial

(1). The People’s evidence

Court trial was held on July 11, 2011. The People presented one witness, Gerri Walker, a clinical psychologist who had been part of Ronald’s treatment team since March 2011. Over objection, the court also accepted into evidence the report on which the petition was based, including Walker’s own evaluation and diagnosis of Ronald and his caseworker’s review of his treatment history.5

There was no dispute at trial that Ronald is mentally retarded. Walker’s written report described Ronald’s mild intellectual disability secondary to hydrocephaly at birth. She testified that “[h]is intellectual cognitive functioning is such that he is labeled as mental retardation” or having developmental delay. Walker testified further that Ronald’s mental health diagnosis is “paranoid psychosis NOS” (not otherwise specified) with delusional ideation.

A. Ronald’s History Since 1992

The caseworker’s report provided the following history for Ronald from 1992 through the filing of the petition in March 2011. Signs of mental illness [99]*99manifested on August 23, 1992, when Ronald had a violent outburst in his family home, threatening to kill himself or his twin brother Rodney. He was reported as delusional as early as 1999, admitting to hearing voices of people at night who he thought were coming into his house to steal his checks. He called people on the phone incessantly.

On August 19, 2010, the police were called by the crisis support team in response to a serious telephone threat by Ronald.

On September 24, 2010, Ronald discontinued taking Abilify along with other medications, as he had sometimes done since he began taking Abilify in 2004. On October 21, 2010, his treatment team agreed to a trial period of not taking Abilify. His thinking was reported to be much clearer for a few weeks, but paranoia and delusions eventually recurred.

In November 2010, Ronald had to relocate from an apartment in which he had lived for many years. He moved into an apartment in Campbell owned by his parents. He was delusional about his parents coming into his apartment and taking his papers. He believed his mother was coming in through the front door and the window and taking his money and other items. He also thought the neighbors were taking his groceries.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. G.A.
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. D.T. CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2023
Kern Regional Center v. M.W. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Bahena CA2/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Nolasco
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Angel R. CA2/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
Kern Regional Center v. H.S. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2021
Kern Regional Center v. R.G. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. W.B. CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Ruiz CA2/6
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re I.S. CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Williams
242 Cal. App. 4th 861 (California Court of Appeal, 2015)
Brinkley v. Monterey Financial Services, Inc.
242 Cal. App. 4th 294 (California Court of Appeal, 2015)
In re K.C. CA2/4
California Court of Appeal, 2015
People v. Evelyn D. CA2/4
California Court of Appeal, 2015

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
213 Cal. App. 4th 94, 151 Cal. Rptr. 3d 880, 2013 WL 323945, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 55, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cuevas-calctapp-2013.