State v. Lewis

CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedOctober 26, 2023
Docket1 CA-CR 22-0289
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Lewis (State v. Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Lewis, (Ark. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

NOTICE: NOT FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATION. UNDER ARIZONA RULE OF THE SUPREME COURT 111(c), THIS DECISION IS NOT PRECEDENTIAL AND MAY BE CITED ONLY AS AUTHORIZED BY RULE.

IN THE ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION ONE

STATE OF ARIZONA, Appellee,

v.

JAMES F. LEWIS, Appellant.

No. 1 CA-CR 22-0289 FILED 10/26/2023

Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County No. CR2020-001368-001 The Honorable Laura J. Giaquinto, Judge Pro Tempore

AFFIRMED

COUNSEL

Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Phoenix By Alice Jones Counsel for Appellee

Maricopa County Public Defenders Office, Phoenix By Cory Engle Counsel for Appellant

James F. Lewis, Tucson Appellant STATE v. LEWIS Decision of the Court

MEMORANDUM DECISION

Judge Daniel J. Kiley delivered the decision of the Court, in which Presiding Judge Maria Elena Cruz and Judge James B. Morse Jr. joined.

K I L E Y, Judge:

¶1 A jury convicted James F. Lewis of two counts of aggravated DUI, a class 4 felony. Lewis now appeals his convictions and sentences pursuant to Anders v. California, 368 U.S. 738 (1967), and State v. Leon, 104 Ariz. 297 (1969). Stating that her search of the record has identified no arguable issues for appeal, Lewis’s counsel asks us to review the record for fundamental error. Lewis has filed a supplemental brief in propria persona. After reviewing the record and considering the arguments Lewis raises on his own behalf, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶2 This Court’s obligation here “is to review the entire record for reversible error, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to sustaining the convictions and resolving all reasonable inferences against” the appellant. State v. Melendez, __ Ariz. __, 2023 WL 4728653 at *1, ¶ 1 (Ariz. App. July 25, 2023) (cleaned up).

¶3 Viewed in this manner, the record shows that on October 21, 2018, a 911 caller reported a stopped car blocking a northbound lane of traffic on the I-17 freeway. Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Munoz responded to the scene. As soon as Trooper Munoz pulled up behind the vehicle with his emergency lights on, the vehicle began moving. Munoz then initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver (and sole occupant) by his Arizona identification card as James F. Lewis. A computerized record check disclosed that Lewis’s driver’s license was suspended.

¶4 Trooper Munoz observed that Lewis “display[ed] abnormal behavior” in that he “was very fidgety” and his eyes “were moving pretty fast all over the place.” Lewis stated that he was having a panic attack, so Munoz requested medical attention from the Phoenix Fire Department. Emergency medical technicians arrived, assessed Lewis, and medically

2 STATE v. LEWIS Decision of the Court

cleared him. They informed Trooper Munoz, however, that Lewis reported having recently taken tramadol.

¶5 Arizona Department of Public Safety Detective Houchens, a drug recognition expert, arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.

¶6 After Lewis, his vehicle, and all other personnel and vehicles were moved off the highway to a location away from traffic, Munoz read Lewis his rights per Miranda.1 Lewis agreed to answer questions and disclosed that he had recently taken tramadol and used medical marijuana. Detective Houchens then asked Lewis if he was willing to perform field sobriety tests; Lewis agreed. Lewis underwent several tests, including the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test, the Romberg modified test, and the finger-to-nose test. Determining from the tests that Lewis was under the influence, Detective Houchens placed him under arrest and transported him to a Department of Public Safety station.

¶7 After Lewis consented to a blood test, Sergeant Kudler, a phlebotomist, drew a sample of his blood, which was then submitted for testing. Lewis was not charged or booked into jail that evening.

¶8 The blood analysis yielded positive results for phencyclidine (PCP) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The State presented the case to a grand jury in February 2020, which charged Lewis with two counts of aggravated DUI.

¶9 Lewis sought a Rule 11 evaluation to determine his competency twice before trial. Each time, the court appointed mental health professionals to evaluate Lewis. After considering the experts’ reports, the court determined, both times, that Lewis was competent to stand trial.

¶10 At a trial management conference on March 22, 2022, the court granted Lewis’s request to represent himself after engaging in a colloquy to determine that he was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waiving his right to counsel. The court then appointed Lewis’s attorney, Jose Saldivar, to serve as advisory counsel.

¶11 Trial began six days later, on March 28, 2022. Lewis represented himself throughout the majority of the trial, though, at Lewis’s request, the court allowed advisory counsel to step in to handle the cross- examination of the State’s forensic scientist and to examine Lewis when he took the stand. At the conclusion of the State’s case-in-chief, Lewis moved

1 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).

3 STATE v. LEWIS Decision of the Court

for a directed verdict under Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 20. After argument, the court denied the motion. Lewis then testified on his own behalf, and the State impeached him with one prior felony conviction under Arizona Rule of Evidence 609. The jury found Lewis guilty as to both aggravated DUI counts.

¶12 At the subsequent sentencing hearing, the court weighed aggravating and mitigating factors and sentenced Lewis to a mitigated term of 8 years with credit for 103 days’ time served. The court imposed a total amount of $4,649 in fees and fines.

¶13 Lewis timely appealed. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article 6, Section 9, of the Arizona Constitution and A.R.S. §§ 12-120.21(A)(1), 13-4031, and 13-4033(A)(1).

DISCUSSION

¶14 After reviewing the entire record, see State v. Thompson, 229 Ariz. 43, 45, ¶ 3 (App. 2012), we find no reversible error. No evidence was obtained in a manner that violated Lewis’s constitutional or statutory rights. All of the proceedings were conducted in compliance with applicable statutes and court rules. At all stages of the proceedings, Lewis was either represented by counsel or represented himself with the assistance of advisory counsel. The sentences imposed were within the statutory parameters, with proper credit for time spent in pretrial custody.

¶15 Lewis raises a number of arguments in his supplemental brief, all of which we reject as meritless.

A. The Court Did Not Abuse Its Discretion In Finding Lewis Competent.

¶16 First, Lewis contends that the State violated due process by trying him while incompetent, stating that he has “obvious mental health issues.”

¶17 This Court “review[s] a trial court’s finding of competency for abuse of discretion,” determining “whether reasonable evidence supports the trial court’s finding that the defendant was competent” while viewing “the facts in the light most favorable to sustaining the trial court’s finding.” State v. Glassel, 211 Ariz. 33, 44, ¶ 27 (2005). The trial judge’s determination of competency is entitled to deference in part because the judge is able to directly observe the defendant during court proceedings. See Bishop v. Superior Court, 150 Ariz. 404, 409 (1986) (“On questions of competency to

4 STATE v. LEWIS Decision of the Court

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State v. Lewis, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lewis-arizctapp-2023.