People v. Shaginyan

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 14, 2025
DocketJAD25-02
StatusPublished

This text of People v. Shaginyan (People v. Shaginyan) 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. Shaginyan, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 2/24/25

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION APPELLATE DIVISION OF THE SUPERIOR COURT STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

THE PEOPLE, ) No. 24APCM00057 ) Plaintiff and Appellant, ) Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal ) Justice Center Trial Court v. ) ) No. 8CJ00722-09 ARUTUN HARUT SHAGINYAN, ) ) Defendant and Respondent. ) ) OPINION

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, H. Elizabeth Harris, Commissioner. Reversed and Remanded. Hydee Feldstein Soto, City Attorney, City of Los Angeles, Dennis Kong, Head Deputy City Attorney, Meredith McKittrick, Assistant Head Deputy City Attorney, and John R. Prosser, Deputy City Attorney for Plaintiff and Appellant. No appearance for Defendant and Respondent.

* * *

1 Defendant Arutun Harut Shaginyan was placed on misdemeanor diversion (Pen. Code, § 1001.95),1 after being charged with commercial cannabis-related crimes (L.A. Mun. Code (LAMC), §§ 12.21.A.1, subd. (a), 104.15, subd. (b)(2)), based on his employment as a security guard at an unlicensed cannabis store. The prosecutor provided the court with a police report, indicating defendant prior to the completion of diversion violated diversion by again working at an unlicensed cannabis store, and requested the court conduct an evidentiary hearing to terminate his diversion. The court was unpersuaded that the report sufficiently established defendant was the person detained by police at the store, refused to conduct a hearing, and dismissed the case. The People appeal the court’s dismissal. 2 As discussed below, in this case of first impression as to the standard a court uses in determining whether to conduct a diversion termination hearing, we reverse. BACKGROUND The complaint charging defendant, along with others, with the cannabis offenses was filed on September 14, 2018. A bench warrant was issued for defendant’s arrest when he did not appear for arraignment, and after defendant came to court on August 17, 2022, the warrant was recalled, and the case was continued several times at defendant’s request. On April 17, 2023, defendant appeared, represented by counsel, and the prosecutor indicated he was not opposed to defendant being granted diversion. The prosecutor told the court that, “for a security guard with no subsequent contact, the term is 12 months, no commercial cannabis activity, 40 hours community service. Obey all laws.” After being informed of the terms of diversion, defendant indicated he understood and accepted them. The court told defendant that, if he complied with the conditions, the case would be dismissed in a year.

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code, unless otherwise specified. 2 This court has jurisdiction to consider the appeal, because under section 1466, subdivision (a)(2), the dismissal was “an order . . . dismissing . . . the action . . . entered before the defendant has been placed in jeopardy.”

2 The court continued the case for progress towards the community service requirement, and on July 26, 2023, defendant provided the court with proof he completed community service. The court reminded defendant, “What you have agreed to is that you will not be involved in commercial cannabis activity, and you will obey all laws,” and it continued the case to the April 17, 2024, one-year completion date. When the case was called on April 17, 2024, the prosecutor informed the court he “received a police report in which the defendant was a security guard at another commercial cannabis location that was unlicensed. He had a BB gun. And this was on 2/23/24. We’re in the middle of filing it.” The court stated a police report “does not . . . constitute a violation of the obey all laws [condition of diversion].” The prosecutor asked the court to schedule a hearing so he could prove defendant violated the terms of diversion, and asked for the hearing to be conducted in two weeks so witnesses could be subpoenaed. The court calendared the matter in two days, informing the prosecutor that, at that time, it would decide whether an evidentiary hearing would be conducted. On April 18, 2024, the prosecutor filed a petition to terminate diversion, arguing the court should schedule a hearing and allow the presentation of evidence to determine whether diversion should be terminated. The prosecutor attached the police report pertaining to the February 23, 2024 incident, along with laboratory reports indicating cannabis was seized by the police, and other related documents. The report indicated a search warrant was issued for a cannabis storefront sales operation on 6620 South Crenshaw Boulevard in the City of Los Angeles, and the warrant was executed on February 23, 2024. Two persons were detained when the police entered at 12:15 p.m., a female Hispanic, “Suspect-1,” whose name was redacted in the report and other documents given to the court, and a person identified as, “Suspect-2 Shaginyan, Harut DOB: 04/18/1981.” The officer who wrote the report stated he saw numerous jars of cannabis and other cannabis products in display cases in a sales room, and “Suspect-1,” after waiving her

3 Miranda 3 rights, said “she had been working at the dispensary for a few weeks[] as a counter clerk (commonly known as a budista).” The report further stated, “While at [the] scene, I read Suspect-2 (Shaginyan, Harut) his Miranda [r]ights,” and after he waived his rights, “Shaginyan stated that he worked at the dispensary as a security guard, but would not disclose for how long. He stated that he was only armed with a BB gun for ‘show.’” The report stated, “Based on the statement Suspect-1 and Suspect-2 made that they were worked [sic] professionally at the location, I discovered that they were in violation of 104.15(B)(2) LAMC: Establish / operate or participate as an employee, contractor, agent, or volunteer, in an unlicensed commercial cannabis activity in the city. Suspects 1-2 were issued citations and released at scene.”4 The court called the matter on April 19, 2024, and the prosecutor stated a new case had been filed against defendant based on the February 23, 2024 incident. The prosecutor indicated that, although “the mere filing of a case is not dispositive,” the court should conduct a hearing to decide if defendant failed to comply with his diversion terms. The court responded the “threshold” for conducting a hearing had not been reached, because “you’ve not given me anything that says that the defendant was present.” The prosecutor pointed out the person detained by the police had the same name and date of birth as defendant, but the court noted no citation with defendant’s name was provided. The court determined the prosecutor did not satisfy his burden for requiring an evidentiary hearing, because, “The information given to this court was that the citation was to some female.” The court concluded, “If [defendant] was present, he should have had a citation and he should have signed it. And I think that’s what you were alleging, but it’s not shown to this court, so no hearing is necessary. No showing that the defendant was present at the location.” The court denied the prosecutor’s diversion termination petition, and dismissed the case pursuant to the diversion statute (§ 1001.95).

3 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436. 4 A copy of only one citation was attached, and it pertained to the female Hispanic whose name and other identifying information were redacted.

4 DISCUSSION The case turns on whether the showing made by the prosecutor was sufficient for the court to allow the People an opportunity to present evidence at a hearing as to whether diversion should be terminated. Because the issue pertains to statutory interpretation, we employ de novo review. (People v. Braden (2023) 14 Cal.5th 791, 804; People v.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Shaginyan, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-shaginyan-calctapp-2025.