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Filed 10/6/22 P. v. Payton CA1/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or 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

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

JOHNNY LAMAR PAYTON,

Defendant and Appellant.

 A165415

 (Sonoma County

 Super. Ct. Nos. SCR-32649-1,

SCR-606397-1)

Johnny Lamar Payton appeals from a postconviction order denying 

a motion to vacate his no contest plea for a 2004 felony conviction. His 

appointed appellate counsel filed a brief raising no issues and requesting we 

review the record and follow the procedures for dismissing the appeal set 

forth in People v. Serrano (2012) 211 Cal.App.4th 496 (Serrano). Payton may 

not be entitled to a review under People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436 — an 

independent judicial review of the record to identify arguable issues,

applicable only to the first appeal of right from a criminal conviction. But 

even assuming Wende applies here, we affirm because there are no 

meritorious arguable issues in his appeal.

BACKGROUND

In 2004, Payton pled no contest to felony criminal threats. (Pen. Code, 

§ 422, undesignated statutory references are to this code.) Pursuant to a plea 

agreement, Payton received a stipulated two-year prison term to run 
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concurrent with any parole violation sentence. Prior to entering his plea and 

while represented by counsel, Payton signed a form waiving his right to 

a trial. He initialed several boxes noting he freely and voluntarily gave up 

that right. Relevant here, he acknowledged that increased penalties for 

future offenses and presumptive prison time were consequences of his plea. 

He thereafter completed his sentence.

In 2012, following a jury trial, Payton was convicted of robbery (§ 211) 

and arson (§ 451, subd. (d)). The trial court sentenced Payton to 61 years to 

life, which included a five-year prior strike enhancement for his 2004 offense. 

(§ 667, subd. (a)(1).) In April 2022, Payton filed a motion to vacate his plea 

for his 2004 offense under section 1473.6, which authorizes vacating 

a judgment of conviction based on newly discovered evidence under certain 

circumstances. He argued the prosecutor failed to demonstrate he knowingly 

and intelligently waived his right to a trial, and the trial court failed to give 

the necessary advisements regarding the consequences of accepting the plea 

agreement. As a result, Payton argued, the court erred in using his 2004 

conviction as a strike for sentencing purposes. The court denied the motion.

DISCUSSION

Payton’s counsel filed a brief pursuant to Serrano1 and informed 

Payton of his right to file a supplemental brief on his own behalf, which he 

has not done. (Serrano, supra, 211 Cal.App.4th at p. 503.) Under Serrano,

Payton is not entitled to a Wende review. (Serrano, at pp. 500–501.) That 

1 Under Serrano, in a criminal appeal in which Wende does not apply 

and counsel finds no arguable issues, counsel must inform the court there are

no arguable issues to be pursued on appeal and file a brief setting forth the 

applicable facts and law. (Serrano, supra, 211 Cal.App.4th at p. 503.) The 

brief provides the court with an adequate basis to dismiss the appeal on its 

own motion. (Ibid.)
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independent review of the record is authorized in the first appeal of right 

from a criminal conviction, not an appeal from an order denying 

a postconviction motion to vacate a guilty plea. (Id. at pp. 501, 503–504 

[dismissing Wende appeal].)

But the Supreme Court is currently considering what procedures “must

appointed counsel and the Courts of Appeal follow when counsel determines

that an appeal from an order denying postconviction relief lacks arguable

merit.” (People v. Delgadillo (Nov. 18, 2020, B304441) [nonpub. opn.], review

granted Feb. 17, 2021, S266305.) Pending further guidance concerning the

applicability of Wende procedures in appeals denying postconviction relief, we

exercise our discretion to independently review the record for arguable

issues. (Conservatorship of Ben C. (2007) 40 Cal.4th 529, 544, fn. 7 [appellate 

court may retain an appeal seeking Wende review].) Having done so, we find 

none.

The trial court’s decision denying Payton’s motion to vacate his 

conviction was proper. Payton failed to proffer any newly discovered evidence 

of fraud, false testimony, or misconduct by a government official that 

undermined the prosecution’s case or fabricated evidence of his guilt for the 

2004 offense, i.e., the basis for a section 1473.6 motion. (§ 1473.6, subd. 

(a)(1)–(3).) The record further demonstrates Payton knowingly and 

intelligently entered into the plea bargain and waived his rights to a trial. 

He initialed and signed a written waiver and plea form, noting he was 

properly advised of and acknowledged the direct consequences of his plea. 

(Boykin v. Alabama (1969) 395 U.S. 238, 243–244; In re Tahl (1969) 1 Cal.3d 

122, 130–131.)

DISPOSITION

The order is affirmed.
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_________________________

Rodríguez, J.

WE CONCUR:

_________________________

Tucher, P. J.

_________________________

Fujisaki, J.

A165415