State Of Washington v. Juan G. Fregoso Uribe

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided March 17, 2020·No. 52054-1·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed

Washington State

Court of Appeals

Division Two

March 17, 2020

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 52054-1-II

Respondent,

UNPUBLISHED OPINION

v.

JUAN GABRIEL FREGOSO URIBE, Appellant.

MAXA, C.J. – Juan Fregoso Uribe appeals his convictions of first degree child rape, three counts of first degree child molestation, and indecent liberties with forcible compulsion. The victim of all these crimes was his young niece. Fregoso Uribe also appeals a community custody condition precluding contact with his children and certain legal financial obligations (LFOs).

We hold that (1) the trial court did not misadvise Fregoso Uribe regarding his right to testify at trial, and (2) the trial court did not err in prohibiting cross-examination of the victim’s mother and grandmother regarding bias because the alleged evidence of bias was irrelevant. However, we hold that the trial court erred in imposing the sentencing condition that prohibited Fregoso Uribe’s contact with his children without considering on the record the effect of the condition on his constitutional right to parent. And on remand the trial court must consider the imposition of LFOs under the current law.

Accordingly, we affirm Fregoso Uribe’s convictions, but we strike the sentencing condition prohibiting Fregoso Uribe’s contact with his children and remand for the trial court to reconsider that condition and to consider the imposition of LFOs under the current law.

FACTS

Background Fregoso Uribe lived with his wife Patricia Olvera1 and their four young children. AOS is the daughter of Patricia’s brother and her brother’s wife Eugenia Olvera Gomez. In addition to being AOS’s aunt and uncle, Fregoso Uribe and Patricia also were AOS’s godparents. They frequently provided child care in their home for AOS while her parents were working, from the time AOS was about four years old. After AOS’s younger brother was born, he also went to daycare at Patricia and Fregoso Uribe’s house.

In February 2017, near the time of her eighth birthday, AOS told her grandmother Ramona Olvera that Fregoso Uribe touched her vagina, put her hand on his penis, and penetrated her vaginally and anally. Ramona later had a conversation with Mauricio, Eugenia, and AOS in which AOS repeated for her parents what she initially had told Ramona.

The State charged Fregoso Uribe with first degree rape of a child, three counts of first degree child molestation, and indecent liberties by forcible compulsion. Impeachment on Bias Fregoso Uribe believed that his sister-in-law Eugenia and his mother-in-law Ramona, AOS’s mother and grandmother, were unhappy with him and had convinced AOS to fabricate the accusations against him. Fregoso Uribe thought that Eugenia was angry with him because

1 To distinguish the members of Fregoso Uribe’s wife’s family from each other, we refer to them by their first names. No offense is intended.

three or four years before trial, he had grabbed her foot in a way she perceived to be sexual while they were goofing around in the living room. Eugenia later complained to Ramona that Fregoso Uribe had tried to sexually molest her. Fregoso Uribe thought that Ramona was angry with him because 10 to 12 years before trial, she told him that one of her eight children was not actually her husband’s son. Fregoso Uribe thought that Ramona was worried that he would expose the secret when he was drunk.

Fregoso Uribe’s attorney sought permission to impeach Eugenia’s and Ramona’s credibility with this information on cross-examination. The court ruled that nothing about Eugenia would be allowed because given the fact that she had left her son and daughter in Fregoso Uribe’s care for four years, Fregoso Uribe’s claim that Eugenia was thinking he molested her was inconsistent with any reasonable analysis. The trial court also ruled that no information about Ramona having a child with someone other than her husband would be admissible to impeach her credibility because there was no rational connection or nexus between this information and AOS’s disclosures to her.

At trial, Ramona testified that she was the first adult to whom AOS reported that Fregoso Uribe had been having sexual contact with her. Eugenia testified that AOS told her and Mauricio that Fregoso Uribe had sexual contact with AOS on numerous occasions. Colloquy Regarding Fregoso Uribe’s Testimony Fregoso Uribe’s attorney informed the court that “I’ve had a discussion with my client – same discussion we’ve had at the jail several times. My client . . . believes certain things should – he should be allowed to do on the stand.” 5 Report of Proceedings (RP) at 940.

Fregoso Uribe apparently wanted to discuss on the stand events that had occurred in Mexico despite his attorney’s advice “that that’s not a good idea at all” and that he was

“vehemently opposed to that.” 5 RP at 940. Fregoso Uribe thought there had been numerous inconsistencies in the trial testimony up to that point and “indicated that he feels there might be a conspiracy of friendship between the Prosecutor and the cop and the doctor – that they’re friends since they hang out together.” 5 RP at 940. Fregoso Uribe’s attorney advised the trial court that “he does want to testify but I’m – I’m advising the court that I have some great concerns about it at this point.” 5 RP at 941.

The trial court asked Fregoso Uribe, “As an Offer of Proof what about Mexico is relevant to this case?” 5 RP at 941. Fregoso Uribe apparently was concerned that the prosecutor would ask him on cross-examination about why he went to Mexico after learning about AOS’s allegations against him. The trial court responded:

Judge: I’ve – I’ve already instructed [the prosecutor] that she is not allowed to raise the issue of you fleeing to Mexico. If you’ll recall she wanted to have that evidence presented to the jury as an inference of a consciousness of guilt – that you fled to Mexico because you believed yourself guilty.

I did not let her do that in her case-in-chief. I did say that if you – if the defense opens the door to that topic then I would let her go through that door that the defense opens.

So if you want to talk about fleeing to Mexico it’s going to open the door to the Prosecutor asking you all kinds of questions and then making the inference for the jury. That’s what I believe your attorney was probably trying to tell you but –

[Fregoso Uribe]: Okay. Understood.

5 RP at 943.

The trial court then asked Fregoso Uribe, “What else is a concern for you?” 5 RP at 943.

The following discussion occurred:

[Defense counsel]: . . . [Fregoso Uribe] feels that with the – all these experts that came in and testified that they’re very important people.

And that he wants to be able to refute each and every point that they said on – in – in their – in the CDs and – and on the audios. That they said this – they didn’t say this. He wants to go down each and every question. So . . . hundreds and hundreds of things that he wants to challenge.

Judge: It – it’s – that door has been closed on that cross exam tactic of those witnesses. Those witnesses were on the stand here for you to cross examine everything that was in those audios and the videos. [The child forensic interviewer]

was here this morning. That was your opportunity to cross examine her about that information.

[Defense counsel]: What he’s saying is he wants to be able to talk about those – Judge: He had the chance to talk about those – [Defense counsel]: – no. He – Judge: – in cross examination.

[Defense counsel]: – he wants to do it on the stand. He wants to do it on the stand now. He wants to say yeah she said this – but this is really bad. No she said this but she didn’t do that – she should have done this. He wants to be able to say that.

Judge: Okay. You can’t challenge the witness without the witness being able to – to be confronted by that challenge. You are sure able to testify about what you know. You cannot testify about what somebody else has told you. That’s hearsay.

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State Of Washington v. Juan G. Fregoso Uribe, (Wash. Ct. App. 2020).

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