Court Opinion

ID: 9941180
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-16 00:02:02.869317+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:46:19.368246
License: Public Domain

Filed 2/15/24 P. v. Edwards CA2/7
   NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS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has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

                         SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

                                      DIVISION SEVEN

THE PEOPLE,                                                  B328825

         Plaintiff and Respondent,                           (Los Angeles County
                                                             Super. Ct. No. BA510037)
         v.

RUDOLPH ARNOLD
EDWARDS,

         Defendant and Appellant.

     APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of
Los Angeles County, Eleanor J. Hunter, Judge. Affirmed.
     Richard L. Fitzer, under appointment by the Court of
Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.
     No appearance by Plaintiff and Respondent.
                          ___________
      Rudolph Arnold Edwards pleaded no contest to one count of
possession of a firearm by a felon. The trial court placed
Edwards on probation subject to various terms and conditions,
including that he obey a domestic violence restraining order.
Edwards appealed and obtained a certificate of probable cause.
We affirm.

      FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

       The People charged Edwards with a total of 15 counts: two
counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm (Pen. Code, § 245,
subd. (b)),1 three counts of making a criminal threat (§ 422,
subd. (a)), one count of battery against a spouse (§ 243,
subd. (e)(1)), two counts of willful and knowing violation of a
protective order or stay-away court order (§ 166, subd. (c)(1)),
three counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions
likely to produce great bodily harm or death (§ 273a, subd. (a)),
two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon (§
29800, subd. (a)(1)), one count of resisting a peace officer in the
discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office or
employment (§ 148, subd. (a)(1)), and one count of exhibiting a
deadly weapon in a rude, angry, or threatening manner or using
a deadly weapon other than a firearm in any fight or quarrel
(§ 417, subd. (a)(1)). Before trial, the People offered Edwards the
opportunity to plead no contest to one count of possession of a
firearm by a felon, if he agreed to probation terms that included
obeying a domestic violence restraining order. Edwards initially
objected to the restraining order condition, but ultimately agreed

1     All statutory references are to the Penal Code.

                                 2
to accept the People’s offer. The trial court accepted Edwards’s
plea, suspended imposition of sentence, and placed Edwards on
formal probation for two years, with 462 days credit for time
served. The court dismissed the remaining counts.
       Edwards filed a notice of appeal with a request for a
certificate of probable cause. He argued in his request for
certificate of probable cause that the trial court should have
dismissed the case for “having exceeded the speedy trial time
period” and that the charge he pleaded no contest to “was not a
domestic violence charge and therefore the [criminal protective
order] should not be able to be attached to this plea.” The trial
court granted the request for a certificate of probable cause.

                          DISCUSSION

       We appointed counsel to represent Edwards on appeal.
After reviewing the record, counsel filed a brief raising no issues
and asking us to independently review the record. Counsel
stated in his opening brief that he wrote “to appellant at his last
known address and the mail was returned by the post office [and]
[b]ecause I do not have valid contact information for appellant, I
have not explained my evaluation of the record on appeal and my
intention to file this pleading to appellant. I have also not been
able to inform appellant of his right to file a supplemental brief
within thirty days of the filing of this brief.”
       On November 17, 2023 this court sent Edwards a letter to
his last known address stating that counsel filed a brief raising
no issues and that Edwards could submit a supplemental brief or
letter within 30 days stating any grounds for an appeal, or
contentions, or arguments he wanted us to consider. Our letter

                                 3
to Edwards was returned undeliverable with no forwarding
address on December 5, 2023. (See Cal. Rules of Court,
rule 8.32(b)(1).)
      We have examined the record and are satisfied that
appellate counsel for Edwards has complied with his
responsibilities and that there are no arguable issues. (Smith v.
Robbins (2000) 528 U.S. 259, 277-284; People v. Kelly (2006)
40 Cal.4th 106, 118-119; People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436,
441-442.)

                         DISPOSITION

      The judgment is affirmed.

                                          SEGAL, Acting P. J.

We concur:

             FEUER, J.

             MARTINEZ, J.

                                  4