People v. Nelson CA3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 5, 2022
DocketC092697
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Nelson CA3 (People v. Nelson CA3) 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. Nelson CA3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 8/5/22 P. v. Nelson CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT (Sacramento) ----

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent, C092697

v. (Super. Ct. No. 19FE017300)

JAMES DENERICK NELSON,

Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant James Denerick Nelson was convicted of indecent exposure and committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child, the daughter of his girlfriend. The trial court sentenced him to an aggregate prison term of eight years eight months. Defendant now contends (1) the trial court abused its discretion in admitting uncharged sexual offense evidence, testimony by the victim’s sister under the fresh complaint doctrine, and a detective’s testimony relating victim statements under the prior consistent statement exception to the hearsay rule, and if defendant forfeited the latter contention, his counsel was ineffective in failing to object; (2) the abuse of discretion was

1 cumulatively prejudicial; and (3) the matter should be remanded so the trial court can recalculate presentence credit.1 We conclude (1) the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the uncharged sexual offense evidence or the fresh-complaint evidence, defendant’s challenge to the prior consistent statement evidence was forfeited, and defendant has not established ineffective assistance; (2) the claim of cumulative prejudice lacks merit; and (3) we will remand the matter so the trial court can recalculate presentence credit. BACKGROUND Defendant dated K.D.’s mother and lived with the mother, K.D., and K.D.’s older sister. One night, defendant entered K.D.’s bedroom with his robe open. The sister was sleeping at a friend’s house and K.D.’s mother was sleeping in K.D.’s bedroom because K.D. was sick. Defendant stood over K.D.’s bed with his penis exposed. He put his hand inside the front of K.D.’s leggings and underwear and stuck his fingers inside K.D.’s vagina. K.D. turned over and pretended to be asleep. Defendant kept is fingers inside K.D. for maybe 10 minutes. His fingers went in and out of her vagina. K.D. was too scared to say anything. Defendant lived with K.D. and her family approximately four or five months after the incident. K.D. said the incident affected her behavior. She was getting in trouble at school. K.D. first told her sister what happened. K.D. denied telling her sister to get out of trouble at school. The sister said K.D. started having emotional breakdowns, a change in K.D.’s behavior. The sister testified that she and K.D. did not feel comfortable living with defendant. The sister saw defendant touching his penis by the back door.

1 Defendant’s opening brief on appeal also claimed his trial counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge the denial of defendant’s motion to dismiss on statutory speedy trial grounds, but he withdrew that claim in his reply brief.

2 The sister told the mother’s new boyfriend David about K.D.’s disclosure and the boyfriend and mother called the police. Sacramento Police Department Officer Brandon Calderon interviewed K.D. the next morning, February 12, 2019. K.D. reported that defendant entered her bedroom in a robe, re-entered her bedroom naked, sat at the side of her bed and touched her inappropriately. She said he inserted his fingers in her vagina. K.D. appeared scared during the interview. She had a difficult time giving the officer details. She said the incident occurred about a year earlier but she did not remember the exact date. In response to the officer’s question about the timing of her disclosure, K.D. said she was just ready to tell. K.D. did not tell the officer she was getting in trouble at school. K.D. participated in a SAFE interview the following week. Sacramento Police Department Detective Konrad Von Schoech testified about K.D.’s SAFE interview statements. He said K.D. related that her mother’s ex-boyfriend entered her bedroom while she was in bed and his penis was exposed through his bathrobe. He put his hand inside K.D.’s pants and digitally penetrated her vagina with his fingers. K.D. did not remember the exact date the incident with defendant occurred . She told the SAFE interviewer the incident occurred maybe in May 2018, four months after she turned 11. But defendant was incarcerated at the Sacramento County Jail from March 8, 2018 to August 28, 2018. At trial, K.D. said her SAFE interview statement about when the incident occurred was a mistake because the incident happened before she turned 11. She explained it was not easy for her to remember dates. She testified the incident occurred before her mother got a restraining order against defendant, something she had previously told law enforcement officers. K.D.’s mother got the restraining order on February 20, 2018. Detective Von Schoech testified that based on his training and experience, it was common for victims to remember what happened but not the exact date of the incident.

3 K.D. also testified that a couple of weeks after the incident with defendant, she told her friend Natalia that she did not feel safe and that she was being hurt through her mother’s relationship with defendant. K.D. testified she did not tell Natalia the details of the incident. But K.D. told law enforcement officials that she told a friend in December 2018 or January 2019 that something had happened. Natalia testified that in sixth grade, K.D. told her and another friend that her mother’s boyfriend James had raped her. Detective Von Schoech testified that in his experience, young people mean different things by “rape” and rape generally means some violation of their body. Natalia testified that K.D. was crying a lot and it was unusual behavior. Natalia did not tell a grownup about K.D.’s disclosure because she did not know if K.D. was telling the truth. Natalia said K.D. lied about stuff, but based on how K.D. was acting when she made the disclosure, Natalia thought K.D. was telling the truth about the incident. The prosecutor also presented evidence of defendant’s uncharged sexual offenses. C.W. testified that in 2016, she was out in her front yard with her seven-year-old son. She said defendant stood across the street from her, pulled out his penis and masturbated to ejaculation while looking at her. Defendant was convicted of indecent exposure for the C.W. incident. In addition, Jaimee L. testified that one morning in June 2019, defendant exposed his penis on a Light Rail train and masturbated in front of her. There were other people sitting around Jaimee L. Defendant was convicted of indecent exposure in relation to the Jaimee L. incident. Also, Cheryl S. testified that one afternoon in March 2018, defendant sat across from Cheryl S. in a church lobby open to the public, looked at her, smiled and touched his penis with his hands in his shorts pockets. No one else was in the lobby. Defendant then lifted his shorts up and exposed his penis to Cheryl S. three times, smiling and grinning while looking at Cheryl S. His penis was erect. Defendant was convicted of indecent exposure in relation to the Cheryl S. incident. The jury convicted defendant of committing a lewd and lascivious act upon K.D. (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a) -- count one) and indecent exposure (§ 314, subd. (1) --

4 count three).2 The trial court sentenced defendant to an aggregate prison term of eight years eight months.

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People v. Nelson CA3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-nelson-ca3-calctapp-2022.