People v. Manibusan

Superior Court of Guam·Decided November 6, 2024·No. CF0390-23·Unknown

Opinion

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6 IN THE SUPERIOR SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM 7

8 PEOPLE OF GUAM, CRIMINAL CASE no. NO.CF0390-23 CF0390-23 9 vs. 10 DECISION AND ORDER 11 JOHN JOSEPH MANIBUSAN aka UJ.J. 12 12 aka Kadi, 13 Defendant. 14 14

15 15 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION

16 16 This matter came before the Honorable Vernon Vernon P. Perez on October 30, 2024, for hearing

17 17 on Defendant JOI-IN JOSEPH MANIBUSAN aka UJ.J. aka Kadi's ("Defendant") JOHN JOSEPH ("Defendant") Motion to

18 18 Sever Sever Charges. Charges. Present Presentwere wereAssistant AssistantAttorney AttorneyGeneral GeneralKathleen KathleenO'Nei1 O'Neilon on behalf behalfof of the People

19 19 of Guam and Defendant Defendant with with counsel, counsel, R. R. Marsil Marsil Johnson. Johnson. Having Having reviewed reviewed the the pleadings, the

20 20 arguments presented, and the record, the Court now issues the following Decision Decision and and Order.

21 BACKGROUND

22 22 Defendant is is charged charged with with (1) (1) Burglary Burglary (As a Second Degree Felony); Felony); (2) Burglary to a

23 Motor Vehicle (As a Second Second Degree Felony); (3) Criminal Criminal Mischief Mischief (As (As aa Third Third Degree Felony);

24 24 and (4) Theft Theft (As (As aa Petty PettyMisdemeanor). Misdemeanor). (Indictment, Jun. 9, 2023). 2023). The The First Charge of Burglary Burglary

25 25 (As aa Second Second Degree Degree Felony) Felony) stems stems from from allegations allegations occurring occurring on on or or about about December 8, 2020

26 26 against Islae V e Clinic. Vet C l i n i c . Id The Second Charge of of Burglary to a Motor Vehicle (As a Second

27 27 Degree Felony), Third Charge of Criminal Mischief Mischief (As (As aa Third Third Degree Degree Felony), Felony), and and Fourth Fourth

28 28

People v. v. Manibusan Case No. No. CF0390-23 CF0390-23 Decision Decision and Order

Page 11 of ofS5 1 Charge Charge of Theft Theft (As (Asa aPetty PettyMisdemeanor), Misdemeanor),stem stemfrom fromallegations allegations occurring occumng on on or or about about· 2 November November 4, 4, 2020 2020 againstShirley Antolin. Id Shirley Antolin. 3 On October 2, 2024, Defendant filed 2024, Defendant filed the instant instantMotion, Motion, moving the Court to sever the

4 First Charge from from the the Second, Second, Third, Third, and and Fourth Charges. Defendant moves Charges. Defendant moves the the Court Court to to sever

5 the December 8, 2020 charge charge from the November November 4, 4, 2020 2020 charges charges because because they are are improperly 6 joined and joined he will and he will be be prejudiced prejudiced by theirjoinder trial.11 See their joinderatattriaL generally, Mot. See generally, Oct. 2, Sever, Oct. Mot. Sever, 2, 2024. 2024. 7 On October October 14, 14, 2024, the Government filed 2024, the filed its its Opposition, Opposition, arguing arguing that that the charges are are properly

8 8 joined and that that even even if if they were severed, severed, evidence evidence of ofthe the charges charges would would be be admissible admissible in in each each 9 trial under underGRE GRE 404(b). 404(b). See generally, Opp'n, Opp'n, Oct. Oct. 14, 14, 2024. 2024. On On October October 16, 16, 2024, 2024, Defendant 10 10 filed filed his Reply. Reply.

11 11 On October October 30, 30, 2024, 2024, the Court heard arguments on the arguments on the Motion Motion and and subsequently subsequently placed 12 the matter under under advisement. advisement.

13 13 DISCUSSION 14 14 Under Guam Guam law, law, two or more offenses may may be charged charged in the same indictment"if same indictment "if the

15 15 ·offenses charged 'offenses charged are ofthe are of same or thesame orsimilar similarcharacter character or orbased based on on the the same same act act or or transaction transaction or 16 16 on two or or more more acts acts or or transactions connected together or or constituting parts of a common scheme 17 17 or plan." 88 G.C.A. or plan." G.C.A. §§55.352 55.35. 2 Severance Severancemay maybe be appropriate, however: appropriate, however: 18 18 If If itit appears appears that that a defendant or the defendant or the government governmentisis prejudiced prejudicedby byaajoinder jointer of offenses or of ofdefendants defendants in an indictment indictment or or information informationor orby by such suchjoinder jointer for 19 19 trial together, the court may order an election election or or separate separate trials of ofcounts, counts, grant grant a 20 20 severance severance of of defendants orprovide defendants or provide whatever whateverother otherrelief reliefjustice requires. 21

11 The TheCoM Courtnotes notesthat thatwhile whilethe theMotion Motioninitially initiallymoves movesthethe Court Courttoto "sever "severthe the counts counts and and charges charges and and order order separate 22 trials for trials for each each separate separate charge charge and and count count of of the the Indictment," Indictment," see see Mot. Mot. Sever at at 5, 5, Defendant's Defendant's Reply "requests the 23 Court Court to sever sever the counts arising from the November November 4, 4, 2020 2020 incident incident (Counts (Counts 2, 2, 3, and 4) from the sole count arising from the Decemper December 8, 2020 2020 incident incident (Count (Count 1)." l)." (Reply (Reply at 5). 24 2 2 Section Section 55.35 55.35 is substantially the same as Rule 8 of the Federal Federal Rules Rules of of Criminal Criminal Procedure, Procedure, which which provides: provides: 25 (a) (a) Joiner Joinder of ofOffenses. The indictment Offenses. The indictment or or information information may may charge charge aa defendant defendant in in separate separate counts counts with 2 or more offenses if the the offenses offenses charged charged -- whether felonies f~lonies or misdemeanors misdemeanors or or both both -- are 26 of the same or of similar or similar character, or are based on the same act or transaction, or are connected with or constitute parts parts of of aa common common scheme or plan. ' 27 Fed. R. Crim. P. P. 8. 8. Accordingly, Accordingly,federal federal law law interpreting interpreting Rule Rule 88 (and (and Rule 14) 14) below is persuasive. See Sum Sumitomo 28 Constr. Co. v. v. Zhang Ye, Inc., Inc., 1997 Guam ,r Guam 88 117.

People v. v. Manibusan Manibusan Case No. No. CF0390-23 Decision Decision and and Order

Page 2 of5 of 1 8 G.c.A. §§ 65.352 8 G.C.A. 65.35. 3 2 To determine whether offenses are properly joined, courts traditionally traditionally consider "whether "whether

3 the charges the charges are are laid under under the the same samestatute, statute,whether whetherthey theyinvolve involve similar similar victims, victims, locations, locations, or

4 modes of of operation, operation, and and the time frame in in which which the the charged charged conduct occurred." occurred." United United States States 5 v. v. Taylor, Taylor, 54 F.3d F.3d 967, 967,973 973(1st (let Cir. Cir. 1995) l995) (citations omitted). "[T]he (citations omitted). "[T]heprimary primary purpose purpose of Rule 6 8(a) jointer is 8(a) joinder to ensure is to ensure that that aa given given transaction transactionneed needonly onlybebeproved provedonce once.... .... Where Where there there is 7 substantial overlapininevidence substantial overlap evidencebetween betweentwo two offenses, offenses,joinder jointer eliminates the need eliminates the need to to prove

8 substantially thesame substantially the sameevidence evidencetwice twice over, over, thus thus realizing realizing precisely precisely the the kind land of economy economy 9 envisaged by by Rule Rule 8(a)." 8(a)." Howerton Howerton v.

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