State v. Ray-Salvatore
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NOTICE: THIS DECISION DOES NOT CREATE LEGAL PRECEDENT AND MAY NOT BE CITED EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY APPLICABLE RULES. See Ariz. R. Supreme Court 111(c); ARCAP 28(c); Ariz. R. Crim. P. 31.24 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF ARIZONA DIVISION ONE STATE OF ARIZONA, Appellee, v. STEPHANIE SCOTT RAY-SALVATORE, Appellant. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) DIVISION ONE FILED: 08-03-2010 PHILIP G. URRY,CLERK BY: DN 1 CA-CR 09-0146 DEPARTMENT D MEMORANDUM DECISION (Not for Publication Rule 111, Rules of the Arizona Supreme Court) Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County Cause No. CR2007-156787-001 DT The Honorable Warren J. Granville, Judge AFFIRMED Terry Goddard, Attorney General Phoenix By Kent E. Cattani, Chief Counsel Criminal Appeals/Capital Litigation Section And Melissa M. Swearingen, Assistant Attorney General Attorneys for Appellee James J. Haas, Maricopa County Public Defender By Louise Stark, Deputy Public Defender Attorneys for Appellant O R O Z C O, Judge Phoenix ¶1 Stephanie Scott Ray-Salvatore (Appellant) appeals her convictions for possession or use of dangerous drugs, possession or use of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The sole issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred when it allowed the State to impeach Appellant with a written statement she prepared as part of her admission diversion/deferred prosecution program. to a drug For the reasons that follow, we affirm Appellant s convictions and sentences. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND ¶2 We construe the evidence in the light most favorable to sustaining the verdict, and resolve all reasonable inferences against the defendant. State v. Greene, 192 Ariz. 431, 436, ¶ 12, 967 P.2d 106, 111 (1998). We do not weigh the evidence, however; that is the function of the jury. See State v. Guerra, 161 Ariz. 289, 293, 778 P.2d 1185, 1189 (1989). ¶3 On contacted police discovered arrived, the in his date of and asked and Appellant s the incident, them Appellant s husband to remove home. invited provided him a cigarette pack. Appellant s the items When officer the husband he had officer inside and The cigarette pack contained useable quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as a pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. 2 Appellant waived her Miranda1 rights and agreed to be ¶4 interviewed by the officer. admitted her.2 the During that interview, Appellant methamphetamine, marijuana and pipe belonged to The officer did not arrest Appellant, however, because he believed it would be more beneficial for Appellant to attend a treatment program than for her to be taken to jail. The officer did inform Appellant, however, that he would begin the process to file charges against her. ¶5 After charges were filed, Appellant appeared for what would ordinarily have been her preliminary hearing. time, she participate program waived in (TASC a her preliminary TASC drug Program).3 As hearing and diversion/deferred part of her entry At that agreed to prosecution into that treatment program, Appellant signed a statement in which she acknowledged that the methamphetamine, marijuana and pipe were 1 See Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). 2 At a subsequent voluntariness hearing, the trial court found Appellant s statements were made voluntarily after a valid waiver of her constitutional rights. Appellant raises no issue on appeal regarding the voluntariness of her statements to the officer. 3 The TASC Drug Diversion Program is a special supervision program in which the county attorney or a participating county may divert or defer, before a guilty plea or a trial, the prosecution of a person accused of committing a crime. In re Connelly, 203 Ariz. 413, 415 n.1, ¶ 5, 55 P.3d 756, 758 (2002) (quoting Ariz. Rev. Stat. (A.R.S.) § 11-361 (2001)). TASC stands for Treatment Assessment Screening Center. State v. Olea, 182 Ariz. 485, 487, 897 P.2d 1371, 1373 (App. 1995). 3 found in her possession. Appellant s prosecution was then suspended for two years to permit her time to complete the TASC program and, if she successfully charges would be dismissed. completed the program, See Ariz. R. Crim. P. 38.3.b. the When Appellant failed to successfully complete the TASC program, her prosecution was reinstated and the matter proceeded to trial. ¶6 At trial, Appellant denied marijuana or pipe belonged to her. the methamphetamine, She further denied she ever told the officer those items belonged to her. The State then impeached Appellant with the written statement she prepared as part of her admission to the TASC program. Defendant knew before she testified that the State would be allowed to impeach her with the statement. ¶7 Appellant was found guilty on all counts and placed on concurrent terms of three Appellant timely appealed. years probation for each count. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article 6, Section 9 of the Arizona Constitution and A.R.S. §§ 12-120.21.A.1 (2003), 13-4031 and -4033.A.1 (2010).4 DISCUSSION ¶8 the Appellant argues the trial court erred when it allowed State statement to impeach she signed her in trial order 4 testimony to enter with the the TASC written program. Unless otherwise specified, we cite to the current versions of the applicable statutes because no revisions material to this decision have since occurred. 4 Appellant argues the statement was inadmissible because it was involuntary and coerced. Appellant further argues the statement was given as part of a negotiated disposition of the case in exchange for inadmissible dismissal pursuant to of the charges Arizona Rule and of was, therefore, Evidence 410 and Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 17.4.f.5 ¶9 Ordinarily, we review a rulings for an abuse of discretion. trial court s evidentiary State v. Amaya-Ruiz, 166 Ariz. 152, 167, 800 P.2d 1260, 1275 (1990). Appellant concedes, however, that she did not raise these issues below.6 we review only for fundamental error. Therefore, See State v. Gendron, 168 Ariz. 153, 154, 812 P.2d 626, 627 (1991) (the failure to raise an issue at trial waives all but fundamental error review). To establish fundamental error, [a defendant] must show that the error complained of goes to the foundation of his case, takes away a right that is essential to his defense, and is of such magnitude that he could not have received a fair trial. State 5 The TASC documents were identified as Exhibit 7 but were not admitted into evidence and are not otherwise contained in the record on appeal. When matters are not included in the record on appeal, the missing portion of the record is presumed to support the decision of the trial court. State v. Mendoza, 181 Ariz. 472, 474, 891 P.2d 939, 941 (App. 1995). 6 While Appellant objected to the admission of the TASC documents and/or any statements within the documents based on allegedly untimely disclosure, Appellant s counsel candidly admitted to the trial court that based on her research, the evidence would probably be admissible. 5 v. Henderson, (2005). however, Even a Ariz. once 561, 568, fundamental defendant prejudicial. ¶10 210 must ¶ 24, error still 115 has P.3d been demonstrate 601, 608 established, the error was See id. at ¶ 26. We find no error. When Appellant signed the statement in order to enter the TASC program, she signed a waiver which read, I have made this statement without coercion and of my own free will. used I fully understand what I have written here may be against me satisfactorily affirmative in a court complete the indication that of TASC the law should program. 7 agreement was I fail to Absent an entered into unknowingly or involuntarily, an agreement to waive provisions providing for the exclusion of inculpatory statements made during negotiations or other discussions with prosecutors or law enforcement entities is valid and enforceable. United States v. Mezzanatto, 513 U.S. 196, 210-11 (1995); State v. Campoy, 220 Ariz. 539, 550, ¶¶ 32-34, 207 P.3d 792, 803 (App. 2009). Such agreements waive the right to seek exclusion pursuant to Arizona Rule of Evidence 410 and Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 17.4.f, both of which provide for the exclusion of statements made in connection with pleas, offers of pleas or otherwise made during plea negotiations. Campoy, 220 Ariz. at 550, ¶ 34, 207 7 While the TASC documents are not contained in the record, the documents were provided to the trial court, which reviewed the documents and read the waiver language into the record. 6 P.3d at 803; (agreement see waived also the Mezzanatto, right to seek 513 U.S. exclusion at of 197, 210 statements pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 410 or Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(e)(6)). ¶11 Even absent waiver, Rule 17.4.f and Arizona Rule of Evidence 410 would have no application in this matter. Again, both of these rules provide for the exclusion of statements made in connection with pleas, offers of pleas or otherwise made during plea negotiations. any of these contexts. Appellant s statement was not made in In addition, Rule 17 is inapplicable because the deferment of Appellant s prosecution and her entry into the TASC program were governed by Rule 38, not Rule 17. See Ariz. R. Crim. P. 38.1-38.3. Because Rule 17 is inapplicable, Appellant was no more entitled to have the trial court review her rights pursuant to Rule 17.3 (acceptance of pleas of guilty or no contest) when she entered the deferment program than she was when she waived her rights and agreed to speak with police. ¶12 Regarding Appellant s argument that the statement was unknowing and/or involuntary and that she did not know she was waiving her rights when she signed the waiver, there is no affirmative indication in the record that Appellant entered into this agreement unknowingly Mezzanatto, 513 U.S. at 210-11. or involuntarily. See Before placing Appellant in the 7 TASC program and deferring her prosecution, the presiding commissioner asked Appellant, By signing the waiver form are you indicating to me that you ve read it, that you ve discussed it with your attorney, and that you understand the terms of the waiver? Appellant responded, That s correct. At trial, Appellant acknowledged she signed the waiver with the advice of her counsel. While Appellant did testify that she did not realize she was waiving her rights when she signed the waiver, she never claimed that she otherwise unaware of her waiver. Regardless, the did rights not at remainder know the of her time rights she Appellant s or was signed the testimony indicates she knew she was waiving her rights when she agreed to enter the TASC program. Appellant testified that to enter the TASC program she knew [y]ou waive your rights. She later testified, That s how they put it to you in the office. are waiving your right. You When asked why she would have lied in her written statement, Appellant responded, I didn t consider it a lie. I considered it waiving my rights. When Appellant explained the process of completing the TASC forms, she stated, It is given to you as a waiving [of] your rights . . . . ¶13 a Regarding voluntariness, the determination of whether defendant s statement was voluntary is based on whether, under the totality of the circumstances, the statement was the product of coercive police tactics. 8 State v. Lee, 189 Ariz. 590, 601, 944 P.2d 1204, 1215 (1997). Coercion is a necessary predicate to finding a defendant s statements are not voluntary for purposes of due process. Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 167 (1986). ¶14 There is nothing in the record to suggest Appellant s statement or her wavier were the result of coercive tactics on the part of the State. Appellant testified she entered the program because she thought that was the best way to keep my record good, and I figured this is what I should do. Appellant further testified she signed the statement so I could do the program and my life circumstance called for it. explained, I believed that was best father being sick from brain problems. with my Appellant mother and my He was in the hospital and she s blind, and I needed to take care of her. . . . It was just easiest to be tested every now and then, show I was clean. Finally, Appellant testified she wanted to get into the program, Because I thought it was best, with everything going on in my life, than to have a big trial and all this stuff. traumatic for my dad to be in the hospital. help. It was very My mother needed my My daughter -- I was really spread thin with my time. Appellant s family circumstances and her desire to keep her record good have nothing to do with any action on the part of the State. To offer Appellant 9 the choice of deferring her prosecution through entry into the TASC program or proceeding with the prosecution was not a coercive tactic. CONCLUSION ¶15 Because we find no error, we affirm Appellant s convictions and sentences. /S/ ___________________________________ PATRICIA A. OROZCO, Judge CONCURRING: /S/ ____________________________________ MAURICE PORTLEY, Presiding Judge /S/ ____________________________________ MARGARET H. DOWNIE, Judge 10
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