People v. Jiles

18 Cal. Rptr. 3d 790, 122 Cal. App. 4th 488
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 22, 2004
DocketE034087
StatusPublished

This text of 18 Cal. Rptr. 3d 790 (People v. Jiles) 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. Jiles, 18 Cal. Rptr. 3d 790, 122 Cal. App. 4th 488 (Cal. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

18 Cal.Rptr.3d 790 (2004)
122 Cal.App.4th 488

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Ray Theodore JILES, Defendant and Appellant.

No. E034087.

Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two.

September 16, 2004.
Review Granted December 22, 2004.

*792 Patrick J. Hennessey, Jr., under appointment by the Court of Appeal, San Diego, for Defendant and Appellant.

Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Gary W. Schons, Senior Assistant Attorney General, David Delgado-Rucci, Bradley A. Weinreb, and Robert M. Foster, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

*791 OPINION

GAUT, J.

Defendant Ray Theodore Jiles appeals from judgment entered following a jury conviction for second degree murder. (Pen.Code, § 187, subd. (a).)[1]

After the trial court on numerous occasions suspended criminal proceedings upon finding defendant incompetent to stand trial, a jury found defendant guilty of murdering his wife, Marion Jiles. Following the sanity phase, the jury also found defendant was legally sane at the time of the murder. The trial court sentenced defendant to an indeterminate prison term of 15 years to life.

Defendant contends the trial court erred in admitting hearsay statements by Marion shortly before she died implicating defendant, and erred in admitting defendant's taped statement to the police in the absence of an attorney, even though he had previously requested an attorney. Defendant also contends there was insufficient evidence he was sane at the time of the murder, and the trial court erred in limiting defendant's expert testimony.

We reject defendant's contentions and affirm the judgment.

*793 1. Factual and Procedural Background

During the early morning hours of June 16, 1989, defendant stabbed to death his wife, Marion Jiles. At the time of her murder, a neighbor, Ted Barry, was awakened by screeching tires or screaming. He ran outside and saw a man jump inside a red van. Barry approached the man in the van and asked him what happened. The man said, "I caught her fooling around with some guy." Barry provided the van license plate number to the police but was unable to identify the man as defendant.

Another neighbor, Denise Chaldu, also was awakened by a woman screaming and went outside. She saw a man running up toward a van but was unable to identify the man.

At 4:00 a.m., in response to citizen calls, Chino Police Officer McLelland was dispatched to the scene. Upon arriving, he saw Marion sitting on the front step of a residence, profusely bleeding from a right shoulder blade wound. McLelland asked her what had happened and Marion told him defendant had stabbed her, most likely with a screwdriver. She then lost consciousness. Paramedics transported her to the hospital and she died about an hour later from a stab wound to her back that punctured her lung.

Geraldine Mems Irons, a friend whom defendant regularly drove to work, testified defendant left her home around 7:00 p.m. on June 15, 1989, and returned to take her to work the next morning. In the morning he drove her to work in a Chevrolet El Camino. As they drove by Marion's home, defendant stopped when he saw a police car stopped by his red van. He told police officers, Musselwhite and McCord, "that is my van." The officers then took him into custody.

Investigating officers collected various items, including clothing, blood, a screwdriver inside the red van, gloves, and a steak knife handle, linking defendant to the homicide.

After being advised of his Miranda[2] rights on June 16, 1989, defendant told police detective Hannibal he had spent the entire evening of June 15th at Irons's home and left at 8:00 a.m. the next morning. Defendant said he had not seen Marion for two months. A couple hours later, Lieutenant Beckman[3] interviewed defendant. During the taped interview, defendant implicated himself in the death of Marion. In particular, he said he had stabbed Marion with a knife.

At trial defendant testified that the voice on the taped statement was not his voice. He also stated he had gone to Marion's home and she had tried to kill him. They ended up in his van. She hit him in the face and called him names. She then jumped out of the van and ran away. He did not hit or stab her, although he threatened her with a knife. He denied killing Marion. On cross-examination, he acknowledge he may have stabbed Marion during a struggle in the van. He also recalled telling Barry Marion had been cheating on him.

In September 1989, defendant was charged with murder. The criminal proceedings were suspended and reinstated on numerous occasions based on findings defendant was incompetent to stand trial but then later found to be competent. After 10 years of delays in prosecuting defendant, on February 7, 2003, defendant was found competent to stand trial, criminal proceedings were reinstated, and trial commenced on April 14, 2003.

*794 On May 2, 2003, the jury found defendant guilty of second degree murder. On May 7, 2003, the jury found defendant legally sane during the commission of the murder.

2. Admissibility of Marion's Statements Under Crawford v. Washington[4]

Defendant argues the trial court erred in admitting Marion's statement to Officer McLelland implicating defendant. The trial court admitted the hearsay statement pursuant to Evidence Code section 1240 under the spontaneous utterance hearsay exclusion. We find no error.

A. Facts

Shortly after the stabbing incident, Officer McLelland reported to the crime scene. Upon arriving, he saw Marion sitting on the front step of a residence. She was bleeding profusely, hysterical, and having great difficulty breathing. Marion had a black eye and blood running from the left temple area. Her shirt was soaked with blood. Most of the blood appeared to be flowing from the area of her right shoulder blade. Later, McLelland observed Marion also had a two-inch puncture-type wound to her left arm, a puncture wound to her hand, and a four- to five-inch slash across her chest.

McLelland asked Marion what happened. Marion replied that she had been beaten up. McLelland asked her, "Who beat you up?" Marion said her husband, Ray (defendant), did. McLelland further testified as follows:

"I said, `Why are you bleeding so much from the back portion of your back?'

"She said, `He stabbed me. I think it was a screwdriver.'

"I said, `Who stabbed you?'

"She said, `My husband, Ray Jiles.'

"At that point, she said, `I can't breathe. I can't breathe.'

"Then, I asked her where her husband lived, and she said 4144 Compton. It was about that time she went unconscious."

After speaking to Officer McLelland for a couple minutes, Marion passed out from her injuries. The paramedics arrived and Marion died at the hospital about an hour later. McLelland described Marion's demeanor during the three-to-four minute conversation as being hysterical and terrified.

On March 11, 1994, defendant filed a motion in limine to exclude Marion's statement. Defendant argued it was not a dying declaration because there was no evidence Marion knew that her death was imminent. The prosecution filed opposition on March 21, 1994, arguing Marion's statements were admissible under the spontaneous utterance hearsay exception.

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Bluebook (online)
18 Cal. Rptr. 3d 790, 122 Cal. App. 4th 488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jiles-calctapp-2004.