People v. Salgado

Superior Court of Guam·Decided August 14, 2024·No. CM0125-23·Unknown

Opinion

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2 SUPERIOR COURT SUFEFHUP; comm'

3 DF GUAM OF3L3.5*=M

4

1

5

6 IN THE THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM GUAM

7 PEOPLE OF GUAM, GUAM, )) CRIMINAL CRIMINAL CASECASE NO. CM0125-23 8 ) GPD GPD Report NO. 23-09184

Report NO. 23-09184

))

9 vs. vs. )

10 )) DECISION AND ORDER PAUL JAMES SALGADO, )) RE. DEFENDANT'S DEFENDANT'S MOTION

MOTION TO

11 11 DOB:

DOB: 05/18/1968 05/18/1968 ) DISMISS 12 12 ))

Defendant. )

13 1 _______________ ))

14 14 I.

1. ;NTR0DUCT10N

INTRODUCTION

15 15 This matter came before the Honorable Judge Maria T. Cenzon This Cenzon on on February

February 29, 2024,

2024, for

16 16 a hearing hearing on Defendant DefendantPaul

PaulJames

JamesSalgado's

Salgado's("Defendant")

("Defendant") Motion

Motion to

to Dismiss

Dismiss Complaint

Complaint Due

117

18 to the to De Minimis the De Minims Nature of the Nature of the Alleged

Alleged Offense

Offense (the

(the "Motion").

"Motion").Present

Presentat

at the

the hearing

hearing were

were

18

19 19 Defendant, person, with Defendant, in person, with counsel counsel Assistant PublicDefender AlternatePublic

AssistantAlternate ThereseDunphy DefenderTherese via Duchy via

20 Zoom, Zoom, and AssistantAttorney and Assistant Attorney General General Christine

ChristineTenorio

Tenorio via

via Zoom

Zoom for the

the People

People of Guam ("the

("the

21 People"). People").The TheCourt

CourtDENIED

DENIEDthe

theMotion

Motionfrom

fromthe

thebench

benchand

andnow

nowissues

issues this

this Decision

Decisionand

and Order

22 22 memorializing its its ruling.

23

24 II. 11. BACKGR0U_NP

BACKGROUND

24

25 25 Defendant is charged chargedwith

withViolation

Violation of

of a Court

Court Order

Order (As

(As a Misdemeanor)

Misdemeanor) in violation violation

26 26 off of 9GCA GCA§ §30.40(a)

30.40(a) as follows:

as follows:

27 27

28 28 People People v.

v. Salgado

Criminal Case No. Criminal Case No. CM0125-23 Decision Decision and

and Order Re. Defendant's Motion Motion to

to Dismiss

Page 1 l of

of9

On or about

about April 5, 2023,

2023, in Guam,PAUL

in Guam, PAUL JAMES SALGADO (aka (aka Paul Ignacio Ignacio

1 Salgado) did commit the Salgado) the offense offense of

of Violation

Violation ofofaa Court

Court Order

Order (As

(As aa Misdemeanor), in

2 that he that he knowingly

knowingly violated

violated aa court

court order filed

filed on

on July

July 26,

26, 2001,

2001, in the Superior Court Court ofof

Guam CaseCase No. DM0449-01, DM0449-0J, enjoining

enjoining the

the Defendant

Defendant from

from threatening,

threatening, abusing,

abusing,

3 annoying, harassing molesting, annoying, harassingor or disturbing disturbingthethepeace

peaceand

andphysical

physicalwell-being of Ana well-beingof Ana

Ignacio Salvado, or from coming within 1000 1000 feet of Ana feet of Ignacio Salgado, Ana Ignacio Salgado, in in violation

violation

4 off of 9GCA

GCA§§30.40(a).

30.40(a).

5 Magistrate's Compl.

Comal. (April

(April 7,

7, 2023).

6

With respect to the facts which With which constitute the basis for the Charge, the Declaration in 7

8 support of the support of the Complaint Complaintyields

yieldsthe

thefollowing:

following:

9 On On or about April 5, 5, 2023 at approximately 10:10 p.m., GPD 10: p.m., GPD Officers Officers responded

responded to a

10 Violation ViolationofofCourt

CourtOrder

Order complaint

complaint at

at aa residence in Dededo. At At the location, the Officers Officers met with an anelderly elderlyfemale

femaleindividual,

individual,AnaAnal Salgado("Victim")

I Salgado ("Victim") who who informed

informed

11 1 the Officers Officers that

that she

she has

has a permanent

permanentrestraining

restraining order

order (DM0449-01)

(DM0449-01) against

against her son,

later identified as PAUL J. SALGADO identified as SALGADO ("Defendant").

("Defendant"). Victim

Victimprovided

provided aa copy of

of the

12 12 permanent restraining order, permanent restraining order, which which orders Defendant to to stay stay away

away from and not come

13 l,000' feet

within 1,000' feet of

ofVictim,

Victim,residence

residence ofofVictim,

Victim, or

or the

the place of employment

employment of of Victim,

Victim,

permanently. This order

order was

was signed

signed on

on July

July 26,

26, 2011

2011 by the Honorable JudgeJudge Katherine 14 14 A. Maraman.

ran.

15 Victim Victimstated

stated that

that Defendant and his brother, brother, Eddie, an'ived

arrived at her residence. Eddie was 16 16 trying to to go

go into

into his

his residence

residence (extension

(extension near

near main

main house)

house) however, the key was no worldng, working, Defendant

Defendant and Eddie started started yelling

yelling out of

ofanger.

anger. Victim

Victimstated

stated that

that Defendant

17 17 has knowledge knowledge of ofthe

the restraining order against him.

18 18 Acid AffidofofProbable ProbableCause

Cause (April

(April 7,

7, 2023).

19 19 On On June 26,2023,

June 26, 2023,Defendant

Defendantfiled

filedaaMotion

MotiontotoDismiss

DismissDue

DuetotoCivil

Civil Compromise.

Compromise.After

After

20 20 taking the motion motion under advisement,

advisement, the Court issued issued its

its Decision

Decision and Order,

Order, on October 24,

21

22 22 2023, denying Defendant's motion, determining 2023, denying determining that that"the

"the Defendant's

Defendant's offense is not

23 23 coextensive coextensive with with the

the civil

civilremedy

remedyand

and such

such offense

offense does

does not

not meet

meet the threshold for possible 24 4 apphcatlon application of 88 GCA GCA§§80.90."

80.90."See

SeeOrder

Orderre.

re.Dlsmlssal

DismissalDue

Dueto

toC1v1l Compromlse.

Civil Compromise.

25 In In his present Motion,

Motion,Defendant

Defendantargues

arguesthat

thatattendant

attendant circumstances

circumstances surrounding surrounding the

26 26

27 alleged alleged conduct conduct support dismissal of the criminal case, support a dismissal case, and harm or and the harm or evil

evil threatened

threatened or

27

28 People v. Salgado

Criminal Case CMOl25-23 Case No. CM0125-23

Decision Decision and

and Order Re. Defendant's Motion Motion to Dismiss

Page Page 2 of

of9

criminal judgment

caused is "too trivial to warrant a criminal conviction." See of conviction."

judgment of Mot. at See Mot. 3-4. In

at 3-4. support

In support

1

22 of his Motion, Defendant filed three Exhibits: (1) a Declaration of Crime of Victim, signed on Crime Victim,

33 Victim does the Victim

that the

stating that

April 7, 2023, stating of the Attorney General to pursue does not want the Office of 4 . . I . . ¢ | . .

this criminal thls case,(2)

cr1m1na1case; DeclaratlonRe.

(2)a aDeclaration Civil Compromise, Re.Civil on June signed on

Compromlse, slgned 16, 2023, June 16, stating

2023, stating

5 that the to waive prosecution of the criminal complaint filed against Defendant;

the Victim agrees to Defendant, 6 7 P.L. 31-109.

and (3) a copy of P.L. Based on 31-109. Based the Motion, on the Defendant now moves this Court to enter Motion, Defendant

7

88 an Order Dismissing the Magistrate's Complaint.

9 order is not court order

ofaa court

violation of

thataa violation

arguingthat

Motion,arguing

Defendant'sMotion,

The People oppose Defendant's 10 .u . . . » . . .

trlvlal, further, "the trivial; further, permanent restraining "the permanent order is restralnmg order an important is an remedy available Importantremedy to victims,"

avallable to vlctlms,"

11 11 conduct warrant

and the circumstances surrounding the alleged conduct of the Motion. See warrant denial of

12 12

13 13 People's Opp'n People's Mot. atat 3, Opp'nMot. (Feb. 7, 2024).

3, (Feb.

14 14 III.

Ill. DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION

15 15 A. The

The Defendant's alleged conduct warrants Defendant's alleged prosecution.

warrants prosecution.

16 16 In determining whether Defendant's acts are de Defendant's acts minims under De minimis under 9 GCA

GCA §§ 30.40(a)(3),

30.40(a)(3), the

17 17 18 Court first turns Court first turns to to the

the language

language of

of the

the statute.

statute. 9 GCA § 30.40(a)(3) provides, in in relevant

relevant part,

part, as

as

18

19 19 follows:

follows:

20 20 (a)) Any Any knowing of any t ion of

violation

knowing viola of tthe ny of following cou he following der s shallll bee a court orders

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