People v. Hernandez CA6

California Court of Appeal·Decided January 23, 2014·No. H039090·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 1/23/14 P. v. Hernandez CA6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, H039090 (Santa Clara County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. C1233989)

v.

RAUL HERNANDEZ,

Defendant and Appellant.

I. INTRODUCTION Defendant Raul Hernandez appeals after a jury convicted him of attempted first degree burglary (count 1; Pen. Code, §§ 459, 460, subd. (a), 6641), with a true finding on the allegation that the attempted burglary was a violent felony under section 667.5, subdivision (c)(21) because a person other than an accomplice was present in the residence during its commission, and possession of burglary tools (count 2; § 466), Defendant was sentenced to a three-year prison term, which included a concurrent term for count 2. On appeal, defendant contends: (1) trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to evidence that the victim believed defendant could hear him during a 9-1-1 call; (2) the trial court erred by instructing the jury that it could use evidence of defendant’s

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise noted. flight to show his consciousness of guilt, pursuant to CALCRIM No. 372; (3) the term for possession of burglary tools (count 2) should have been stayed pursuant to section 654; and (4) the section 667.5, subdivision (c)(21) allegation must be stricken as it does not apply to attempted burglary. We agree that the term for possession of burglary tools (count 2) should have been stayed pursuant to section 654 and that the attempted burglary was not a violent felony under section 667.5, subdivision (c)(21). We will reverse the judgment and remand for resentencing.

II. BACKGROUND A. The Attempted Burglary On Monday, June 4, 2012, Eric Wardell was working from his home on Porter Lane in San Jose. He was in the master bedroom, which was above the front door, when he heard the doorbell ring. He looked down from the window, which was partially open. He saw two men at the front door. Both men were wearing black pants and black hooded sweatshirts with the hoods pulled up. The men were repeatedly ringing Wardell’s doorbell and knocking on the door. Wardell did not know them, and he was not expecting any visitors. After about three to five minutes, he called 9-1-1. Wardell told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that he thought someone was trying to break into his house. He explained that the men kept ringing the doorbell and that they were “listening very closely against the door.” He described their “all dark clothing.” Wardell then told the dispatcher that the men were also “knocking on the door now.” The dispatcher assured Wardell that deputies were on the way and asked Wardell to remain on the phone. Wardell then saw one of the men pull out a screwdriver and attempt to “jimmy” the door lock. Speaking more quickly, he told the dispatcher, “they’re trying to break the

2 door, they’re trying to break the door” and “they’re breaking the door.” The dispatcher instructed Wardell to lock himself in a room in the house, and Wardell complied by locking his bedroom door. Wardell saw the men look up while he was talking to the dispatcher. He then watched them walk down the street and head north, and he told the dispatcher he thought the men had left. He stated, “They walked away. I think they heard me on the phone.” Wardell testified that there was a “slight indentation” in the door after the incident. When he first spoke to a sheriff’s deputy, he had been unsure whether there was any damage to the door. Wardell could not identify defendant at trial. B. Defendant’s Arrest Deputy Sheriff Richard Rodriguez responded to the area of Wardell’s residence. Just around the corner from Wardell’s house, on Piazza Way, he saw two individuals matching the reported description: both were wearing black hooded sweatshirts and black pants. He stopped them and, along with another deputy, detained them. Defendant was one of the two individuals. Deputy Rodriguez found a screwdriver in the front yard of a residence, about 10 feet from where he had detained defendant. He administered the Miranda2 warnings to defendant, who admitted he had been knocking on Wardell’s door. Defendant claimed he had been looking for a friend who owed him $40. Defendant was “unsure on what street or what house [the friend] lived at, but he knew it was a two-story house.” Defendant denied he or his companion had possessed a screwdriver. C. Verdicts and Sentencing The jury found defendant guilty of attempted first degree burglary (count 1; §§ 459, 460, subd. (a), 664) and possession of burglary tools (count 2; § 466), and it

2 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436.

3 found true the allegation that a person other than an accomplice was present in the residence during the commission of the attempted burglary (§ 667.5, subd. (c)(21)). At sentencing, the trial court denied probation. The trial court imposed the upper term of three years for attempted burglary (count 1) and a concurrent six-month term for possession of burglary tools (count 2).

III. DISCUSSION A. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Defendant contends trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to evidence that Wardell believed defendant heard him talking to the 9-1-1 dispatcher. He contends effective counsel would have sought to redact the portion of the 9-1-1 call in which Wardell stated, “I think they heard me on the phone” and would have objected to similar evidence that was admitted through the testimony of Deputy Rodriguez. 1. Proceedings Below During motions in limine, the prosecution sought to introduce the transcript and recording of the 9-1-1 call based on Evidence Code sections 1240 (spontaneous statement) and 1241 (contemporaneous statement). During a hearing on that motion, defendant indicated his only concern was having the opportunity to cross-examine Wardell. He indicated that since Wardell would be testifying, that would not be an issue. The trial court granted the prosecution’s motion to introduce the 9-1-1 call. As noted above, during the 9-1-1 call, Wardell told the dispatcher, “I think they heard me on the phone.” Trial counsel did not seek to redact that statement from the recording or transcript, and he did not object when the 9-1-1 call was introduced into evidence at trial. Trial counsel did object when Wardell testified, “I think they heard my voice coming from the second floor.” Trial counsel argued that Wardell’s testimony was

4 speculative. The trial court sustained the objection and instructed the jury to disregard the statement. Trial counsel did not object when Deputy Rodriguez subsequently referred to Wardell’s belief that defendant could hear him on the phone. Deputy Rodriguez testified: “[Wardell] did not want to be involved with the investigation. He was in fear of retaliation, because he’s the one who called 9-1-1, and he thought they had heard him talking on the phone from his room.” 2. Analysis “To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must show both that counsel’s performance was deficient and that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. [Citations.] Counsel’s performance was deficient if the representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional norms. [Citation.] Prejudice exists where there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” (People v.

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