NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R.1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-4081-15T1
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
SANTOS L. VARGAS, a/k/a VARGAS PABON SANTOS, LOPEZ SANTOS, PABON SANTOS and PABON VARGAS,
Defendant-Appellant. ______________________________
Submitted September 12, 2017 – Decided September 26, 2017
Before Judges Reisner and Mayer.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Union County, Indictment No. 15-03-0194.
Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for appellant (John Douard, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, of counsel and on the brief).
Grace H. Park, Acting Union County Prosecutor, attorney for respondent (Steven William Bondi, Special Deputy Attorney General/Acting Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).
PER CURIAM Defendant Santos L. Vargas was convicted by a jury of second-
degree robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, and was sentenced to a
discretionary extended term of thirteen years in prison, subject
to the No Early Release Act (NERA), N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.2. We affirm
defendant's conviction. However, we remand for resentencing.
The State's principal trial evidence consisted of testimony
from the victim, identifying defendant as the man who grabbed her
purse and stole her cell phone. The State also presented testimony
from an eyewitness, Mr. Anagbo, who heard the victim's screams and
then saw defendant walking away from the victim, stuffing items
in his pockets. Anagbo followed defendant from the robbery scene
to a gas station a short distance away. As he followed defendant,
Anagbo called 911 and reported the crime and a description of the
perpetrator. While Anagbo was still talking to the 911 operator,
the police arrived, and he pointed out defendant to them as the
robber. A few minutes later, the police brought the victim to the
gas station for a show-up identification procedure, and she
immediately identified defendant as the man who robbed her. The
State also introduced a video from a security camera, which
recorded the robbery as it occurred.
2 A-4081-15T1 Defendant's appeal of his conviction is limited to the denial
of his pre-trial Wade1 motion. He also challenges his sentence.
Defendant presents the following points of argument for our
consideration:
POINT I: THE TRIAL COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE SHOWUP IDENTIFICATION TO BE USED AT TRIAL BECAUSE IT DID NOT SATISFY CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS OF RELIABILITY UNDER STATE v. HENDERSON AND STATE v. JONES.
A. The Police Failed To Keep Adequate Records Of The Showup Procedure, As Required By State v. Delgado.
B. The Judge's Reliability Deter- mination Failed To Clearly Account For All Of The Estimator Variables That May Bias A Showup Identi- fication As Required By State v. Henderson, And Improperly Considered Background Knowledge That Anagbo Had Followed Mr. Vargas.
POINT II: THE COURT IMPROPERLY DENIED MR. VARGAS'S APPLICATION TO DRUG COURT AND IMPOSED AN EXCESSIVE SENTENCE.
A. The Court Improperly Denied Mr. Vargas The Opportunity To Participate In Drug Court After Failing To Give Full And Fair Consideration To His Application And Incorrectly Using His Prior Drug Court Involvement As A Basis For Rejection.
1 United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 87 S. Ct. 1926, 18 L. Ed. 2d 1149 (1967).
3 A-4081-15T1 1. That Mr. Vargas Applied To Drug Court After He Was Convicted At Trial Not Only Fails To Preclude Entry Into Drug Court, But Is Assumed By Special Probation To Be An Option.
2. The Judge Improperly Weighed Mr. Vargas's Non-Existent Record Of Violent Offenses.
3. That Mr. Vargas Had Been Sentenced To Drug Court But Had His Probation Revoked Was Irrelevant To Whether Mr. Vargas Currently Qualifies For Admission To Drug Court.
B. Mr. Vargas's Sentence Was Excessive.
We begin by addressing the Wade issue.2 The identification
took place ten to fifteen minutes after the robbery occurred.
According to Officer Munoz, who drove the victim from the crime
scene to the gas station, she spoke Spanish and he communicated
with her entirely in Spanish. During the short drive to the gas
station, Munoz told the victim that the police had detained a
"possible suspect," but he did not tell her that the individual
was the robber or that she had to make an identification. Officer
Munoz testified that, as soon as the victim saw defendant, she
2 In the trial court, the State conceded that because the victim first identified defendant to the police in the context of a show- up procedure, there was sufficient evidence of suggestibility to require a Wade hearing.
4 A-4081-15T1 immediately and definitively identified him as the robber. Munoz
did not have a packet of standard on-scene identification forms
in the patrol car. See State v. Delgado, 188 N.J. 48 (2006).
However, he and the victim filled out the forms at the police
station the day after the robbery.3
In her hearing testimony, the victim confirmed that Munoz
told her that the police had detained someone and he was taking
her to see "if that was the person that had mugged me." Munoz did
not tell her that the person was the mugger and did not tell her
that she had to make an identification. According to the victim,
she identified defendant by the gray color of the jacket he was
wearing and by his light skin color. She testified that she told
Munoz she was "99 percent" certain of her identification of
defendant.
In an oral opinion issued September 23, 2015, the motion
judge found the victim and Officer Munoz to be credible witnesses.
He was convinced that the victim's identification of defendant was
reliable and was a product of her perceptions at the time of the
robbery. The judge found that the identification occurred in
close proximity to the location of the robbery and within a few
3 Defendant has not provided us with the forms, and we therefore cannot engage in meaningful appellate review of his argument that the forms were completed improperly. See Cipala v. Lincoln Tech. Inst., 179 N.J. 45, 55 (2004).
5 A-4081-15T1 minutes after the crime occurred, and concluded that the police
did not unfairly influence the identification. The judge found
no need for a further hearing to explore the additional factors
set forth in State v. Henderson, 208 N.J. 208 (2011).
Having reviewed the record, we find no basis to disturb the
judge's factual findings and credibility determinations. See
State v. Cook, 330 N.J. Super. 395, 418 (App. Div.), certif.
denied, 165 N.J. 486 (2000). The judge appropriately ended the
hearing after listening to the credible testimony of Munoz and the
victim. "[T]he court can end the hearing at any time if it finds
from the testimony that defendant's threshold allegation of
suggestiveness is groundless." Henderson, supra, 208 N.J. at 289.
"[T]he ultimate burden remains on the defendant to prove a very
substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification." Ibid.
The Wade hearing evidence did not come close to satisfying that
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NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R.1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-4081-15T1
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
SANTOS L. VARGAS, a/k/a VARGAS PABON SANTOS, LOPEZ SANTOS, PABON SANTOS and PABON VARGAS,
Defendant-Appellant. ______________________________
Submitted September 12, 2017 – Decided September 26, 2017
Before Judges Reisner and Mayer.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Union County, Indictment No. 15-03-0194.
Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for appellant (John Douard, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, of counsel and on the brief).
Grace H. Park, Acting Union County Prosecutor, attorney for respondent (Steven William Bondi, Special Deputy Attorney General/Acting Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).
PER CURIAM Defendant Santos L. Vargas was convicted by a jury of second-
degree robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, and was sentenced to a
discretionary extended term of thirteen years in prison, subject
to the No Early Release Act (NERA), N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.2. We affirm
defendant's conviction. However, we remand for resentencing.
The State's principal trial evidence consisted of testimony
from the victim, identifying defendant as the man who grabbed her
purse and stole her cell phone. The State also presented testimony
from an eyewitness, Mr. Anagbo, who heard the victim's screams and
then saw defendant walking away from the victim, stuffing items
in his pockets. Anagbo followed defendant from the robbery scene
to a gas station a short distance away. As he followed defendant,
Anagbo called 911 and reported the crime and a description of the
perpetrator. While Anagbo was still talking to the 911 operator,
the police arrived, and he pointed out defendant to them as the
robber. A few minutes later, the police brought the victim to the
gas station for a show-up identification procedure, and she
immediately identified defendant as the man who robbed her. The
State also introduced a video from a security camera, which
recorded the robbery as it occurred.
2 A-4081-15T1 Defendant's appeal of his conviction is limited to the denial
of his pre-trial Wade1 motion. He also challenges his sentence.
Defendant presents the following points of argument for our
consideration:
POINT I: THE TRIAL COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE SHOWUP IDENTIFICATION TO BE USED AT TRIAL BECAUSE IT DID NOT SATISFY CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS OF RELIABILITY UNDER STATE v. HENDERSON AND STATE v. JONES.
A. The Police Failed To Keep Adequate Records Of The Showup Procedure, As Required By State v. Delgado.
B. The Judge's Reliability Deter- mination Failed To Clearly Account For All Of The Estimator Variables That May Bias A Showup Identi- fication As Required By State v. Henderson, And Improperly Considered Background Knowledge That Anagbo Had Followed Mr. Vargas.
POINT II: THE COURT IMPROPERLY DENIED MR. VARGAS'S APPLICATION TO DRUG COURT AND IMPOSED AN EXCESSIVE SENTENCE.
A. The Court Improperly Denied Mr. Vargas The Opportunity To Participate In Drug Court After Failing To Give Full And Fair Consideration To His Application And Incorrectly Using His Prior Drug Court Involvement As A Basis For Rejection.
1 United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 87 S. Ct. 1926, 18 L. Ed. 2d 1149 (1967).
3 A-4081-15T1 1. That Mr. Vargas Applied To Drug Court After He Was Convicted At Trial Not Only Fails To Preclude Entry Into Drug Court, But Is Assumed By Special Probation To Be An Option.
2. The Judge Improperly Weighed Mr. Vargas's Non-Existent Record Of Violent Offenses.
3. That Mr. Vargas Had Been Sentenced To Drug Court But Had His Probation Revoked Was Irrelevant To Whether Mr. Vargas Currently Qualifies For Admission To Drug Court.
B. Mr. Vargas's Sentence Was Excessive.
We begin by addressing the Wade issue.2 The identification
took place ten to fifteen minutes after the robbery occurred.
According to Officer Munoz, who drove the victim from the crime
scene to the gas station, she spoke Spanish and he communicated
with her entirely in Spanish. During the short drive to the gas
station, Munoz told the victim that the police had detained a
"possible suspect," but he did not tell her that the individual
was the robber or that she had to make an identification. Officer
Munoz testified that, as soon as the victim saw defendant, she
2 In the trial court, the State conceded that because the victim first identified defendant to the police in the context of a show- up procedure, there was sufficient evidence of suggestibility to require a Wade hearing.
4 A-4081-15T1 immediately and definitively identified him as the robber. Munoz
did not have a packet of standard on-scene identification forms
in the patrol car. See State v. Delgado, 188 N.J. 48 (2006).
However, he and the victim filled out the forms at the police
station the day after the robbery.3
In her hearing testimony, the victim confirmed that Munoz
told her that the police had detained someone and he was taking
her to see "if that was the person that had mugged me." Munoz did
not tell her that the person was the mugger and did not tell her
that she had to make an identification. According to the victim,
she identified defendant by the gray color of the jacket he was
wearing and by his light skin color. She testified that she told
Munoz she was "99 percent" certain of her identification of
defendant.
In an oral opinion issued September 23, 2015, the motion
judge found the victim and Officer Munoz to be credible witnesses.
He was convinced that the victim's identification of defendant was
reliable and was a product of her perceptions at the time of the
robbery. The judge found that the identification occurred in
close proximity to the location of the robbery and within a few
3 Defendant has not provided us with the forms, and we therefore cannot engage in meaningful appellate review of his argument that the forms were completed improperly. See Cipala v. Lincoln Tech. Inst., 179 N.J. 45, 55 (2004).
5 A-4081-15T1 minutes after the crime occurred, and concluded that the police
did not unfairly influence the identification. The judge found
no need for a further hearing to explore the additional factors
set forth in State v. Henderson, 208 N.J. 208 (2011).
Having reviewed the record, we find no basis to disturb the
judge's factual findings and credibility determinations. See
State v. Cook, 330 N.J. Super. 395, 418 (App. Div.), certif.
denied, 165 N.J. 486 (2000). The judge appropriately ended the
hearing after listening to the credible testimony of Munoz and the
victim. "[T]he court can end the hearing at any time if it finds
from the testimony that defendant's threshold allegation of
suggestiveness is groundless." Henderson, supra, 208 N.J. at 289.
"[T]he ultimate burden remains on the defendant to prove a very
substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification." Ibid.
The Wade hearing evidence did not come close to satisfying that
burden.
Contrary to defendant's argument, we do not read the judge's
opinion as relying on Anagbo's identification of defendant as
bolstering the reliability of the victim's identification. See
State v. Jones, 224 N.J. 70, 89 (2016) ("[E]xtrinsic evidence of
guilt plays no role in assessing whether a suggestive eyewitness
identification was nonetheless inherently reliable.").
Defendant's remaining arguments on this point are without
6 A-4081-15T1 sufficient merit to warrant discussion in a written opinion. R.
2:11-3(e)(2). We affirm defendant's conviction.
Turning to defendant's sentencing arguments, we agree with
defendant that in rejecting defendant's Drug Court application,
the trial court mistakenly considered as a negative factor
defendant's insistence on going to trial. Drug Court probation
is a post-conviction sentencing alternative, which may be imposed
"whenever a drug or alcohol dependent person . . . is convicted
of . . . an offense" and satisfies the other relevant provisions
of the statute. See N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14(a). In fact, in deciding
whether to sentence a convicted offender to Drug Court, the judge
"shall take judicial notice of any evidence, testimony or
information adduced at the trial, plea hearing or other court
proceedings . . . ." N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14 (emphasis added).
A defendant has a constitutional right to assert his or her
innocence and put the State to its proofs, and a court cannot
impose a "trial penalty" on a defendant who chooses to invoke that
constitutional right. See N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(c)(1); State v.
Jimenez, 266 N.J. Super. 560, 570 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 134
N.J. 559 (1993). Because the trial court gave negative weight to
defendant's constitutionally-protected choice in this case, we are
constrained to remand this matter for a new sentencing hearing.
At the time of the resentencing hearing, the court shall consider
7 A-4081-15T1 defendant's individual situation "as he stands before the court
on that day," including any changed circumstances. See State v.
Randolph, 210 N.J. 330, 354 (2012). To ensure a meaningful re-
hearing, defendant shall be given a TASC evaluation prior to the
hearing.
In light of the remand, it would be premature to address
defendant's additional arguments concerning his sentence.
Affirmed in part, remanded in part. We do not retain
jurisdiction.
8 A-4081-15T1