State v. VanDeusen

CourtConnecticut Appellate Court
DecidedNovember 3, 2015
DocketAC37781
StatusPublished

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

Bluebook
State v. VanDeusen, (Colo. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

****************************************************** The ‘‘officially released’’ date that appears near the beginning of each opinion is the date the opinion will be published in the Connecticut Law Journal or the date it was released as a slip opinion. The operative date for the beginning of all time periods for filing postopinion motions and petitions for certification is the ‘‘officially released’’ date appearing in the opinion. In no event will any such motions be accepted before the ‘‘officially released’’ date. All opinions are subject to modification and technical correction prior to official publication in the Connecti- cut Reports and Connecticut Appellate Reports. In the event of discrepancies between the electronic version of an opinion and the print version appearing in the Connecticut Law Journal and subsequently in the Con- necticut Reports or Connecticut Appellate Reports, the latest print version is to be considered authoritative. The syllabus and procedural history accompanying the opinion as it appears on the Commission on Official Legal Publications Electronic Bulletin Board Service and in the Connecticut Law Journal and bound volumes of official reports are copyrighted by the Secretary of the State, State of Connecticut, and may not be repro- duced and distributed without the express written per- mission of the Commission on Official Legal Publications, Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut. ****************************************************** STATE OF CONNECTICUT v. SARA E. VANDEUSEN (AC 35504) DiPentima, C. J., and Prescott, and Bear, Js. Argued April 7—officially released November 3, 2015

(Appeal from Superior Court, judicial district of Litchfield, Ginocchio, J.) Pamela S. Nagy, assigned counsel, for the appel- lant (defendant). Timothy F. Costello, assistant state’s attorney, with whom, on the brief, were David S. Shepack, state’s attorney, and Dawn Gallo, senior assistant state’s attor- ney, for the appellee (state). Opinion

PRESCOTT, J. The defendant, Sara E. VanDeusen, appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of one count of conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree in violation of General Statutes §§ 53a-59 (a) (1) and 53a-48; one count of being an accessory to an attempt to commit assault in the first degree in violation of General Statutes §§ 53a-59 (a) (1), 53a-49 (a) (2), and 53a-8; and one count of risk of injury to a child in violation of General Statutes § 53- 21 (a) (1). In addition, the jury also found, pursuant to an interrogatory on each count, that ‘‘the defendant or another participant used or was armed with and threatened the use of or displayed a firearm,’’ and the court accordingly enhanced her sentence pursuant to General Statutes § 53-202k. On appeal, the defendant claims that (1) the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction of conspiracy and attempt to commit assault in the first degree, and of risk of injury to a child, (2) the trial court improperly instructed the jury on the elements of conspiracy and attempt to commit assault in the first degree, and (3) the court improperly enhanced her sentence on the counts of conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree and risk of injury to a child pursuant to § 53- 202k. We affirm the judgment of the court with respect to the first and the second claims. With respect to the third claim, we agree with the defendant that the court improperly enhanced her sentence on the counts of conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree and risk of injury to a child. We, thus, affirm the trial court’s judgment in part and reverse it in part. The following facts, which the jury reasonably could have found, and procedural history are relevant to this appeal. The charges against the defendant stem from a shooting that occurred on the evening of January 10, 2009, in Torrington at the residence of J.L., her then three year old son, A.S., and her boyfriend, Gregorio Rodriguez.1 Prior to the shooting, the defendant and J.L. were good friends and had several mutual acquaintances, including the defendant’s roommate, Carlos Casiano, as well as Alyssa Ayala and her boyfriend, Charles Knowles. At some point, however, the relationship between J.L. and Ayala became antagonistic because J.L. had a sexual encounter with Knowles in October or November, 2008. Once Ayala had learned of the encounter, she became angry with J.L. and threatened to ‘‘fuck that bitch up for messing with [her] man . . . .’’ At the same time, the relationship between Rodriguez and Knowles also became antagonistic. Both were drug dealers, but belonged to two rival gangs. On January 9, 2009, Knowles and Rodriguez engaged in a fistfight at a local pub. As a result of the fight, Knowles suffered a broken facial bone, for which he sought treatment at a hospital the following day. At the hospital, Knowles was accompanied by Ayala and Casiano. While waiting at the hospital, the trio discussed going to J.L.’s and Rodriguez’ residence to ‘‘get back at them.’’ Ayala, however, was concerned that neither Knowles nor she herself could participate in a physical altercation.2 Ayala then called the defendant and explained to her the nature and extent of Knowles’ injury. The defendant later arrived at the hospital to pick up Ayala and Knowles. Once she had seen the extent of the injury, the defendant offered to fight J.L. instead of having Ayala fight J.L. because, according to the defendant, J.L.’s sexual relationships with both Rodri- guez and Knowles had instigated the fight at the pub the previous night. Ayala thereafter placed several telephone calls from a private number to J.L.’s residence, trying to ascertain whether she and Rodriguez were there by pretending to be someone else looking for Rodriguez. Having never- theless recognized Ayala as the caller, J.L. told her that Rodriguez was home and further remarked that her minor child was also at home.3 Alarmed by Ayala’s calls, J.L. called the defendant and told her that Ayala was ‘‘trying to start problems . . . .’’ During that conversation, J.L. threatened to ‘‘kick [Ayala’s] ass’’ and stated that she had sexual inter- course with Knowles throughout the entire time that Ayala had been dating him. In addition, J.L. gave the defendant her new address, adding that Ayala could come over if she wanted to have an altercation.4 The defendant then called Ayala and relayed to her the essence of her conversation with J.L. and, once again, volunteered to fight in Ayala’s stead. Knowles overheard J.L.’s challenge and became ‘‘mad’’ because J.L. had threatened to beat up his pregnant girlfriend. Knowles then called Casiano and asked Casiano to fight Rodriguez. Knowles also told Casiano to come get him at Ayala’s residence and to bring the defendant because ‘‘she was the only one [who] knew where [J.L.] lived . . . .’’ Knowles then mentioned to Casiano that he had a gun. After the call to Casiano, Knowles also called his mother in New York and told her that he would be coming back there.5 Thereafter, Casiano and the defendant picked up Knowles in a green van. Before leaving Ayala’s resi- dence, Knowles retrieved a handgun from a shoe box in a bedroom closet. The trio then headed to J.L.’s residence. On the way to J.L.’s residence, the defendant saw that Knowles was armed. Despite her knowledge of the handgun, after pulling up in front of J.L.’s resi- dence, the defendant called J.L. from her cellular phone and asked her and Rodriguez to come out of the house. Sensing trouble, J.L. refused to come out, hung up the telephone, and turned off the lights in the living room, which was facing the street. Once the defendant, Casiano, and Knowles realized that J.L. and Rodriguez were not going to come out, Knowles opened the van’s door and fired his handgun at the residence. Inside of the residence, Rodriguez and J.L.’s friend, Casey Delmonte, who were watching television in a back bedroom, heard ‘‘a very loud noise . .

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State v. VanDeusen, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-vandeusen-connappct-2015.