People v. Ramos CA2/2

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 23, 2014
DocketB242911
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Ramos CA2/2 (People v. Ramos CA2/2) 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. Ramos CA2/2, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 6/23/14 P. v. Ramos CA2/2 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 TWO

THE PEOPLE, B242911

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. BA347866) v.

ROMEO RAMOS,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Monica Bachner, Judge. Affirmed as modified.

Tracy A. Rogers, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Stephanie A. Miyoshi and David A. Voet, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

___________________________________________________ A jury convicted defendant Romeo Ramos of one count of attempted murder in violation of Penal Code sections 664 and 187, subdivision (a)1 (count 1); four counts of assault with a deadly weapon upon a peace officer in violation of section 245, subdivision (c) (counts 2, 4, 6, and 7); one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury in violation of section 245, subdivision (a)(1) (count 8); and one count of arson of an inhabited structure or property in violation of section 451, subdivision (b) (count 9). In count 1, the jury found true the allegation that the attempted murder was committed upon a peace officer and that defendant knew or reasonably should have known the victim was a peace officer engaged in the performance of his duties. In counts 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8, the jury found true the allegation that defendant personally used a deadly weapon in the commission of the offense within the meaning of section 12022, subdivision (b)(1). In count 1, the trial court sentenced defendant to life with the possibility of parole plus an additional term of one year for the deadly weapon allegation. In count 2, the court imposed the midterm of four years and one year for the deadly weapon allegation but stayed the sentence under section 654, since it constituted the same act as the offense in count 1. The court sentenced defendant in count 9, the base determinate term, to the midterm of five years to run consecutively to the one-year enhancement in count 1. In counts 4, 6, and 7, the court imposed the midterm of four years plus one year in each count for the use of a deadly weapon, to run concurrently to count 9. In count 8, the court imposed the midterm of three years plus an additional year for the deadly weapon use enhancement, to run concurrently to counts 4, 6, 7, and 9. The court ruled that the six-year determinate sentence was to be served prior to the indeterminate sentence in count 1. Defendant appeals on the grounds that: (1) the trial court’s failure to adjourn the jury trial to address the issue of defendant’s competence violated both state procedure

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

2 and defendant’s state and federal constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process; (2) reversal is required because defendant was not competent during his trial; (3) reversal of the judgment is required and any attempt to remand in order to determine past competency is a violation of defendant’s right to due process under the federal Constitution; (4) defendant was denied due process under the federal Constitution when he was forced to proceed to trial because he was not rationally able to evaluate the prosecution’s plea offer; and (5) the one-year terms imposed for the personal use of a deadly weapon allegations in counts 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8 must be stricken. FACTS I. Facts Relating to the Crimes A. Prosecution’s Case-in-Chief On October 15, 2008, mailman Frank Nguyen was delivering mail to the mailboxes located on the porch outside defendant’s two-story apartment building on Rampart Boulevard. Nguyen had a certified letter for defendant. As he put mail in the boxes, Nguyen sensed that there was someone behind him. He turned around and saw defendant standing there. Nguyen handed a certified letter to defendant and asked him to sign the receipt. Defendant tore the return receipt card into pieces and threw the pieces at Nguyen’s face. Nguyen believed defendant was “not normal.” Nguyen told defendant, “Don’t do that,” and defendant “got angry.” With his right fist, defendant hit the left side of Nguyen’s face. Defendant then struck Nguyen in the head with a black object that felt like a rock. Nguyen jumped off the porch and ran back to his mail truck. Defendant followed Nguyen and challenged him to fight. Defendant asked Nguyen if he was going to call the police. When Nguyen reached his mail truck and saw defendant walking back to his apartment, he called his station and reported the incident. Shortly thereafter, Nguyen saw a black-and-white patrol car approaching. Officer Ramon Guillen, and his partner, Officer Shane Bua, were transporting a patrol car from the old Rampart police station to a new station when they were flagged down by Nguyen. Nguyen told them what had occurred and gave them a description of his attacker. Officer Guillen was wearing a blue Polo shirt and black slacks. His gun and

3 badge were exposed. Officer Bua was dressed similarly and his gun and badge were also exposed. Two of Nguyen’s supervisors arrived and spoke with Nguyen and the police. Defendant came out of his building, and Nguyen identified him as his attacker. Officer Guillen, with his badge displayed, stood in front of the patrol car and spoke to defendant, who was approximately 30 feet away. Officer Guillen told defendant the officers needed to speak with him. Defendant walked toward Officer Guillen at the speed of a “power walk.” Defendant brandished a knife as he moved toward Officer Guillen. Officer Guillen drew his gun and took two steps back when defendant was about seven or eight feet away. Defendant swung his knife at Officer Guillen in a large arc, and the blade came within three to five feet of the officer. Defendant then went back to his apartment building. As defendant retreated, Officer Guillen commanded him to stop and drop the knife. Defendant turned his head and growled at the officer. He then entered the building and began “flipping [Officer Guillen] off” from behind the glass door of his apartment building. When more officers arrived, police evacuated defendant’s apartment building. A perimeter was established, and a SWAT team was called in to assess the situation. Officer Michael Messenger was the first member of the SWAT team to respond to the radio call. When all of the squad officers arrived, they removed their equipment, including tear gas and less lethal munitions, from the SWAT truck and proceeded to defendant’s residence in an armored vehicle. For approximately eight hours, the SWAT team tried to convince defendant to surrender. They also prepared to subdue defendant using nonlethal force or lethal force, if necessary. Officer Messenger saw defendant looking out of a second-story window. At one point, Officer Bruce Adam saw defendant masturbating in front of a large window. Defendant threatened the officers and was rambling and nonsensical at times. Although the police informed defendant by means of a loudspeaker that force would be used against him if he did not surrender, defendant stayed inside his residence.

4 The SWAT team formulated a plan to enter the building. SWAT Officers Steve Gordon, Officer Messenger, and his partner, Officer Adam, entered the building on the ground floor.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Dusky v. United States
362 U.S. 402 (Supreme Court, 1960)
Pate v. Robinson
383 U.S. 375 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Drope v. Missouri
420 U.S. 162 (Supreme Court, 1975)
Godinez v. Moran
509 U.S. 389 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Missouri v. Frye
132 S. Ct. 1399 (Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Lightsey
279 P.3d 1072 (California Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Medina
906 P.2d 2 (California Supreme Court, 1995)
People v. Marshall
931 P.2d 262 (California Supreme Court, 1997)
People v. Marsden
465 P.2d 44 (California Supreme Court, 1970)
People v. Hayes
989 P.2d 645 (California Supreme Court, 2000)
People v. Welch
976 P.2d 754 (California Supreme Court, 1999)
People v. Bell
181 Cal. App. 4th 1071 (California Court of Appeal, 2010)
People v. Chaffer
4 Cal. Rptr. 3d 441 (California Court of Appeal, 2003)
People v. Kaplan
57 Cal. Rptr. 3d 143 (California Court of Appeal, 2007)
People v. McGee
15 Cal. App. 4th 107 (California Court of Appeal, 1993)
People v. Ramos
101 P.3d 478 (California Supreme Court, 2004)
People v. Panah
107 P.3d 790 (California Supreme Court, 2005)
People v. Marks
72 P.3d 1222 (California Supreme Court, 2003)
People v. Ochoa
966 P.2d 442 (California Supreme Court, 1999)
People v. Rogers
141 P.3d 135 (California Supreme Court, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
People v. Ramos CA2/2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ramos-ca22-calctapp-2014.