People v. Valenzuela CA4/2

California Court of Appeal·Decided July 11, 2016·No. E062651·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 7/11/16 P. v. Valenzuela 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NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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, E062651

v. (Super.Ct.No. INF1200458)

RICHARD ANDREW VALENZUELA, OPINION

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Dean Benjamini, Judge.

Affirmed in part with directions; reversed in part, affirmed as modified.

Daniel J. Kessler, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and

Appellant.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney

General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Barry Carlton and Sharon L.

Rhodes, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

1 In Count 2, a jury found defendant and appellant Richard Andrew Valenzuela

guilty of assault with a firearm (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(2)),1 and found true the

allegation that defendant personally used a firearm (§§ 12022.5, subd. (a), 1192.7, subd.

(c)(8)). In Count 3, the jury found defendant guilty of discharging a firearm in a grossly

negligent manner which could result in injury or death to a person (§ 246.3, subd. (a)),

and found true the allegation defendant personally used a firearm (§§ 667, subd. (a),

1192.7, subd. (c)(8)). In Count 4, the jury found defendant guilty of burglary (§ 459),

and found true the allegation defendant used a deadly and dangerous weapon (§§ 12022,

subd. (b)(1), 1192.7, subd. (c)(23)).

In Count 5, the jury found defendant guilty of preventing or dissuading a victim

of a crime from causing a complaint, information, or probation or parole violation from

being sought or prosecuted (§ 136.1, subd. (b)(2)), and found true the allegation

defendant used a deadly and dangerous weapon (§§ 12022, subd. (b)(1), 1192.7, subd.

(c)(23)). In Count 7, the jury found defendant guilty of drawing or exhibiting a deadly

weapon, other than a firearm, in a rude, angry, or threatening manner or unlawfully

using the weapon in a fight or quarrel. (§ 417, subd. (a)(1).)

In Count 8, the jury found defendant guilty of shooting at an inhabited dwelling

house (§ 246), and found true the allegation that defendant personally used a firearm

(§§ 667, subd. (a), 1192.7, subd. (c)(8)). In Count 9, the jury found defendant guilty of

assault with a firearm (§ 245, subd. (a)(2)), and found true the allegation that defendant

1 All subsequent statutory references will be to the Penal Code unless otherwise indicated.

2 personally used a firearm (§§ 12022.5, subd. (a), 1192.7, subd. (c)(8)). In Count 10, the

jury found defendant guilty of preventing or dissuading a victim of a crime from

causing a complaint, information, or probation or parole violation from being sought or

prosecuted (§ 136.1, subd. (b)(2)), and found true the allegation defendant used a

firearm in the commission of the offense (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)).2

The trial court found true the allegations that defendant suffered three prior first-

degree burglary (§ 459) convictions in Riverside County case No. INF059844. The

court concluded those three convictions qualified as three prior strike convictions

(§§ 667, subds. (c)&(e)(1), 1170.12); three prior serious felonies (§ 667, subd. (a)); and

one prison prior (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). The court sentenced defendant to prison for a

determinate term of 66 years and an indeterminate term of 83 years to life.

First, defendant requests this court independently review the sealed record of the

in-camera Pitchess3 hearing, to determine if the trial court erred in denying defendant’s

Pitchess motion. The People support defendant’s request. Second, defendant asserts

the trial court erred by imposing three separate five-year prison terms for the prior

serious felony convictions (§ 667, subd. (a)). The People support defendant’s argument.

Third, defendant contends the trial court erred by staying, rather than striking, the one-

year sentence for his prison prior (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). The People concede defendant is

correct. Fourth, defendant asserts the parole revocation fine (§ 1202.45, subds. (a)&(c))

2 The trial court granted defendant’s motion for judgment of acquittal (§ 1118.1) as to Counts 1, 6, and 11.

3 Pitchess v. Superior Court (1974) 11 Cal.3d 531.

3 should be modified to match the restitution fine (§ 1202.4, subd. (b)). The People

concede defendant is correct. Fifth, defendant asserts this court should order the trial

court to correct clerical errors in the abstract of judgment. The People concede

defendant is correct. We affirm the judgment with directions.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In December 2011 defendant and LaPrea Floyd had a sexual relationship. Floyd

resided in Desert Hot Springs. On December 10, 2011, Floyd argued with defendant at

her house. Defendant then physically fought with Floyd’s brother inside the house; the

fight moved to outside the house. As Floyd and her sister joined the fight against

defendant, defendant ran toward the desert. Defendant returned to Floyd’s street with a

gun. Defendant fired the gun down the street, toward Floyd, her family, and her friends,

who were outside. Floyd’s mother called 911. Floyd ended her relationship with

defendant.

In May 2012 Floyd and her boyfriend were asleep in her bedroom. Floyd awoke

to defendant at her bedroom door holding one of her kitchen knives. Defendant asked

where Floyd’s two-year-old son was. Floyd screamed for her brother. Defendant

fought with Floyd’s brother. Defendant ran out the front door. Floyd called 911.

On June 6, 2012, Floyd and her boyfriend were asleep in her bedroom. Floyd

awoke to defendant firing approximately six gunshots at her bedroom window. Floyd

called 911.

4 DISCUSSION

A. PITCHESS HEARING

1. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Prior to trial, defendant filed a Pitchess motion to discover material related to

dishonesty in the personnel file of City of Desert Hot Springs Police Officer Scott Field.

The attorney for the City of Desert Hot Springs agreed to an in-camera review of the

officer’s personnel file. At the in-camera review, the custodian of records for the City

of Desert Hot Springs provided Officer Field’s personnel file. The trial court reviewed

the file and spoke with the custodian of records. The trial court found no information in

the file to disclose to the defense. The trial court informed defendant’s trial counsel

there was no information to disclose.

2. ANALYSIS

Defendant requests this court review the sealed record of the trial court’s in-

camera Pitchess proceedings to determine if the trial court followed the proper

procedures, and whether it erred by not ordering information be disclosed to the

defense. The People support defendant’s contention.

“Pitchess, supra, 11 Cal.3d 531, and its statutory progeny are based on the

premise that evidence contained in a law enforcement officer’s personnel file may be

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

People v. Valenzuela CA4/2, (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).

People v. Valenzuela CA4/2 (People v. Valenzuela CA4/2) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

People v. Jones
857 P.2d 1163 (California Supreme Court, 1993)
Pitchess v. Superior Court
522 P.2d 305 (California Supreme Court, 1974)
People v. Wiley
889 P.2d 541 (California Supreme Court, 1995)
People v. Lopez
14 Cal. Rptr. 3d 202 (California Court of Appeal, 2004)
People v. Ramos
50 Cal. App. 4th 810 (California Court of Appeal, 1996)
People v. Walker
43 Cal. Rptr. 3d 257 (California Court of Appeal, 2006)
People v. Williams
98 P.3d 876 (California Supreme Court, 2004)
People v. Hughes
39 P.3d 432 (California Supreme Court, 2002)
People v. Mitchell
26 P.3d 1040 (California Supreme Court, 2001)
People v. Mooc
36 P.3d 21 (California Supreme Court, 2002)
People v. Perez
195 Cal. App. 4th 801 (California Court of Appeal, 2011)
People v. Jones
236 Cal. App. 4th 1411 (California Court of Appeal, 2015)