People v. Tridente CA4/2

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 11, 2023
DocketE079254
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Tridente CA4/2 (People v. Tridente CA4/2) 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. Tridente CA4/2, (Cal. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

Filed 7/11/23 P. v. Tridente CA4/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent, E079254

v. (Super.Ct.No. FVI19002457)

LUIGI TRIDENTE, OPINION

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. Kawika Smith,

Judge. Reversed with directions.

Matthew C. Tymann, by appointment of the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and

Appellant.

Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney

General, Charles C. Ragland, Assistant Attorney General, Steve Oetting and Eric A.

Swenson, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

1 I. INTRODUCTION

In 2019, defendant and appellant Luigi Tridente pleaded no contest to attempted

forcible rape (Pen. Code, §§ 664, subd. (a), 261, subd. (a)(2))1 and admitted that he

suffered a prior conviction qualifying as a strike offense (§ 667, subd. (b), (d)(2), (e)(1),

1170.12, subds. (b)(2), (c)(1)) in exchange for three years probation. In June 2022, the

trial court found that defendant violated the terms of his probation based upon conduct

that occurred in January and May of 2022, revoked defendant’s probation, executed a

previously suspended sentence, and ordered defendant committed to the state prison for

eight years.

Defendant appeals from the order revoking his probation and executing the

previously suspended sentence, arguing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revoke

probation. According to defendant, Assembly Bill No. 1950 (2019-2020 Reg. Sess.;

Stats. 2020, ch. 328, § 2) (Assembly Bill 1950) retroactively applies to his case to reduce

his term of probation to two years and, as a result, the trial court was not authorized to

revoke his probation after he had already served the maximum term permitted by law.

The People concede that Assembly Bill 1950 applies retroactively to defendant’s case.

However, the People contend that reversal is not required because this case falls within a

statutory exception to the two-year limitation set forth in the statute. Alternatively, the

People contend that even if no statutory exception applies, the proper remedy is to

remand the matter for resentencing, at which time the parties may withdraw or

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 renegotiate their plea because (1) the original order granting probation was itself

unauthorized, and (2) renegotiation of the plea would conform to our Supreme Court’s

holding in People v. Stamps (2020) 9 Cal.5th 685 (Stamps).

We agree with the parties that Assembly Bill 1950 applies retroactively to this

case. We further agree with defendant that the retroactive application of Assembly Bill

1950 operates to reduce defendant’s term of probation to two years because no statutory

exception applies and, as a result, the trial court’s order revoking probation was in excess

of its jurisdiction. With respect to the People’s requested disposition, we conclude that

we are without appellate jurisdiction to review any claims of error with respect to the

original order granting probation and also conclude that the remedy provided in Stamps is

not available under the specific circumstances of this case. Accordingly, we reverse the

judgment with directions to (1) vacate the order revoking probation and executing the

previously suspended sentence, and (2) enter new orders modifying defendant’s term of

probation to two years and terminating his probation.

II. FACTS & PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Defendant was charged with attempted forcible rape (count 1; §§ 664, subd. (a),

261, subd. (a)(2)) and attempting to dissuade a witness (count 2; § 136.1, subd. (a)(2)),

arising out of an incident that occurred in September 2019. The information also alleged

that defendant had suffered a prior conviction qualifying as a strike offense. (§§ 667,

subds. (b), (d)(2), (e)(1), 1170.12, subds. (b)(2), (c)(1)).

In November 2019, defendant entered into a negotiated plea agreement with the

People in which he agreed to plead no contest to count 1 and admit as true the allegation

3 that he had suffered a prior conviction qualifying as a strike offense. Pursuant to the plea

agreement, the trial court dismissed count 2; sentenced defendant to an eight-year prison

term on count 1; and suspended execution of the sentence pending completion of three

years of formal probation. Defendant’s probationary term began on November 22, 2019.

On January 1, 2021, Assembly Bill 1950 became effective. (Stats. 2020, ch. 328,

§ 2.) As relevant here, Assembly Bill 1950 added section 1203.1 to the Penal Code,

providing that the maximum term of probation for most felony offenses would be limited

to two years. (§ 1203.1, subd. (a).)

On May 9, 2022, the probation department filed a petition to revoke defendant’s

probation, alleging that defendant engaged in conduct in violation of the terms of his

probation in January and May 2022. On June 22, the trial court held a contested violation

of probation hearing, found that defendant had violated the terms of his probation,

revoked defendant’s probation, and imposed his eight-year prison sentence. Defendant

appeals from the order revoking his probation and executing the previously suspended

sentence.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Issues Presented and Standard of Review

On appeal, defendant claims that the retroactive application of section 1203.1,

subdivision (a), to his case renders the trial court’s order revoking probation an order in

excess of its jurisdiction. The People counter that (1) the order granting probation was

itself unauthorized; (2) defendant’s case falls within a statutory exception to the two-year

limitation on probation terms; (3) defendant should be estopped from disputing the

4 existence of a statutory exception to the limitation on probation terms; and (4) even in the

event reversal of the order revoking probation is necessary, the appropriate remedy is to

remand for resentencing with instructions to permit the People to withdraw from and

renegotiate any plea.

The claims raised by the parties involve only questions of law, which are subject

to either independent or de novo review. (People v. Sallee (2023) 88 Cal.App.5th 330,

336 [“ ‘The proper interpretation of a statute is a question of law we review de novo.’ ”],

review granted Apr. 26, 2023, S278690; People v. Mendoza (2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 764,

773 [Whether a trial court acts in excess of jurisdiction in making a probation order is a

question of law.]; People v. Paredes (2008) 160 Cal.App.4th 496, 507 [Interpretation of a

plea agreement is governed by the same de novo standard of review applicable to

interpretation of contracts.]; People v. Miller (2012) 202 Cal.App.4th 1450, 1456 [Where

the facts are not in dispute, the appellate court reviews the application of the estoppel

doctrine de novo as a question of law.].) Likewise, with respect to the appropriate

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