California Court of Appeal Sep 29, 2023 No. E079765Unpublished
Filed 9/29/23 P. v. Madrid CA4/2
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 TWO
THE PEOPLE,
Plaintiff and Respondent, E079765
v. (Super.Ct.No. FWV1404280)
JOSEPH MADRID, OPINION
Defendant and Appellant.
APPEAL from the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. Bridgid M.
McCann, Judge. Reversed and remanded with directions.
William J. Capriola, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and
Appellant.
Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney
General, Charles C. Ragland, Assistant Attorney General, Paige B. Hazard and Steve
Oetting, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
Petitioner Joseph Madrid pleaded no contest to attempted murder; he stipulated
that the police reports provided a factual basis for the plea. (See Pen. Code, § 1192.5,
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subd. (c).)1 Seven years later, he filed a petition to vacate the attempted murder
conviction under section 1172.6.2 The trial court denied the petition, on the ground that
the police reports showed that Madrid fired the shot that constituted the attempted
murder; thus, he was a direct perpetrator, acting with actual malice, rather than an aider
and abettor, acting with malice imputed to him under the natural and probable
consequences doctrine.
In this appeal, Madrid contends that the trial court erred by considering facts stated
in the police reports. We agree. The trial court could consider only the record of
conviction. It is well-established that police reports are not part of the record of
conviction. It is also well-established that a stipulation that a document or other source
provides a factual basis for a plea is not an admission of any facts stated in that source,
other than the bare elements of the crime.
The People do not argue otherwise. They merely argue that the cases that Madrid
cited in his opening brief fell short of establishing that it was error to consider the police
reports. We, however, are not limited to the case law cited by a party.
1 All further statutory citations are to the Penal Code. 2 The petition was actually filed under former section 1170.95. (Stats. 2018, ch. 1015, § 4, amended by Stats. 2021, ch. 551, § 2.) Effective June 30, 2022, former section 1170.95 was renumbered as section 1172.6, with no change in text. (Stats. 2022, ch. 58, § 10.) We will use section 1172.6, somewhat anachronistically, to refer to whichever one of the two statutes was in effect at the relevant time.
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I
STATEMENT OF FACTS
According to the police reports, the victim went to a 7-11 store. Madrid and his
brother Enrique Madrid were inside. Madrid asked the victim if he was a gang member;
the victim denied it. Both Madrid and his brother grabbed their waistbands as if they had
guns. The victim backed out of the store; Madrid and his brother followed. While the
brother brandished a pocketknife, Madrid pulled out a gun, said “Playboys,” and fired,
hitting the victim in the stomach.
II
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
In 2014, in a felony complaint, Madrid and his brother were charged jointly with
attempted murder (§§ 187, subd. (a), 664, subd. (a)), with an enhancement for being a
principal in a gang crime in which a firearm was used (§ 12022.53, subds. (b), (e)(1)),
and with a gang enhancement (§ 186.22, subd. (b)). As to Madrid, one strike prior was
also alleged. (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12.)
In 2015, pursuant to a plea bargain, Madrid pleaded no contest to attempted
murder (§§ 187, subd. (a), 664, subd. (a)) and admitted an enhancement for personal use
of a firearm (§ 12022.53, subd. (b)).3 He also pleaded no contest to a new charge of
3 Section 12022.53, subdivision (b) (subdivision (b)), applies to a person who personally uses a firearm. Section 12022.53, subdivision (e)(1) (subdivision (e)(1)), then provides that subdivision (b) also applies to a person who is a principal in an offense, if a gang enhancement applies to that person, and if any principal in the offense personally used a firearm. [footnote continued on next page]
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assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. (§ 245, subd. (a)(4).) Pursuant to
the plea bargain, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The parties stipulated that “the
police reports would establish a factual basis” for the plea.
At the same time, also pursuant to a plea bargain, Madrid’s brother pleaded guilty
to assault with a deadly weapon, “to wit, a knife.” (§ 245, subd. (a)(1).)
In 2022, Madrid filed a petition for resentencing under section 1172.6. The trial
court appointed counsel. Madrid’s counsel objected to the police reports as hearsay.
In opposition to the petition, the People asked the trial court to take judicial notice
of the entire court file and, in particular, the two defendants’ pleas. They argued that
Madrid’s plea to attempted murder with a personal firearm use enhancement, combined
with his brother’s guilty plea to assault with a knife, established that Madrid was not
convicted on a natural and probable consequences theory.
At the prima facie hearing, the trial court indicated that it had “looked at the court
file,” including the felony complaint, Madrid’s plea form, and the police reports, as well
as the reporter’s transcript of the plea and sentencing.
Madrid’s counsel objected to Madrid’s brother’s plea form as hearsay. The trial
court responded that, “in an abundance of caution,” it would not consider it, but it would
As mentioned, the complaint alleged only “that a principal personally used a firearm,” citing subdivisions (b) and (e)(1). The plea form, however, indicated that Madrid was admitting an enhancement under subdivision (b). Orally, he admitted “that in the commission of th[e] offense [he] personally used a firearm.” The minute order of the plea hearing recites that Madrid admitted an enhancement under subdivisions (b) and (e)(1). Given the plea form and Madrid’s actual oral admission, this is clearly a mistake. He admitted only an enhancement under subdivision (b).
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consider Madrid’s own “probation report, only as it relates to the co-defendant’s
disposition.”
The trial court denied the petition, ruling that it failed to state a prima facie case.
It explained that Madrid had admitted a personal firearm use enhancement. It added, “In
light of the police reports and co-defendant’s plea to assault with a knife, there is no
evidence that even suggests the co-defendant ever possessed or fired a gun.”
III
DISCUSSION
Madrid contends that he made a prima facie showing that he was eligible for
relief. Under this heading, he contends that his admission that he personally used a
firearm does not conclusively establish that he had the intent to kill; and that his
stipulation that the police reports provided a factual basis for the plea was not an
admission that the facts stated in the police reports were true.
A. General Legal Background.
Ordinarily, “[a]ttempted murder requires express malice, i.e., intent to kill.”
(People v. Stone (2009) 46 Cal.4th 131, 139.)
When Madrid was tried, however, an aider and abettor could be found guilty of
attempted murder, even absent the intent to kill, under the natural and probable
consequences doctrine.
Under this doctrine, “‘[a]n aider and abettor [wa]s guilty not only of the intended,
or target, crime but also of any other crime a principal in the target crime actually
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commits (the nontarget crime) that is a natural and probable consequence of the target
crime. [Citations.] “Thus, for example, if a person aid[ed] and abet[ted] only an
intended assault, but a murder result[ed], that person [could] be guilty of that murder,
even if unintended, if it [wa]s a natural and probable consequence of the intended
1511, 1521.) Here, however, Madrid stipulated that the police reports provided a factual
basis for his plea. Does this make a difference?
When a trial court approves a plea of guilty or no contest, it must “cause an
inquiry to be made of the defendant to satisfy itself . . . that there is a factual basis for the
plea.” (§ 1192.5, subd. (c).) “‘“The purpose of the requirement . . . is to protect against
the situation where the defendant, although he realizes what he has done, is not
sufficiently skilled in law to recognize that his acts do not constitute the offense with
which he is charged.”’ [Citation.]” (People v. Palmer (2013) 58 Cal.4th 110, 112.)
4 The trial court erred by considering the probation report. “A probation report ‘ordinarily is not part of the record of conviction.’ [Citation.]” (People v. Soto (2018) 23 Cal.App.5th 813, 816, fn. 2.) However, Madrid has forfeited the error by not raising it in his opening brief. He also does not argue that the trial court erred by considering his brother’s plea form.
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A stipulation that a police report provides the factual basis for a plea is not an
admission that every fact stated in the police report is true. Indeed, police reports may be
internally contradictory—for example, when they recount the conflicting statements of
multiple witnesses. “The factual basis required by section 1192.5 does not require more
than establishing a prima facie factual basis for the charges. [Citation.]” (People v.
Holmes (2004) 32 Cal.4th 432, 441, fn. omitted.) Therefore, the stipulation does not
admit any facts that are irrelevant to the plea. (People v. Reed (1996) 13 Cal.4th 217,
224; People v. Banda (2018) 26 Cal.App.5th 349, 359-361; People v. Thoma (2007) 150
Cal.App.4th 1096, 1104.)
We have found no section 1172.6 cases discussing the effect of a factual basis
stipulation involving police reports. However, there are cases discussing the effect of a
factual basis stipulation involving analogous sources of information.
In People v. Rivera (2021) 62 Cal.App.5th 217 (Rivera), review granted June 9,
2021, review dismissed January 19, 2022, S268405, the grand jury transcript indicated
that one Coneal fatally shot the victim, and that Rivera drove Coneal to and from the
scene of the shooting. (Id. at p. 224.) Rivera pleaded no contest to second degree murder
and stipulated that the grand jury transcript provided a factual basis for the plea. (Id. at
pp. 225-226.) When Rivera filed a section 1172.6 petition, the trial court denied it for
lack of a prima facie case. (Rivera, at pp. 226-227.)
The appellate court reversed, holding that Rivera did make out a prima facie case.
(Rivera, supra, 62 Cal.App.5th at pp. 230-239.) As part of its discussion, it also held that
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the grand jury transcript could not be used to show that Rivera acted with malice: “‘The
factual basis required by section 1192.5 does not require more than establishing a prima
facie factual basis for the charges. [Citation.] It is not necessary for the trial court to
interrogate the defendant about possible defenses to the charged crime [citation], nor does
the trial court have to be convinced of [the] defendant’s guilt.’ [Citation.] In addition,
‘[a] defendant is not required to personally admit the truth of the factual basis of the plea,
which may be established by defense counsel’s stipulation to a particular document.’
[Citation.] Thus, absent an indication that a defendant admitted the truth of particular
facts, the stipulation to a factual basis for the plea does not ‘constitute[] a binding
admission for all purposes.’ [Citations.] For our purposes, this means that Rivera did not
admit to the truth of any of the evidence presented to the grand jury, and that evidence
therefore cannot be used to demonstrate that he admitted to acting with actual malice.”
(Id. at p. 235; accord, People v. Hiller (2023) 91 Cal.App.5th 335, 349-350 [probable
cause statements]; People v. Flores (2022) 76 Cal.App.5th 974, 991 [preliminary hearing
transcript]; see People v. French (2008) 43 Cal.4th 36, 50-52 [defendant’s stipulation that
prosecutor’s statements provided factual basis for plea was not an admission for
sentencing purposes that he abused a position of trust].)
Under Rivera, the trial court here erred by considering the police reports. As
already discussed, but for this error, Madrid cleared the “‘low’” “‘prima facie bar.’”
(People v. Lewis, supra, 11 Cal.5th at p. 972.) Thus, the error was prejudicial.
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IV
DISPOSITION
The order appealed from is reversed. On remand, the trial court must issue an
order to show cause. (§ 1172.6, subd. (c).)
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
RAMIREZ P. J.
We concur:
FIELDS J.
RAPHAEL J.
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AI Brief
AI-generated · verify before citing
Holding. The trial court erred in denying a section 1172.6 petition by relying on police reports to establish the factual basis for a plea, as such reports are not part of the record of conviction and a stipulation to a factual basis does not constitute an admission of the facts contained therein.
Issues
Whether a trial court may consider police reports when determining if a petitioner has made a prima facie showing for relief under Penal Code section 1172.6.
Whether a defendant's stipulation that police reports provide a factual basis for a plea constitutes an admission of the facts stated in those reports.
Disposition. Reversed and remanded
Quotations verified verbatim against the opinion
“It is well-established that police reports are not part of the record of conviction.”
“It is also well-established that a stipulation that a document or other source provides a factual basis for a plea is not an admission of any facts stated in that source, other than the bare elements of the crime.”
“Under Rivera, the trial court here erred by considering the police reports.”