People v. Huynh

229 Cal. App. 3d 1067, 281 Cal. Rptr. 785, 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3165, 91 Daily Journal DAR 5163, 1991 Cal. App. LEXIS 398
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 30, 1991
DocketDocket Nos. H006276, H007712
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 229 Cal. App. 3d 1067 (People v. Huynh) 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. Huynh, 229 Cal. App. 3d 1067, 281 Cal. Rptr. 785, 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3165, 91 Daily Journal DAR 5163, 1991 Cal. App. LEXIS 398 (Cal. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

Opinion

AGLIANO, P. J.

1. Introduction

Defendant Nam Van Huynh appeals from the judgment following his conviction after court trial of second degree murder with personal use of a .38-caliber revolver. (Pen. Code, §§ 187, 1203.06, 12022.5.) He also peti *1071 tions for a writ of habeas corpus. On November 5, 1990, we ordered the petition considered with defendant’s appeal and allowed the People to file an informal reply and defendant an informal response.

In the trial court, in exchange for eliminating defendant’s exposure to special circumstances and first degree murder, he waived preliminary examination and submitted to a court trial to determine, based on police reports, taped statements by defendant, and defendant’s testimony, whether he was guilty of second degree murder or manslaughter. Defendant was sentenced after conviction to 17 years to life in prison, the court adding 2 years for his personal use of a firearm. 1

Defendant’s habeas petition alleges that trial counsel was unconstitutionally ineffective in misadvising him about how soon parole was available after a second-degree murder conviction and in failing to pursue the possible defense of unconsciousness. On appeal defendant makes the latter point as well as four others. Defendant asserts the trial court erred by failing to obtain his waiver of the right against self-incrimination upon defendant’s submission to court trial on the evidence above described. Defendant contends he was deprived of his rights to counsel, to an interpreter, and to have the trial judge preside at the posttrial hearing of defendant’s motion for new trial. The facts are set out where relevant.

In response to the habeas petition, we will issue an order to show cause limited to defense counsel’s alleged misadvice about parole eligibility. On the appeal, for the reasons stated below, we will affirm the judgment, finding no error except for lack of waiver of the right against self-incrimination and no prejudice from that error.

2. Trial evidence

The central issue at trial on August 17, 1989, was defendant’s mental state when he shot his estranged wife to death on a street in San Jose shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 8, 1988. The coroner reported the victim received five bullet wounds including two to her head.

Witnesses saw defendant standing outside his wife’s car arguing with her inside the car. One resident of the neighborhood said defendant became “increasingly aggressive,” patted his right hip to indicate he had a handgun, and pulled the gun out. The neighbor called out from her yard that she was going to call the police. Defendant stepped in front of his wife’s car and hit *1072 the window with his pistol as she sounded the car horn. After defendant fired three shots, his wife’s car coasted across the street, rolled over the curb, and stopped. Defendant walked up to the car, reached in with the gun, and fired two more shots. Defendant placed the gun on the trunk of the car and sat on the curb until the police arrived. Another passerby said he saw defendant reload before catching up to the car and fire more shots into the car. A crossing guard said that defendant fired one shot, paused six to eight seconds, fired three shots rapidly, and fired one final shot after the car came to rest.

Defendant was sitting on the curb when the first police officer arrived. He frisked defendant and located four cartridges in his left front coveralls pocket. The first officer told another officer he was frisking defendant for a gun. Defendant said, “The gun is on the car.”

Defendant made a taped statement to the police after waiving his Miranda 2 rights. He made another taped statement to homicide detectives shortly before 10 a.m. Both tapes were in evidence.

During the police interviews and at trial, defendant explained his relationship with his wife as follows. In 1973 they met and married in Vietnam when he was 35 years old and she was 17. They had one son in 1974 and came to the United States of America in 1975. They moved to France for five years and to San Jose in 1980. They owned a fish company. They had another son in 1980 and a daughter in 1981. Although his wife was a prostitute when they met, she behaved very well once they married, until 1986. In 1986, she left the family and spent all their money on her boyfriend. This bankrupted defendant. When the boyfriend kicked her out, defendant took her back as his wife. Defendant admitted beating her in 1986 for giving her boyfriend their money.

Defendant went to work as a salesman for a fish company. His wife began working at a donut shop. She became involved with the shop’s manager in early 1988. 3 Once she showed defendant a bullet and said she would kill him with it. He never saw her with a gun although she mentioned one several times.

Defendant and his wife separated in August. She had the police remove defendant from their apartment. He took up residence in an undeveloped area in the back of his place of employment.

*1073 On September 28 defendant acquired a new handgun in exchange for an older one. He went to a shooting range a couple of weeks later. He kept the gun loaded in his pocket or in a box which he kept either in his car or in a drawer where he lived and worked. He had carried the bullets found in his pocket for several weeks.

On October 18, defendant’s wife obtained a court order restraining him from asking their children for her address and telephone number and from following anyone to her residence.

His business was closed for repairs in mid-October. For three weeks he sold cheap jewelry at a weekend flea market. Defendant was depressed and often thought of suicide after his wife kicked him out of the house and he did not have his job. He did not kill himself because of the children.

On Sunday, November 6, defendant was unable to meet his children as prearranged because he was working at the flea market. He wanted to see them the next day. On November 7, he signed a divorce paper after the secretary of his wife’s attorney told him his failure to sign it was the reason his wife had not brought their children to meet him. The same day defendant found out his wife’s new address through the Department of Motor Vehicles. She was using a car he had purchased.

In the morning of November 8, defendant drove to his wife’s residence to talk to her about not bringing the children on Sunday. He brought the gun to shoot her and himself. He had frequently dreamt of them shooting each other. He saw his elder son that morning on the way to school and gave him a ride part way there. His son told him they had waited for him on Sunday. He told his son to bring the other two children and meet him at a market the following day without telling their mother.

Defendant returned to his wife’s residence and knocked on the door. He indicated to her by words and gestures he wanted to talk elsewhere due to the restraining order.

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Bluebook (online)
229 Cal. App. 3d 1067, 281 Cal. Rptr. 785, 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 3165, 91 Daily Journal DAR 5163, 1991 Cal. App. LEXIS 398, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-huynh-calctapp-1991.