People v. Tedtaotao

Superior Court of Guam·Decided October 20, 2021·No. CF0276-21·Unknown

Opinion

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6 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM 7

9 THE PEOPLE OF GUAM, ) CRIMINAL CASE NO.: CF0276-21 GPD Report Nos.: 21-134993/21-13558 ) 10 ) vs. ) 11 ) DECISION AND ORDER: 12 CHRIS JUNIOR ANDERSON ) Defendant's Motion to Dismiss TEDTAOTAO, ) The First and Second Charges or in the 13 aka Chris Anderson Tedtaotao, Jr., ) Alternative for a Bill of Particulars DOB: 03/07/1992 or 09/07/1992 ) 14 ) 15 Defendant. ) ) 16 1. INTRODUCTION 17 This matter came before the Honorable Maria T. Cenzon on June 29, 2021 for a hearing on 18

19 Defendant Chris Junior Anderson Tedtaotao's ("Defendant") Motion to Dismiss the First and

20 Second Charges or in the Alternative for a Bill of Particulars (the "Motion"). Alternate Public

21 Defender Heather Zora was present and argued the Motion on behalf of Defendant. Assistant 22 Attorney General Alysa Draper-Dehatt represented the People of Guam (the "People"). At the 23 24 conclusion of hearing, the Court took the matter under advisement pursuant to CVR 7.1(e)(6)(D)

25 of the LOCAL RULES OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM and Administrative Rule Nos.

26 06-001 (Jan. 14, 2005) and 13-.003(c)(May 13, 2013). 27 Upon consideration of the parties' oral arguments during the hearing, the record on file 28 with the court, and applicable legal authority, the Court now issues this Decision and Order People v. Tedtaotao, CF0276-21 DECISION AND ORDER RE: MOTION TO DISMISS Page 1 of 13 1 DENYING IN PART and GRANTING IN PART Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the First and 2 Second Charges or in the Alternative for a Bill of Particulars . 3 11. BACKGROUND AND FACTS 4

Defendant Chris Junior Anderson Tedtaotao ("Defendant") was indicted on June 14, 5

6 2021, for the following charges :

7 1.Interfering with the Reporting of Family Violence (As a 3rd Degree Felony) ; 8 2. Felony Escape (As a wIld Degree Felony), and 3. Family Violence (As a Misdemeanor) . 9 Defendant asserted his Right to a Speedy Trial on June 23, 2021, at his Arraignment, however, 10

11 he filed the instant Motion to Dismiss on June 29, 2021, and for the reasons set forth in its Order

12 Vacating Jury Selection and Trial and Tolling Speedy Trial (Pending Motion to Dismiss), the 13 Court found good cause to vacate jury selection and triad while the Motion to Dismiss was 14 pending.l In his Motion to Dismiss, Defendant argued that the First and Second charges should 15

17 1 On July 6, 2021, the Court issued its Order Vacating Jury Selection and Trial and Toiling Speedy Trial (Pending Motion to Dismiss). In this Order, the Court found good cause to vacate the asserted trial schedule in this case 18 because the dismissal of these charges would result in two of three charges against the Defendant being fully adjudicated and, therefore, inured to the benefit of the Defendant. Id. at 2 (citing to People v. Guerrero, 2017 Guam 19 5 'ii 17 (additional citations omitted) and Carver v. Superior Court of Guam, 1998 Guam 23 (Nov. 17, l998))("delay caused by the conduct of the defendant constitutes good cause, as does delay for the defendant's benefit or delay 20 from unforeseen circumstances...the fact that a defendant refuses to waive his right to a speedy trial is not significant where good cause for the delay is apparent on the face of the record.")). Defendant's counsel filed a 21 Notice of Objection to Resetting Trial Date and Tolling of Speedy Trial (July 6, 2021) and the People responded by filing the People's Reply Brief to Defendant's Notice of Objection to Resetting Trial Date and Tolling of Speedy 22 Trial (July 13, 2021). The Court did not respond to Defendant's Notice of Objection except to note it for the record; however, this Court did not and does not consider the mere filing of Defendant's motion to dismiss to "automatically 23 justify delay" of Defendant's right to a speedy trial and this Court continued to act diligently in promptly disposing of the motion within the deadline set forth in the applicable Administrative Rules 06-001 and 13-003. Compare, 24 Nicholson v. Superior Court of Guam, 2007 Guam 9 (Oct. 10, 2007)(the trial court issued its decision on Defendant's motion to dismiss 284 days after taking it under advisement and the Supreme Court found that such 25 amount of time was unreasonable and did not constitute good cause)(but see fn. 7 in which the Supreme Court cited to 7 GCA § 4lOl(e)(1)(2005) and Administrative Rule No. 06-001 providing that "where a motion is taken under 26 advisement a decision on the motion must be issued within ninety days" and further noting that Adm. Rule No. 06- 001 was not in effect at the time the trial court took the motion in Nicnoison under advisement). 27 Thus, in considering the requirement set forth in Carver that "good cause" must be established from the face of the 28 record, the Court submits that the record sets forth the Court's reasoning in finding "good cause" and further finds s u p p or t i n t h e 9 0 a n d 1 2 0 d a y d e a d l i n e s s e t for t h i n Ad mi n i s t r a t i ve Ru l e No. 0 6 -0 0 1 a n d con fi r me d i n Administrative Rule No. 13-003. These Administrative Rules promulgated by the Guam Supreme Court establish by People v. Tedlaotao, cF027@21 DECISION AND ORDER RE: MOTION TO DISMISS Page 2 of 13 1 be dismissed with prejudice because the Prosecution has failed to allege facts sufficient, on the 2 face of the Indictment, to support the charges. Mot. at 6. Specifically, Defendant argues the 3 averments in the Indictment: (1) failed to give the Defendant sufficient notice of the charges 4

against him "with sufficient clarity to allow him to maintain an adequate defense and to bar 5

6 subsequent prosecution for the same offense," and (2) failed to set forth "the essential facts that

7 support that allegation." Mot. at 4, 5. Moreover, Defendant argues that more than simply 8 articulating the language of the statute is required, and the charging document must also set forth 9 the essential facts necessary to apprise the defendant of the crime charged. Mot. at 5. 10

11 In its Response, with respect to the First Charge of Interfering with the Reporting of

12 Family Violence (As a 3I'd Degree Felony), the People contend that the Indictment, together with

13 the Magistrate's Complaint and Declaration which is a part of the Magistrate's Complaint, 14 provide adequate notice to the Defendant, as required under the principles of due process. See 15 People's Resp. to Defendant's Mot. to Dismiss (July 2, 2021). The People also requested the that 16

17 the Court dismiss the Second charge without prejudice so that it may charge the offense

18 separately as a Misdemeanor "because the facts charged would be better served in its own 19

20 affirmation the reasonable amount of time justifying "good cause" for delay of a Defendant's speedy trial for the 21 purpose of considering a Defendant's dispositive motion. Nicholson at fn. 7. Moreover, as the record reflects in this case, the Defendant asserted his right to speedy trial on June 25, 2021, and the Court immediately set Jury Selection 22 and Trial in this matter to commence on July 14, 2021 - well within the 45 day time set forth in 8 GCA § 80.60. On June 29, 2021, Defendant filed his Motion to Dismiss, the People filed its Opposition on July 2, 2021, Defendant 23 filed his Reply on July 8, 2021, and the Court scheduled an In Person hearing on the Motion to Dismiss for July 29, 2021.

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