People v. Moua CA5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 15, 2022
DocketF080320
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Moua CA5 (People v. Moua CA5) 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. Moua CA5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 3/15/22 P. v. Moua CA5

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

THE PEOPLE, F080320 Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. F18906296) v.

CHIAN MOUA, OPINION Defendant and Appellant.

THE COURT* APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Fresno County. Heather Mardel Jones, Judge. Francine R. Tone, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Michael P. Farrell, Assistant Attorney General, Daniel B. Bernstein and Doris A. Calandra, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. -ooOoo-

* Before Detjen, Acting P. J., Meehan, J. and DeSantos, J. Defendant Chian Moua pled no contest to possession of methamphetamine while in possession of a firearm. He contends on appeal that the warrantless search of his vehicle that led to the discovery of the firearm, methamphetamine, and marijuana was unlawful because the search was unsupported by probable cause and no exception to the warrant requirement applied. Specifically, he argues that the small amount of marijuana he possessed in the vehicle did not justify the search of the vehicle and the body camera video shows that he did not resist, delay, or obstruct the arresting officer. The People disagree, arguing that defendant was not detained until the officer had probable cause to arrest and the search was supported by probable cause and exceptions to the warrant requirement. We ordered the parties to submit supplemental briefing on the question of whether any remaining balance on the probation report and probation supervision fees imposed pursuant to former Penal Code section 1203.1b1 should be vacated because they are uncollectable and unenforceable pursuant to Assembly Bill No. 1869 (2019–2020 Reg. Sess.) (Assembly Bill 1869). Defendant agrees that the remaining balance of the fees should be vacated, and the People have submitted no response. We vacate the portion of the judgment imposing probation report and probation supervision fees. As modified, we affirm. PROCEDURAL SUMMARY On March 19, 2019, the Fresno County District Attorney filed an information charging defendant with possession of methamphetamine while in possession of a firearm (Health & Saf. Code, § 11370.1, subd. (a); count 1), carrying a loaded firearm in public (§ 25850, subd. (a); count 2), concealing a firearm in a vehicle (§ 25400, subd. (a)(1); count 3), misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (Health & Saf. Code, § 11377, subd. (a); count 4), misdemeanor possession of marijuana for sale

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated.

2. (Health & Saf. Code, § 11359, subd. (b); count 5), and misdemeanor possession of a smoking device (Health & Saf. Code, § 11364; count 6). On February 28, 2019, defendant filed a motion to suppress evidence pursuant to section 1538.5. On March 13, 2019, the magistrate judge denied that motion based on evidence presented on the same date at the preliminary hearing. On August 6, 2019, defendant file a motion to set aside the information pursuant to section 995, renewing the arguments presented in support of the motion to suppress evidence. On August 23, 2019, the trial court denied defendant’s motion. On October 17, 2019, pursuant to a negotiated plea, defendant pled no contest to count 1. In exchange for his plea, the remaining counts were dismissed, the prosecutor agreed not to seek a sentence beyond two years imprisonment, and the court indicated a sentence including no initial state prison and no more than one year in jail. On November 15, 2019, the trial court suspended imposition of judgment and granted defendant probation for two years with the condition that he serve 180 days in jail. The trial court also imposed various fees and fines, including “an annual probation supervision fee of $360 [and] a one-time sentence report fee of $296 ….” On November 15, 2019, defendant filed a notice of appeal. FACTUAL SUMMARY2 Suppression Hearing Testimony On September 14, 2018, Clovis Police Officer Timothy Dronek was working a patrol shift when he received word that three callers reported a man in a red shirt and a woman walking through alleys and looking into cars. In an apartment complex parking lot in the area Dronek had been searching, he found defendant and a woman seated in a

2 The factual summary is based on the testimony presented at the March 12, 2019 joint preliminary hearing and the hearing on defendant’s motion to suppress.

3. silver sedan (the vehicle). Defendant was wearing a red shirt. Dronek did not see defendant driving the vehicle. Dronek decided to make contact with defendant and the woman. As Dronek approached the vehicle, the woman exited the vehicle and Dronek lost sight of her. He approached the passenger door of the vehicle and contacted defendant, who sat in the driver seat. The front passenger window was rolled down approximately two inches and Dronek “smelled the odor of marijuana.” Dronek asked defendant if he lived in the apartment complex and defendant responded that he did not. He was there to drop off the woman who had exited the vehicle. Dronek “noticed [defendant] was sweating on the forehead profusely. [Dronek believed defendant] was nervous.” Dronek asked for defendant’s registration and insurance information and defendant responded he did not have either. Dronek testified that defendant leaned over the center console, “moving his arms around, but keeping his right arm over the center console[,]” while the two spoke. He believed defendant might be concealing something in the center console of the vehicle. He asked defendant to place his hands on the steering wheel. Dronek also testified that at some point during the initial contact he made the statement “ ‘I smell some marijuana in there,’ and … asked [defendant] about why [he] was smelling marijuana.”3 Dronek moved to the driver side of the vehicle and saw that defendant had removed his hands from the steering wheel. Dronek asked defendant why his hands were off of the steering wheel. Defendant responded, “ ‘Sorry,’ ” then started moving his right hand toward his right side, where the seatbelt was already disconnected.4 Dronek believed that defendant was reaching for some item, so he decided to remove defendant

3 Body camera footage was admitted. The body camera footage does not contain that question or a similar question. 4 The body camera footage does not depict defendant reach his right hand toward his seatbelt or lap at that point in the encounter.

4. from the vehicle. He told defendant to exit the vehicle. When defendant continued to reach to the right, Dronek forcibly removed him from the vehicle, handcuffed him, and placed him in Dronek’s patrol car. Dronek returned to the vehicle and saw “leaves of marijuana” and “small buds of marijuana on the floorboard, specifically the passenger and driver’s floorboard, and [he] could still smell the odor of marijuana, unburnt, specifically.” Dronek did not see any marijuana before he opened the door to remove defendant from the vehicle. When he returned to the vehicle, Dronek did not move anything to be able to see the marijuana on the floorboards. Dronek then searched the vehicle and discovered a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver in the center console, containing one round of ammunition. He also found a bag containing methamphetamine and a pipe for smoking methamphetamine in a small pull-out drawer near the steering wheel.

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People v. Moua CA5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-moua-ca5-calctapp-2022.