People v. Navarro CA4/3
Filed 3/2/15 P. v. Navarro CA4/3
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION THREE
THE PEOPLE,
Plaintiff and Respondent, G049442
v. (Super. Ct. No. 11HF2348)
ESTEBAN DeJESUS NAVARRO, OPINION
Defendant and Appellant.
Appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Orange County, John Conley, Judge. Affirmed as modified. Stephen M. Hinkle, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Scott C. Taylor and Charles C. Ragland, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
Esteban DeJesus Navarro was sentenced to six years in prison for committing a lewd act with a child under the age of 14. His sole contention on appeal is that the trial court erred in ordering him to pay a restitution fine in the amount of $280. We agree with appellant that the fine must be reduced to $200. Other than to modify the judgment in that respect, we affirm. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In late 2010, appellant met a 13-year-old girl online through a social networking website. Although appellant was 28 years old at the time, he started dating the girl, and they had sexual intercourse several times in early 2011. The girl became pregnant and gave birth to appellant’s child in October 2011. Although appellant was working at Jack in the Box at the time he offended, the probation report indicates he lacked the financial ability to pay for the costs of his probation report. The trial court did not make any findings in that regard, but it imposed a restitution fine of $280, which was the minimum amount authorized under Penal Code section 1202.4 at the time appellant was sentenced in 2013. In objecting to that amount, defense counsel argued appellant’s fine should be determined in accordance with the restitution statute that existed at the time appellant committed his offense in 2011, not the time of sentencing.1 However, the trial judge disagreed, stating “[w]e have been told by the Administrative Office of the Courts that [a restitution fine] is kind of a user type fee, and that it goes with the date of conviction. Now, you’re free to contest that . . . but I haven’t seen anything to the contrary. And most of the state restitution funds have not related back to the date of the crime. For example, we could have a murder case 20 years old being sentenced today. So, you’ve made your record[.]”
More from California Court of Appeal
- People v. Hill (1998)
- In Re Autumn H. (1994)
- Nwosu v. Uba (2004)
- In Re Casey D. (1999)
- Santisas v. Goodin (1998)
- Cahill v. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. (2011)
- People v. Rivera (2015)
- People v. Barnett (1998)
- People v. Serrano (2012)
- Benach v. County of Los Angeles (2007)