People v. Navarro CA6

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 13, 2014
DocketH039681
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Navarro CA6 (People v. Navarro CA6) 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. Navarro CA6, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 8/13/14 P. v. Navarro CA6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, H039681 (Monterey County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. SS120081)

v.

JAVIER CORTEZ NAVARRO,

Defendant and Appellant.

A jury convicted defendant Javier Cortez Navarro of infliction of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant (Pen. Code,§ 273.5, subd. (a))1 and found true the allegation that he had suffered a prior conviction for the same offense (§ 273.5, subd. (e)(1)). The jury also convicted defendant of contempt of court for violating a restraining order (§ 166, subd. (c)(1)) and found true the allegation that the defendant had suffered a prior conviction of contempt of court for violating a restraining order (§ 166, subd. (c)(4)). Defendant was convicted of four misdemeanor counts of contempt of court for violating a restraining order (§ 166, subd. (c)(1)). In a bifurcated proceeding, the trial court found true the allegations that defendant had suffered a prior “strike” conviction (§§ 667, subds. (b)–(i), 1170.12) and had served two prior prison terms (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). The trial court sentenced defendant to state prison for nine years and four months.

1 All undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code in effect at the time of defendant’s crimes. 1 On appeal, defendant contends: (1) CALCRIM No. 852 erroneously states the evidentiary inference to be made under Evidence Code section 1109 and violates due process because it diminishes the prosecution’s burden of proving guilt; (2) there was an invalid finding of prior convictions under sections 273.5, subdivision (e)(1) and 166, subdivision (c)(4); and (3) the trial court erred in imposing a $10 fine. We conclude that the trial court erred when it failed to advise defendant of his constitutional rights and the consequences of the defense stipulation that he had previously been convicted of sections 273.5 and 166. We reverse the judgment and remand the case for further proceedings as to these prior conviction allegations. We also order the trial court to strike the $10 fine.

I. Statement of Facts A. Prosecution Case Jane Doe, defendant’s wife, testified that on January 12, 2012, defendant called her from jail early in the morning and asked her to pick him up. Doe initially testified that she told him that she would not pick him up and that he was in violation of a restraining order. However, she later testified that she lied to defendant and told him that she had presents for him and that she and Lilliana Guerrero would pick him up. She did not mention the restraining order to him.2 Doe also testified that she did not pick up defendant from jail. Doe testified that she did not call Guerrero after defendant called her on January 12, 2012. However, Doe also testified that she called Guerrero and left a message in which she asked her to pick defendant up from jail. Doe denied telling Guerrero that she was going to get defendant “locked up.”

2 A tape recording of the telephone call from jail between defendant and Doe was played for the jury. 2 Doe testified that defendant knocked on her door between 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on January 12, 2012, and she asked him, “What are you doing here?” When defendant walked in, she told him to leave because she was going to call his probation officer and the police. Defendant then tried to pull a ring off of her finger, but he was unable to do so. Her finger was bruised. Defendant also grabbed her arms and bruised them. Defendant eventually threw some papers at Doe and left. Doe did not immediately contact the police on January 12, 2012, because defendant was going to a program and she believed that he would not return. She also still cared for defendant and believed that he could change. Between January 12 and January 17, 2012, defendant called Doe at least three times. As a result of defendant’s calls, Doe decided to contact the police on January 17 about defendant’s conduct on January 12, 2012. Officer Alex Zamora was dispatched to Doe’s apartment. He observed bruising on the back of her arms and bruising on her ring finger. He also took photos of her injuries and listened to a voice mail message. The prosecution introduced evidence of defendant’s other acts of domestic violence. On January 4, 2011, there was a restraining order against defendant. However, Doe and defendant were together that day and began arguing because defendant did not have a job. Defendant grabbed Doe’s arms, shook her, pulled her hair, and knocked her down. Doe reported the incident to the police that day. When Officer Kevin Mead arrived at Doe’s apartment, he observed injuries on her arms. On November 29, 2011, defendant arrived at Doe’s residence and they argued over car keys. She attempted to call the police, but defendant “unplugged” the phone. Officer Yolanda Rocha was dispatched to Doe’s apartment in response to a “hang up” 911 call and contacted Doe. When Officer Rocha arrived, she observed that the phone was not damaged because Doe was using it. The officer learned that Doe had a restraining order against defendant and observed that defendant was present in the

3 apartment. After waiving his Miranda3 rights, defendant told the officer that he was there to say hi to Doe and that he was aware of the restraining order. Defendant was arrested for violation of the restraining order. Alexandra McCabe testified as an expert on domestic violence. She explained that there is commonly a “cycle of violence” in domestic violence cases. This cycle includes: the “honeymoon” period; a period in which victims experience tension or hostility from their partners; and an incident of violence. Victims of domestic violence return to their abusers an average of seven times. Victims stay in these relationships for a variety of reasons: love, cultural barriers, lack of support, religious beliefs, batterers’ promises to reform, and fear. Batterers control their victims by isolating them from their families and friends, by exerting economic control, or by threatening them. Many victims “tend to report things late, not at all, or minimize.” Victims frequently talk about the batterers’ bad childhood or their being under pressure. Victims who have protective orders against their batterers often allow them to have contact. The parties stipulated that on December 8, 2011, defendant was convicted of disobeying a court order in violation of section 166, subdivision (c)(1), and that on February 9, 2011, he was convicted of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse in violation of section 273.5.

B. Defense Case Guerrero, Doe’s neighbor, testified that on January 11, 2012, Doe reminded Guerrero that she had agreed to go with Doe to pick up defendant from jail the next day. Doe also called Guerrero around 4:00 a.m. the following day and asked whether she was ready to pick up defendant. About an hour later, Guerrero drove Doe and her two daughters to the jail, picked up defendant, and drove them back home. They arrived

3 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436. 4 home around 6:00 a.m. or 6:30 a.m. Guerrero also drove Doe and defendant to the welfare office sometime after 12:00 p.m. that same day. During the drive, Guerrero noticed that both defendant and Doe had marks on their necks. Doe and defendant spent about 15 to 30 minutes at the welfare office.

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People v. Navarro CA6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-navarro-ca6-calctapp-2014.