People v. Martinez CA2/3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 28, 2015
DocketB253219
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Martinez CA2/3 (People v. Martinez CA2/3) 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. Martinez CA2/3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 5/28/15 P. v. Martinez CA2/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE, B253219

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. BA406347) v.

WILLIAM STANLEY MARTINEZ,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Henry J. Hall, Judge. Affirmed in part and reversed in part.

Katharine J. Galston, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Victoria B. Wilson and Mark E. Weber, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

_____________________ Appellant William Stanley Martinez appeals from the judgment entered following his convictions by jury on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer (counts 1 & 2), count 3 – evading an officer with willful disregard, and count 4 – unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, with a court finding he committed the offense while released on bail. (Pen. Code, §§ 245, subd. (c), 12022.1, subd. (b); Veh. Code, §§ 2800.2, subd. (a), 10851, subd. (a).) The court sentenced appellant to prison for eight years four months. We affirm the judgment in part and reverse it in part. FACTUAL SUMMARY Viewed in accordance with the usual rules on appeal (People v. Ochoa (1993) 6 Cal.4th 1199, 1206), the evidence (the sufficiency of which as to counts 3 and 4 is undisputed) established that on January 1, 2013, shortly after midnight, uniformed Los Angeles Police Officers Robert Smith and Brent Williams were in their marked patrol car in a residential area near 43rd and Menlo. Smith was driving. The officers observed appellant driving a Honda Accord north on Menlo. Appellant committed various speeding and other Vehicle Code violations. Smith followed the Honda and later activated the patrol car’s forward-facing red and blue lights to conduct a traffic stop. A few seconds later, appellant stopped on Figueroa south of Martin Luther King (King). However, appellant later sped away and a lengthy, high- speed pursuit ensued to 54th and Figueroa. Other officers and a police helicopter joined the pursuit, and the helicopter illuminated the Honda. During the pursuit, the above red and blue lights of Smith’s patrol car, and its siren, were operating, as were the lights and sirens of other police cars. Appellant evaded officers with willful disregard (count 3), committing additional speeding and traffic violations and driving recklessly. Appellant was also unlawfully driving or taking the Honda in violation of Vehicle Code section 10851, subdivision (a) (count 4).

2 At 54th Street and Figueroa, appellant crashed into a fence. Smith stopped a few feet directly behind the Honda. Appellant could not back up without hitting the patrol car. As Smith and Williams began exiting, appellant drove the Honda in reverse and it collided into the front of the patrol car. Smith testified appellant “came back really hard,” resulting in a “very hard impact.” Williams testified the collision of the Honda into the patrol car caused a “pretty good jolt” and was loud like any car collision. The collision dented the front of the patrol car. As a result of the collision of the Honda into the patrol car, Smith suffered a contusion to his left shin and was treated that night at a hospital. Smith’s left leg hurt for a “couple of weeks” and it was visibly bruised for a few weeks. At the time of the collision, Williams’s right leg was outside the car. As a result of the collision, Williams’s right leg was injured, and he experienced “a lot of pain” in that leg. Williams was treated that night at the hospital. Most of his pain was in his right leg and, at the time of his September 18, 2013 trial testimony, he was still experiencing pain in his right leg. Williams experienced pain in his neck and back after the incident, but also had experienced pain in those areas before the incident. After the Honda collided with the patrol car, appellant drove away, the pursuit continued, but appellant was eventually apprehended. A camcorder on Smith’s patrol car recorded the entire pursuit. The resulting video (including audio) was admitted into evidence at trial. Appellant presented no defense evidence. ISSUES Appellant claims (1) Smith’s direct examination testimony concerning appellant’s state of mind was inadmissible and (2) the trial court erred by imposing the Penal Code section 12022.1 enhancement.

3 DISCUSSION 1. No Prejudicial Testimonial Error Occurred. Appellant had two jury trials.1 At the second jury trial on counts 1 and 2, the following occurred during the prosecutor’s September 18, 2013 direct examination of Smith: “Q Could you describe how you perceived or how you feel when the Honda hit your car? [¶] A I perceived he did it on purpose in that -- [¶] [Defense Counsel]: Object as speculation, your Honor.” (Sic.) The court overruled the objection and ruled the testimony was lay opinion. Smith then testified without further objection, “I believed that he was trying to disable my car so he could get away.” During cross-examination, Smith testified, inter alia, the Honda “came back on purpose.” The following later occurred: “Q So you know he was reversing on purpose, but you don’t know if he was reversing to hit your car? [¶] A I can’t say that.” Appellant’s counsel later asked if it looked like appellant was turning to make room to get away, and Smith replied, “If you want to ask my opinion, my opinion is that a tactic a lot of guys who are trying to escape is [sic] to disable our vehicle by ramming our vehicle and then continue on. [¶] That’s a tactic that’s been used in the past and used quite often actually.” (Italics added.) The following then occurred: “Q You don’t know whether that’s what was going through [appellant’s] mind? [¶] A Correct, sir. I couldn’t tell you that. [¶] Q You’re speculating in regards to that? [¶] . . . [¶] A You asked me what I believed he was doing and I said because of the tactics that have been used against us that suspects ram our vehicles to disable it so they can get away. [¶] Q Once again, you don’t know that that’s what he was doing? [¶] A No, I do not. [¶] Q It looked to you that he was making room to try to continue to get away, correct? [¶] A . . . He was trying to disable my vehicle because he could have [come] back a lot slower. He didn’t have to come back that fast.” (Italics added.) 1 On July 17, 2013, a jury deadlocked on counts 1 and 2 and the court granted a mistrial on those counts. The vote as to each count was 11 to 1 for conviction. The jury convicted appellant on counts 3 and 4.

4 The following also occurred: “Q And now you’re testifying that he was intentionally or purposely hitting you to disable your car? Is that what you believe now? [¶] A I didn’t say that. You asked me what was my opinion and I said the tactics that’s commonly used. I didn’t have much time to think about exactly what he was doing when he did it. I just said because of the tactics that’s been used from people trying to flee officers is to ram to disable them and continue on.” (Sic.) The court, using CALCRIM No. 860, instructed the jury on assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.2 The prosecutor did not, during jury argument, refer to any direct or cross-examination testimony by Smith that appellant hit the patrol car purposely or to disable it. During jury argument, appellant’s counsel commented Smith’s testimony

2 CALCRIM No.

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People v. Martinez CA2/3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-martinez-ca23-calctapp-2015.