People v. Sharrieff CA3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 27, 2022
DocketC093701
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Sharrieff CA3 (People v. Sharrieff CA3) 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. Sharrieff CA3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 7/27/22 P. v. Sharrieff CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT (Sacramento) ----

THE PEOPLE, C093701

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 17FE009227)

v.

TAJMAL SHARRIEFF,

Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant Tajmal Sharrieff was convicted by a jury of seven counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 in violation of Penal Code section 288, subdivision (a).1 He raises three arguments in this appeal: (1) That his constitutional rights were violated because the court admitted evidence of two prior sexual offenses pursuant to Evidence Code section 1108; (2) that he should have been

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

1 charged with one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child (§ 288.5) rather than seven counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child (§ 288, subd. (a)); and (3) that approximately $6,000 in restitution and fees must be stricken or stayed unless and until the court determines whether he has the ability to pay. We reject all three arguments and affirm. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Because defendant’s appeal raises primarily legal issues, the factual background is abbreviated. In 2007, defendant began living with A.C. and her 7-year-old son Isaiah.2 Defendant lived with A.C and Isaiah for about a year and a half. Over the course of that year and a half, defendant sexually molested Isaiah on multiple occasions. Isaiah did not tell his mother about the incidents until 2015. Following the disclosure, his mother put him in therapy, and the therapist disclosed the abuse allegations to law enforcement. Isaiah spoke with a detective in August 2016, and told the detective he had been forced to engage in sex acts with defendant. Defendant was charged with seven counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 in violation of section 288, subdivision (a). All counts were alleged to have occurred between August 12, 2007, and August 11, 2009. In addition, three prior felony convictions were alleged under the three strikes law, one of which was for rape by force within the meaning of sections 667.61, subdivision (d)(1) and 667.71.3 Defendant pled not guilty and denied all allegations.

2 Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 8.90(b)(4), (10), (11) we identify sexual abuse victims by their first names or initials. 3 The three prior convictions were for rape by force in 1981; assault with intent to commit rape in 1981; and first degree residential burglary in 1986.

2 Defendant’s first trial ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked after three days of deliberations. Following a second trial he was convicted on all counts, and the prior strike allegations were found to be true. On February 26, 2021, he was sentenced to seven consecutive terms of 75 years to life plus an additional 70 years for the prior serious felony enhancements. The court also imposed over $6,000 in various fines and fees. Defendant filed a timely notice of appeal.4 DISCUSSION I Prior Conduct Evidence In 1981, when defendant was 18, he was convicted of two sexual offenses (assault with attempt to commit rape and forcible rape) involving different women. Prior to the trial in this case, the prosecutor sought to introduce evidence of both offenses pursuant to Evidence Code section 1108. Defendant objected, arguing the offenses were too remote in time and involved different circumstances. The prosecutor agreed to present the prior offenses through a stipulation and certified records of the convictions rather than through testimony from the victims. The trial court overruled defendant’s objection and admitted the evidence. Defendant argues the admission of this evidence violated his due process rights. He forthrightly acknowledges, however, that our Supreme Court ruled otherwise in People v. Falsetta (1999) 21 Cal.4th 903, 911 (Falsetta). Evidence Code section 1101 sets forth the general rule that “evidence of a person’s character or a trait of his or her character (whether in the form of an opinion,

4 The notice of appeal in this case was filed on March 2, 2021. After multiple extensions of time requested by both parties, this case was fully briefed on May 12, 2022, and subsequently assigned to this panel.

3 evidence of reputation, or evidence of specific instances of his or her conduct) is inadmissible when offered to prove his or her conduct on a specified occasion.” (Evid. Code, § 1101, subd. (a).) Such evidence is frequently referred to as propensity evidence. (Falsetta, supra, 21 Cal.4th at p. 910.) Evidence Code section 1108 creates an exception to the general rule in sex offense cases. It provides, “In a criminal action in which the defendant is accused of a sexual offense, evidence of the defendant’s commission of another sexual offense or offenses is not made inadmissible by [Evidence Code s]ection 1101, if the evidence is not inadmissible pursuant to [Evidence Code s]ection 352 [permitting court to exclude evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by its prejudicial impact].” (Evid. Code, § 1108, subd. (a).) In Falsetta, our Supreme Court explained that Evidence Code section 1108 was enacted “to relax the evidentiary restraints [Evidence Code] section 1101, subdivision (a), imposed, to assure that the trier of fact would be made aware of the defendant’s other sex offenses in evaluating the victim’s and the defendant’s credibility. In this regard, [Evidence Code] section 1108 implicitly abrogates prior decisions of this court indicating that ‘propensity’ evidence is per se unduly prejudicial to the defense.” (Falsetta, supra, 21 Cal.4th at p. 911.) Like defendant here does, the defendant in Falsetta argued that Evidence Code section 1108 violated the due process clause because it offends principles of justice “so rooted in the traditions and conscience of our people as to be ranked as fundamental.” (Falsetta, supra, 21 Cal.4th at p. 913.) The Falsetta court disagreed. Although it acknowledged that the rule excluding propensity evidence was a longstanding one, it ultimately held Evidence Code section 1108 “does not offend due process.”5 (Falsetta, at p. 916.)

5 A primary basis for the court’s conclusion that Evidence Code section 1108 does not offend due process was the fact that it expressly states the trial court has discretion to exclude propensity evidence pursuant to Evidence Code section 352. (Falsetta, supra,

4 Defendant argues “Falsetta cannot be squared with the common law and should be reconsidered.” He acknowledges, however, that we are required to follow Falsetta.6 We are, and we thus reject defendant’s argument that the admission of his two prior sex offense convictions violated his due process rights.7 II Section 288.5 Does Not Preclude Prosecution Under Section 288, Subdivision (a) Defendant was convicted of seven counts of violating section 228, subdivision (a). He argues that prosecution under section 228, subdivision (a) is precluded by section

21 Cal.4th at p.

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People v. Sharrieff CA3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-sharrieff-ca3-calctapp-2022.