People v. Rodriguez
Opinion
Opinion
Appellant Michael Rodriguez challenges his convictions for kidnapping during a carjacking, robbery, and several sexual offenses. He maintains that the prosecution engaged in misconduct and that the trial court erred in imposing sentence. In the unpublished portion of this opinion, we hold that appellant has failed to establish prosecutorial misconduct. In the published portion of the opinion, we conclude that the trial court erred in sentencing appellant under former subdivision (g) of the “One Strike” law (Pen. Code, § 667.61), which limited the imposition of One Strike terms on multiple sex offenses committed on a single occasion.1 As we explain, because the Legislature amended the One Strike law to eliminate this [208] provision prior to appellant’s offenses, the trial court was obliged to impose a One Strike term on each of appellant’s offenses eligible for sentencing under the One Strike law. In addition, the trial court erred by imposing a One Strike term as an enhancement, imposing additional punishment for facts needed to support sentencing under the One Strike law, and miscalculating appellant’s sentence for an offense outside the scope of the One Strike law. We therefore affirm the convictions but reverse the judgment solely with respect to appellant’s sentence, and remand for resentencing.
RELEVANT PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
On November 4, 2010, an amended information was filed charging appellant with kidnapping during a carjacking (§ 209.5, subd. (a); count 1), robbery (§211; count 2), sexual penetration by a foreign object (§289, subd. (a)(1); counts 3, 6, and 8), forcible rape (§ 261, subd. (a)(2); counts 4 and 5), forcible oral copulation (§ 288a, subd. (c)(2); count 7), and attempted sodomy by use of force (§§ 286, subd. (c)(2), 664; count 11). Accompanying the charges—excluding the count for kidnapping during a carjacking—were allegations that appellant personally used a knife (§ 12022, subd. (b)(2)). In addition, accompanying the charged sexual offenses (counts 3-8 and 11) were allegations that appellant was subject to sentencing under the One Strike law (§ 667.61, subds. (a), (e)). Appellant pleaded not guilty to all the counts and denied the special allegations.
A jury found appellant guilty as charged, and found the special allegations to be true. The trial court sentenced appellant to a term of 80 years to life, plus a consecutive term of life.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
A. Prosecution Evidence
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on May 3, 2009, Jessica M. left the Shakey’s restaurant at which she worked and drove to the Vallaría store near Sherman Way and Vineland, where she bought some food. After she reentered her parked car, appellant asked for a ride, stating that he had been “jumped [by] gang members.” Jessica agreed to help appellant. As the pair drove toward Vineland and Victory, Jessica permitted appellant to use her cell phone because he said his cell phone was dead.
After making a phone call, appellant said to Jessica, “This is a kidnap,” displayed a knife with a four-or five-inch blade, and ordered her to drive toward Newhall. As she did so, appellant took money from Jessica’s purse. [209] Upon finding only $7 in the purse, appellant demanded more money. When Jessica replied that she had none, appellant cut her hand with his knife.2
At appellant’s direction, Jessica stopped in a deserted shopping center parking lot in Newhall. After she parked, he sexually assaulted and raped her, forced her to copulate him orally, and attempted to sodomize her. He then ordered her to leave the car. According to Jessica, as she retrieved her work shirt bearing the “Shakey’s” logo, appellant laughed sarcastically and said, “Oh, you work there.”
After Jessica left the car, appellant drove away, taking with him her money and cell phone. Jessica ran to a nearby restaurant and made a 911 call. Investigating officers took Jessica to a hospital, where she was examined by Sandra Wilkinson, a sexual assault nurse.
When Jessica failed to come home, her parents and sister Veronica became alarmed. Veronica repeatedly tried to phone Jessica, but contacted only Jessica’s voice mail. At approximately 1:15 a.m., a man answered Jessica’s cell phone, described himself as Jessica’s boyfriend, and said that Jessica was asleep. When Veronica requested Jessica’s location, the man laughed and replied that he was in Palmdale. After the call ended, Veronica and her mother learned from police officers that Jessica had been taken to a hospital.
On June 3, 2009, investigating officers found Jessica’s car in Sun Valley, where it appeared to have been parked for a long period. Later, on June 5, 2009, Jessica saw appellant on a sidewalk as she drove in Sunland. Jessica contacted the police and watched him enter a library. Police officers soon arrived and arrested appellant.
While interviewing appellant, Los Angeles Police Department detectives told him that Jessica’s cell phone had been used to place a call to appellant’s own cell phone. Following this disclosure, appellant admitted that he had robbed Jessica and taken her car while she was in it. He also admitted that he had touched her breasts, but denied raping her.3 Appellant’s DNA matched DNA in evidence swabs Wilkinson had taken from Jessica’s breasts.
B. Defense Evidence
Cari Caruso, a sexual assault examiner, testified that a copy of a photograph that Wilkinson had taken of Jessica’s injuries showed no injuries or [210] abnormalities. She also opined that one cannot determine whether sexual contact is consensual on the basis of the injuries to a participant.
C. Rebuttal
Marilyn Stotts, a sexual assault nurse, testified that in order to assess potential injuries from a sexual assault, it was preferable to conduct a physical examination of the victim, rather than to rely solely on photographs of the victim.
DISCUSSION
Appellant contends there was prosecutorial misconduct and sentencing error. We reject appellant’s challenges, with the exception of certain contentions regarding his sentence.
A. Prosecutorial MisconductFootnotes
207 Cal. App. 4th 204 (People v. Rodriguez) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.
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