People v. Manabat

CourtSuperior Court of Guam
DecidedMay 14, 2018
DocketCF470-13
StatusUnknown

This text of People v. Manabat (People v. Manabat) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Guam primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Manabat, (superctguam 2018).

Opinion

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8 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM 9 10 PEOPLE OF GUAM, CRIMINAL CASE NO.: CF0470-13

11 vs. 12 DECISION AND ORDER MAX THEODORE DIZON MANABAT, (Defendant's Motions for Judgment of 13 DOB: 09/1111992 Acquittal and for New Trial)

14 DEFENDANT. 15

17 INTRODUCTION 18 This matter came before the Honorable Anita A. Sukola on February 26, 2018 on Max 19 Theodore Dizon Manabat's ("Defendant") Motions for Judgment of Acquittal and for a New Trial. 20 The Defendant was represented by Attorney F. Randall Cunliffe. Assistant Attorney General Peter 21 J. Santos appeared on behalf of the People of Guam ("People"). Upon review of the written and 22 oral arguments, and legal authorities presented by the Parties; for the reasons set out herein, the 23 Defendant's Motions for Judgment of Acquittal and for a New Trial ilfe hereby DENIED. 24 . A Sentencing Hearing is set for June 12, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. The Court also ORDERS 25 the following: the Probation Services Division may submit an update to the Pre-Bentencing 26 Investigation Report filed on February 1, 2018. Such update, if any, shall be filed no later than 27 June 1, 2018. The Parties shall have until June 8, 2018 to file Sentencing Memoranda. 28 ORIGINAL CF0470-13 People of Guam vs. Max Theodore Dizon Manabat Page 1 of12 DECISION AND ORDER (Defendant's Motions for Judgment of Acquittal and for New Trial) 1 BACKGROUND 2 On December 28, 2017, a Superior Court of Guam Petit Jury returned a verdict of guilty 3 against the Defendant on the sole charge 1 in the Amended Superseding Indictment, Vehicular 4 Homicide. See Am. Superseding Indictment (Dec. 12, 2017); see also, 16 G.C.A. § 18111(a). The 5 charge arose out of a car crash that occurred on Marine Corps Drive near the Yigo Payless on 6 August 13, 2013. The Defendant was driving a black Toyota Camry southbound when he entered 7 the center lane and attempted to make a left turn off of Marine Corps Drive. The Defendant's 8 cousin, Paolo Sangil was in the passenger seat ofthe Camry. James Paul Aguero was driving a 9 moped northbound on Marine Corps Drive, with passenger Doreen L. Manglona. When the 10 Defendant turned left across northbound traffic, the moped .driven by Aguero collided with the · 11 Defendant's vehicle. All four individuals were taken to the hospital, where Aguero later died from . 12 injuries sustained during the crash. 13 The trial in this matter commenced on December 13, 2017, and continued on December 14, 14 15, 21, 22, 27, and 28, 2017. During the People's case-in-chief, and relevant to the instant 15 Motions, the following witnesses testified to inter alia the following: 16 f. Mr. Owen Lorzano ("Lorzano")

17 Lorzano testified that during the early evening on August 13, 2013, he was driving home 18 and headed northbound on Marine Corps Drive near the Yigo Payless. Testimony of Owen

19 Lorzano, Direct Examination, Jury Trial at 1:21:25 p.m. to 1:28:30 p.m. (Dec. 21, 2017). Lorzano 20 stated that the road was dry and that traffic was moderate. Id. He was driving between thirty-five 21 (35) to forty (40) miles per hour. Id. Lorzano further stated that he was eight to ten car lengths 22 behind a moped and that the moped was going about the same speed as he was. Id. He then 23 testified that he saw a black vehicle, heading southbound, move into the center lane and make a 24 1 The Defendant was initially charged with two (2) counts of Vehicular Homicide (As a 2nd Degree Felony), 25 Improper Left Turn (As a Violation), Reckless Driving with Injuries (As a Misdemeanor), and Failure to Yield the Right of way (As a Violation) in an Indictment filed on September 6, 2013. A Superseding Indictment, containing 26 the same charges, was returned by the Grand Jury on October 25, 2013. In a Decision and Order dated April 7, 2015, this Court dismissed the charges of Improper Left Turn (As a Violation), Reckless Driving with Injuries (As a 27 Misdemeanor), and Failure to Yield the Right of Way (As a Violation). In a separate Decision and Order Issued on January 11,2016 the Court dismissed the first Count inthe Superseding Indictment of Vehicular Homicide (As a 2nd 28 Degree Felony).

CF0470-13 People of Guam vs. Max Theodore Dizon Manabat Page 2 of12 DECISION AND ORDER (Defendant's Motions for Judgment of Acquittal and for New Trial) 1 left turn. Id. Lorzano stated that he cringed at the time because he did not think that the car would 2 make the left turn without colliding with the moped. Id. Lorzano did not remember whether the 3 vehicle had a turn signal on when making the turn. Id. Lorzano testified that it appeared that the 4 driver .of the black vehicle did not see the moped. Id. The vehicle and the moped collided and 5 Lorzano stated he pulled over, called 9-1-1, and tried to help the driver and passenger of the 6 moped who were on the ground. Id. 7 ii. Doreen L. Manglona ("Manglona")

8 Manglona testified that on the evening of August 13, 2013, she was a passenger on a 9 moped driven by her then-boyfriend Aguero. Testimony of Doreen Manglona, Direct Examination, 10 Jury Trial 1:32:58 p.m. to 1:42:45 p.m. Manglona testified that she spent the day cooking at her 11 sister's house in Dededo, that Aguero picked her up that evening, and the two headed home to 12 Yigo on the moped. Id. The two were heading northbound on Marine Corps Drive. Id. Manglona 13 further testified that the two planned to stop at the gas station to put gas in the moped and purchase 14 cigarettes. Id. Manglona stated that near the Yigo Payless, she remembers a black car, heading 15 southbound, entered the center lane and attempted to make a left turn across the n()rthbound lanes. 16 Id. Manglona further testified that the car was coming fast and she knew the car and the moped 17 ·were going to collide when the car started the turn. Id. The car and the moped collided, and she 18 testified that everything happened so fast. Id. The next thing she remembers is waking up on the

19 ground to emergency lights and people standing around her. Id. 20 iii. Officer Restituto J. Guevara, Guam Police Department

21 Officer Guevara testified that he was one of the officers who initially responded to the 22 scene of the crash on August 13, 2013. Testimony of Officer Restituto Guevara, Jury Trial, Direct 23 Examination 1:25:30 p.m. to 1:25:01 p.m. (Dec. 22, 2017). He testified that he interviewed 24 Lorzano at the scene. Id. Officer Guevara further testified that he interviewed the operator of the 25 black Camry, Max Manabat and identified Mr. Manabat by his Driver's License. Id. He further 26 stated that the Defendant stated during the interview that he was headed southbound, slowed, and 27 28

CF0470-13 People of Guam vs. Max Theodore Dizon Manabat Page 3 of12 DECISION AND ORDER (Defendant's Motions for Judgment of Acquittal and for New Trial) 1 then executed a left turn. ld .. The Defendant also stated that he did not see the moped until the light 2 was very close. ld.

3 DISCUSSION

4 As noted above, there are two motions before the Court: the Defendant's Motion for a 5 Judgment of Acquittal was filed on January 5, 2018. The People filed a response to the Motion on 6 January 22, 2018. The Defendant also filed a Motion for a New Trial on January 5, 2018. The 7 People filed an Opposition to that Motion on February 20, 2018. The Defendant replied to the 8 Opposition on February 26, 2018. The Court held hearings on the Motions on February 14, 2018 9 and February 26, 2018, and took both matters under advisement on February 26, 2018. The Court 10 also ordered, without objection from either Party, that the matters would be addressed .in one 11 Decision and Order. The Court addresses each motion separately below. 12 i. Defendant's Motion for Judgment of Acquittal

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People v. Manabat, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-manabat-superctguam-2018.