State v. Sepulveda

584 P.2d 1169, 120 Ariz. 178, 1978 Ariz. App. LEXIS 390
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedSeptember 12, 1978
Docket1 CA-CR 2392
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 584 P.2d 1169 (State v. Sepulveda) 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. Sepulveda, 584 P.2d 1169, 120 Ariz. 178, 1978 Ariz. App. LEXIS 390 (Ark. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinions

OPINION

JACOBSON, Judge.

The main issue on this appeal is whether statements made by a criminal defendant to a probation officer in preparation of a pre-sentence report as a result of an agreed submission and finding of guilt subsequently withdrawn may be introduced in the trial of the defendant on the criminal charge involved.

The defendant-appellant, Frank Roy Se-pulveda, was charged and convicted of an assault with a deadly weapon arising out of his shooting an individual in a downtown Phoenix bar. The defendant took the stand and admitted the shooting, but attempted to raise the issue of self-defense.

Prior to his jury trial, the defendant was originally charged on November 23, 1975 and released on that date on bail. An information was filed on December 22, 1975, and on April 21, 1976, the defendant submitted the issue of his guilt or innocence to the trial court based upon the preliminary hearing transcript. This was done in reliance upon a discussion between the trial judge, the prosecutor, and defendant’s counsel, where the trial judge indicated that the matter would probably be treated as a misdemeanor, with the appellant receiving a suspended sentence.

On May 4, 1976, the trial court found the defendant guilty of aggravated battery, open end. Following the determination of guilt, the defendant submitted himself to an interview with a probation officer for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. In this interview, the defendant made incriminating statements. The final pre-sen-tence report recommended that the matter be treated as a felony and that the defendant receive a minimum period of incarceration in the Arizona State Prison.

After receipt of the pre-sentence report, defendant’s counsel moved to withdraw the submission, based upon the previous understanding that misdemeanor treatment would be afforded and the contrary probation recommendation that the matter be treated as a felony. On July 26, 1976, the trial court granted this motion, set aside the submission, reinstated the information, and set the matter for trial.

On August 25, 1976, the defendant moved for dismissal for violation of time limits imposed by Rules 8.2 and 8.4, Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure. This motion was denied and a jury trial commenced on September 3, 1976.

At trial, after the state had rested, the defendant took the stand and testified that the victim had “kind of hit and grabbed my shoulder.” On cross-examination, the deputy county attorney requested that the defendant demonstrate on him exactly how the defendant’s shoulder was grabbed. Defense counsel objected to this demonstration, but was over-ruled, and the demonstration was performed before the jury.

At the close of the defense’s case, a conference was held in chambers to discuss the state’s calling the probation officer who had prepared the earlier pre-sentence report as the state’s rebuttal witness. The defendant objected, was over-ruled and the probation officer was permitted to testify before the jury as to the incriminating statements made to him by the defendant.

The jury was instructed on reasonable doubt and told that the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense. No objections were made to these instructions. The jury found the defendant guilty and he was sentenced to a term of 8 to 10 years in the Arizona State Prison. This appeal followed.

The defendant raises the following issues on appeal:

[180]*1801. That trial time limits imposed by the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure were violated and that his constitutional rights to a speedy trial were violated.
2. That requiring the defendant to submit to the in-court demonstration was error.
3. That allowing the probation officer to testify to statements made in connection with a pre-sentence report for a finding of guilt which was set aside was error.
4. That the trial court improperly instructed the jury on reasonable doubt.
5. That the trial court erred in denying defendant’s motion for a directed verdict.

Since the issues concerning the Rule violation of trial time limits and the use of the probation officer’s testimony raise substantial questions, these will be discussed first.

TIME LIMITATION VIOLATION

The defendant contends that since he was charged in this matter on November 23, 1975 and not tried until September 3, 1976, the 120-day limit imposed by Rule 8.2 for bringing the defendant to trial was violated.

In our opinion, the reasoning in State v. Doskocil, 113 Ariz. 413, 555 P.2d 659 (1976) is controlling on this issue. In Doskocil, the state and the defendant entered into a plea agreement which was subsequently rejected by the court. In determining what trial time limits should be imposed in such case, the court stated:

“It is our position . . . that Rule 8.4(a) does not come into play when a plea agreement has been filed and a guilty plea entered. Such an agreement presupposes a disposition of the case in the same context as a trial in which it is assumed that after hearing all of the evidence the judge will decide the case in the exact way the parties have agreed. If, after having heard all of the evidence, the judge cannot so decide the case, in fairness to the parties the judge should declare a mistrial. The analogy between a rejected plea bargain and a mistrial is so compelling to us that we feel that Rule 8.2(d) should apply. This rule requires that the new trial ordered after a mistrial shall commence within 60 days of the entry of the order declaring the mistrial, in this instance, 60 days from . when the court rejected the plea agreement.” State v. Doskocil, 113 Ariz. 413, 415, 555 P.2d 659, 661 (1976).

In our opinion, the rejected plea agreement analogy is applicable here. In this case, the parties agreed to submit the issue of guilt or innocence to the trial court based upon the preliminary hearing transcript with the understanding that if the defendant was found guilty the matter would be treated as a misdemeanor and a suspended sentence imposed. When it became apparent that the trial court would not or could not live up to this agreement, the defendant sought and was permitted to withdraw the submission. While a rejected agreement to submission is not technically the same as a rejected plea agreement, the elements are the same—an agreement, a realization the agreement cannot be abided with, and a withdrawal of the agreement.

Based upon Doskocil, we hold that a rejected agreement to submission is analogous to a mistrial and therefore Rule 8.2(d) applies. Under Rule 8.2(d), the state has the obligation to try the defendant within 60 days of the date the trial court rejects the agreed submission and finding of guilt. In this case, this was accomplished on July 26, 1976, which meant that the last day for trial was September 24, 1976. The defendant was tried on September 3, 1976. We find no violation of the time limits imposed by the Rules of Criminal Procedure.

The defendant also argues a U.S. constitutional 6th Amendment speedy trial violation. In determining whether constitutional.

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Related

State v. Bruggeman
744 P.2d 16 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1987)
State v. Burciaga
705 P.2d 1384 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1985)
State v. Politte
664 P.2d 661 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1982)
State v. Vaughan
602 P.2d 831 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1979)
State v. Sepulveda
584 P.2d 1169 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
584 P.2d 1169, 120 Ariz. 178, 1978 Ariz. App. LEXIS 390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-sepulveda-arizctapp-1978.