People v. Tanner CA3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 27, 2015
DocketC076627
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Tanner CA3 (People v. Tanner 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. Tanner CA3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 10/27/15 P. v. Tanner CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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, C076627

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 13F00474)

v.

FREDERICK TANNER,

Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant Frederick Tanner challenges his conviction for criminal threats, contending (1) there is insufficient evidence to support the conviction; (2) the trial court erred in excluding evidence and limiting cross-examination and his counsel was ineffective for failing to object to that exclusion and limitation; (3) the prosecutor committed misconduct and defense counsel was ineffective for failing to object; and (4) these errors were cumulatively prejudicial. Defendant also contends (5) the trial court erred in failing to stay punishment on a burglary conviction because it arose from the

1 same course of conduct as the criminal threats and was motivated by the same intent and purpose. We will affirm the judgment.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

At about 10:45 a.m. on January 19, 2013, Eisar Askari and Sokung Swing were preparing to open the restaurant where they worked. As Askari came into the restaurant after dumping the fryer oil, he heard someone in the office. When he opened the office door, he saw defendant inside with Swing’s purse in one hand and a “bunch of . . . cash” in the other. When asked why he was there, defendant responded that he wanted to use the restroom. Askari then asked why defendant had Swing’s purse; defendant responded by dropping the purse and punching Askari in the face. Defendant continued hitting at Askari, and Askari implored Swing to call 911, which she did.

Askari told defendant to leave, but defendant continued punching Askari until he was pinned against a wall of the office, leaving a hole in the sheetrock the size of Askari’s head. It appeared defendant was attempting to reach for scissors or a knife on top of the desk in the office, so Askari tried to hold defendant’s hands away. In the meantime, defendant kept hitting Askari in the head and kneeing him in the legs.

Askari and defendant fell through the open office door and landed on the ground with defendant on top of Askari. Swing then went to the neighboring business to ask for help. Defendant, sitting on Askari’s midsection, then “grabbed [Askari’s] head and smashed [it] like six, seven times . . . on the ground” until Askari “passed out.” While defendant was hitting Askari’s head against the ground, defendant repeated “I’m going to kill you” two or three times before Askari “blacked out.” Askari was scared and believed defendant would kill him.

When Swing returned, defendant was on top of Askari, who appeared to be unconscious, was not moving, and whose eyes were “bulged out.” Defendant’s hands

2 were around Askari’s neck. Swing pulled defendant off Askari, pushed him to the ground, and tried to restrain him. As she did, police officers and men from the neighboring business arrived. Askari testified he woke as defendant was being placed into handcuffs. Officers testified Askari was conscious and holding defendant on the ground when they entered.

An officer helped Askari into a chair, gave him water, and he began vomiting repeatedly. The officer questioned Askari, who she described as being excited, having watery eyes, animated, and “pretty upset.” Another officer described Askari’s demeanor as “visibly upset and scared.” The owner of the neighboring business also testified that Askari “appeared scared” when he arrived. Later, after defendant had been placed in the patrol car, Askari told him to “go get a job.” Askari only worked part of his shift that day, leaving early because he was “shaking” and “still scared.”

When the other officer searched defendant, he was in possession of a wallet belonging to yet another victim. The other victim had left his wallet, which had approximately $200 cash inside, on the front seat of his car at a car wash a few blocks from the scene of the burglary. When he received a telephone call from the police about a half hour later, he discovered that the wallet was missing. Officers returned the wallet, and all the money, to the victim.

Following a bifurcated trial, the jury found defendant guilty of burglary (Pen. Code, § 459—count one),1 simple battery (§ 242 [a lesser offense for count two, which was charged as battery resulting in the infliction of serious bodily injury on a person (§ 243, subd. (d))]), assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(4)—count three), criminal threats (§ 422—count four), and receiving stolen property (§ 496, subd. (a)—count five). The jury found not true the special

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

3 allegation that defendant had inflicted serious bodily injury during the commission of the assault, and found defendant not guilty of the charged battery causing serious bodily injury. The jury then found true that defendant had two prior convictions (§§ 667, 1170.12) and had served five prior prison terms (§ 667.5, subd. (b)).

The court found the two prior convictions were strikes and that the current conviction for criminal threats was also a strike. The trial court sentenced defendant to an indeterminate term of 25 years to life for criminal threats and a consecutive determinate term of 21 years four months, comprised of six years for burglary, one year four months for receiving stolen property, a stayed term of three years for assault, two five-year terms for prior convictions, and four one-year terms for prior prison terms.

DISCUSSION

1.0 Sufficiency of the Evidence

Defendant contends there is insufficient evidence to support the necessary finding that Askari was in sustained fear because Askari lost consciousness either while or immediately after the threats were issued, and there was no evidence Askari was still afraid when he awoke. We disagree.

When a defendant contends there is insufficient evidence to support his conviction, we review the whole record in the light most favorable to the judgment to determine whether it discloses substantial evidence, i.e., evidence that is reasonable, credible, and of solid value, based upon which a reasonable trier of fact could find defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. (People v. Osband (1996) 13 Cal.4th 622, 690.) We accord due deference to the verdict and will not substitute our conclusions for those of the trier of fact. (People v. Koontz (2002) 27 Cal.4th 1041, 1078.) Nor will we reverse the conviction unless it appears “that upon no hypothesis whatever is there

4 sufficient substantial evidence to support [the conviction].” (People v. Redmond (1969) 71 Cal.2d 745, 755.)

To prove a criminal threat, among other things, the People must show “that the threat actually caused the person threatened ‘to be in sustained fear for his or her own safety or for his or her immediate family’s safety . . . .’ ” (People v. Toledo (2001) 26 Cal.4th 221, 227-228.) For purposes of this inquiry, fear is sustained if there is “evidence that the victim’s fear is more than fleeting, momentary or transitory.” (People v. Culbert (2013) 218 Cal.App.4th 184, 190 (Culbert).) Even if the encounter lasts only a minute, if the victim in that situation believes his or her death is imminent, he or she suffers sustained fear. (Id. at pp. 190-191, citing People v. Fierro (2010) 180 Cal.App.4th 1342, 1349.)

Defendant, citing In re Ricky T.

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People v. Tanner CA3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-tanner-ca3-calctapp-2015.