People v. Vincent CA3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 29, 2025
DocketC100826
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Vincent CA3 (People v. Vincent 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. Vincent CA3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 10/29/25 P. v. Vincent CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

(Butte) ---- THE PEOPLE, C100826

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. Nos. 22CF05075 & 22CF04351) v.

CHANCE ANDRE VINCENT,

Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant Chance Andre Vincent appeals his convictions related to two stabbings and an assault on a correctional officer. His appointed counsel asked this court to review the record and determine whether there are any arguable issues on appeal. (People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436.) Defendant filed a supplemental brief arguing the trial court erred in precluding him from cross-examining a witness. This court requested supplemental briefing on: (1) “[w]hether the trial court erred in admitting evidence regarding A.L.’s [1] statement while he was in the ambulance describing the stabber,” and whether “any error was prejudicial” and (2) “[w]hether the

1 To protect their privacy, we will refer to the victims by their initials. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.90(b)(4).)

1 trial court erred in admitting evidence regarding Officer Nicolo DiStefano’s interview of [defendant] on September 4, 2022,” and whether “any error was prejudicial.” Having reviewed the supplemental briefing filed by defendant himself, his appellate counsel, and the People, as well as the record as required by Wende, we will affirm. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In Butte County Superior Court Case No. 22CF04351 (case No. 4351), defendant was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code,2 § 245, subd. (a)(1); counts 1 and 2) with a great bodily injury enhancement on each count (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)). In Butte County Superior Court Case No. 22CF05075 (case No. 5075), defendant was charged with battery on a custodial officer (§ 243.1; count 1) and resisting an executive officer (§ 69, subd. (a); count 2). In April 2023, defendant pleaded no contest to all the charges in both cases and admitted both enhancements. In exchange, defendant would receive a suspended sentence of 11 years, eight months, and be allowed to complete a substance abuse treatment program. In June 2023, defendant withdrew his no-contest pleas in both cases. The trial court denied the prosecution’s motion to consolidate the cases for trial and subsequent motion to reconsider the denial. A. Motions In Limine and Trial in Case No. 4351 During the January and February 2024 jury trial in case No. 4351, the trial court became aware that one of the jurors was the mother of one of the trial court clerk supervisors. With counsels’ agreement, the court admonished the juror that it was

2 Undesignated section references are to the Penal Code.

2 important not to talk about the case with anyone, including family, and the juror agreed to comply. J.E. testified that on September 2, 2022, defendant stabbed him in the back with a knife. J.E. suffered a collapsed lung and needed a chest tube for four days. A second man, later identified as A.L., was stabbed on September 4, 2022, at a train station. Although A.L. did not testify at trial, the prosecution sought to introduce testimony from a responding police officer detailing two interactions with A.L. after the stabbing. The prosecution argued A.L.’s statements during these interactions were admissible as spontaneous statements. (Evid. Code, § 1240.) Defendant objected, asking for a hearing pursuant to Evidence Code section 402 for any statement from a non-testifying witness. Defendant argued that admitting any testimonial hearsay statement from an unavailable witness would violate his Sixth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine the declarant. The prosecution also sought to introduce testimony from a responding police officer regarding statements made by defendant after the stabbing, including part of a recorded interview with the officer at the police station. The trial court held hearings pursuant to Evidence Code section 402 to determine whether the challenged testimony was admissible. 1. Evidence Code Section 402 Hearing Regarding Defendant’s Statements to Officer Nicolo DiStefano The first Evidence Code section 402 hearing was regarding Officer Nicolo DiStefano’s interview of defendant on September 4, 2022. Officer DiStefano arrested and handcuffed defendant and read defendant his rights pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 (Miranda) while defendant was sitting inside his patrol car. Although Officer DiStefano did not repeat exactly what he told defendant, he recalled that he had relied on a department-issued card when reading defendant his rights. After defendant was read his rights, he responded, “yeah.” Officer DiStefano asked defendant

3 a few questions and then transported him to the police station and placed him in an interview room. Once in the interview room, Officer DiStefano asked defendant if he remembered their conversation about his rights, and defendant nodded. Officer DiStefano and a second officer proceeded to ask defendant questions. Defendant never indicated he wanted to invoke his right to remain silent or ask for an attorney. According to Officer DiStefano, the questioning at the police station took place less than an hour after the questioning in the police car. The trial court watched a video of the interview conducted at the police station. Defendant asked that the video be stricken, arguing defendant had not been properly advised of his rights “a second time” while at the police station. Defendant noted that, although he had been read his Miranda rights “on the scene,” there was a break before the second police interview at the police station. Defendant had been transported to the station, processed, “put into orange gear,” handcuffed, and “put in a small room with two officers.” Defendant further noted that the officer at the police station did not specify “what kind of rights” he remembered before proceeding with the interview. When the trial court mentioned that defendant likely had “some familiarity” with law enforcement, defendant acknowledged his criminal history but argued that “d[id] not mean he had ever been in a situation where he is in custody, handcuffed, and . . . interrogated.” The trial court admitted the interview, finding that defendant had been orally advised of his rights while in the police car and reminded of them before the officers interviewed him at the police station. 2. Evidence Code Section 402 Hearing Regarding A.L.’s Statements to Responding Officers The second Evidence Code section 402 hearing was regarding Officer Joel Gist’s interactions with A.L. after the stabbing. When Officer Gist arrived at the scene, A.L. was sitting on the sidewalk with a pool of blood around him; the attacker was nowhere in sight. Other officers were already there, and the paramedics had just arrived. A.L.

4 appeared to be in distress and was only talking “somewhat.” He moaned “a lot” and thought he was going to die. Officer Gist tried to ask him questions, but A.L. was “not very responsive.” The paramedics quickly loaded A.L. onto a gurney and then into an ambulance. While A.L. was in the back of the ambulance, Officer Gist overheard another responding officer (Sergeant Durfee) ask A.L. for “some information.” When A.L. did not respond, Sergeant Durfee asked A.L. what the attacker looked like, specifically asking about the attacker’s race, hairstyle, and clothing. A.L. responded that the attacker was male, Caucasian, bald, and wearing a white t-shirt.

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People v. Vincent CA3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-vincent-ca3-calctapp-2025.