People v. Patterson CA4/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 23, 2021
DocketD077938
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Patterson CA4/1 (People v. Patterson CA4/1) 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. Patterson CA4/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

Filed 9/23/21 P. v. Patterson CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D077938

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v. (Super. Ct. No. SCD277112) KIRK ANTHONY PATTERSON,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County, Charles G. Rogers and Michael S. Groch, Judges. Affirmed.

Bruce L. Kotler, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Arlene A. Sevidal, Collette C. Cavalier and Elizabeth M. Kuchar, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. Based largely on evidence derived from a police search of a cell phone found in the possession of a 16-year-old prostitute (Precious), defendant Kirk Patterson was charged with commercial sex trafficking of a minor (Pen. Code, § 236.1, subd. (c)(1)),1 pimping (§ 266h, subd. (a)), pandering (§ 266i, subd. (a)(2)), using a minor to pose for sex acts (§ 311.4, subd. (c)), oral copulation of a minor (§ 288a, subd. (b)(1)), and possessing child pornography (§ 311.11, subd. (a)). Patterson moved to suppress all evidence derived from the cell phone, arguing Precious lacked authority to consent to the search, and, in any event, that her consent was not voluntary. The court denied the suppression motion at the preliminary hearing, and Patterson’s trial counsel did not renew the motion at trial. The jury convicted Patterson of all charges pertaining to Precious,2 and the trial court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. On appeal, Patterson indirectly attacks the suppression ruling by asserting his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to renew the suppression motion at trial, as required to preserve the issue for appellate review. Because the record shows that Precious had apparent authority to consent to the search and voluntarily consented to it, the search was legally valid and it would have been futile for Patterson’s trial counsel to renew the suppression motion. Counsel did not render ineffective assistance, and we affirm the judgment.

1 Further undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 The jury acquitted Patterson of similar charges pertaining to another alleged victim. Those charges are not at issue here, and we do not discuss them.

2 I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Because Patterson’s sole appellate challenge relates to the merits of his pretrial suppression motion, which we conclude was properly denied, we discuss only briefly the evidence presented at trial. On May 9, 2018, San Diego Police Department vice detectives conducting an undercover sting operation negotiated a prostitution transaction with 16-year-old Precious. The detectives took her into custody and, because of her young age, contacted detectives with the department’s Human Trafficking Task Force (Task Force). Those detectives obtained Precious’s consent to search her nearby hotel room, which yielded indicia of prostitution and a Samsung cell phone. Detectives took Precious to a police station for questioning. At the station, Precious gave detectives permission to search the Samsung cell phone and an additional cell phone—a black ZTE brand phone—she had in her possession when taken into custody. Detectives downloaded the contents of the ZTE phone and found numerous text messages with a contact named “EL” that suggested a pimp/prostitute relationship. The phone also contained a video of Precious orally copulating a male. Using information on the ZTE phone, detectives determined “EL” was Patterson. Police took Patterson into custody during a traffic stop. In his vehicle, police recovered two cell phones, one of which contained a video of Precious exposing her vagina. After being advised of his Miranda3 rights, Patterson admitted to police that he was the male being orally copulated in the video downloaded from the ZTE phone.

3 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 (Miranda).

3 Patterson was charged with commercial sex trafficking of a minor (§ 236.1, subd. (c)(1)), pimping (§ 266h, subd. (a)), pandering (§ 266i, subd. (a)(2)), using a minor to pose for sex acts (§ 311.4, subd. (c)), oral copulation of a minor (§ 288a, subd. (b)(1)), and possessing child pornography (§ 311.11, subd. (a)). Patterson moved to suppress all evidence obtained or derived from the ZTE phone, arguing Precious lacked authority to consent to a search. The court heard and denied Patterson’s motion at the preliminary hearing, and held him to answer on all charges. Patterson’s trial counsel did not renew the suppression motion at trial. The jury found Patterson guilty on all counts pertaining to Precious, and the trial court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. II. DISCUSSION Patterson contends his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to renew his suppression motion at trial, which was necessary to preserve his evidentiary challenge for appellate review. We disagree. A. Background 1. Patterson’s Motion Before the preliminary hearing, Patterson moved to suppress all evidence obtained or derived from the warrantless search of the ZTE phone. He maintained the phone was his, and that Precious lacked authority to consent to the search. The prosecution opposed the motion, arguing Patterson lacked standing because Precious possessed and was the primary user of the phone, and, in any event, Precious consented to the search.

4 2. The Hearing The trial court held a consolidated suppression and preliminary hearing at which the prosecution called three witnesses: the vice detective who detained Precious, and the two Task Force detectives who interviewed her and searched the ZTE phone. (a) Detective Zoller Vice Detective Joshua Zoller testified that on May 9, 2018, he and another male detective were conducting an undercover sting operation in an area well-known for prostitution activity. Detective Zoller caught Precious’s attention, and she agreed to perform specified sex acts with him in exchange for money. When Precious got into the detectives’ unmarked vehicle to drive to a nearby hotel room she had rented, the detectives identified themselves as police officers and detained her. The detectives called a female detective to search Precious. During this search, the detectives confirmed Precious’s identity and learned she was only 16 years old. Because of the department’s policy to not arrest or charge minors engaged in prostitution activity, the vice detectives summoned detectives from the Task Force. Detective Zoller testified he did not recall whether Precious had a cell phone when he detained her. (b) Detective Dierdorff Task Force Detective Daniel Dierdorff testified that he and fellow Task Force Detective Adam Wells traveled to the La Mesa Police Department to interview Precious, who had been taken into protective custody “[t]o make sure she wasn’t being pimped out.” Although she was not under arrest, the detectives advised Precious of her Miranda rights, which she stated she understood and waived.

5 Precious told the detectives she used methamphetamine and had been up for 32 hours.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Patterson CA4/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-patterson-ca41-calctapp-2021.