Court Opinion

ID: 9410323
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-07-20 20:06:37.875831+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:20:56.797566
License: Public Domain

Filed 7/20/23 P. v. Martinez CA4/1
                 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS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 This opinion has not been certified for publication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.

                COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

                                                 DIVISION ONE

                                         STATE OF CALIFORNIA

 THE PEOPLE,                                                          D080816

           Plaintiff and Respondent,

           v.                                                         (Super. Ct. No. SCD275948)

 ERNESTO C. MARTINEZ,

           Defendant and Appellant.

         APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County,
Eugenia A. Eyherabide, Judge. Affirmed.
         Kevin Smith, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant
and Appellant.
         No appearance for Plaintiff and Respondent.
         Ernesto C. Martinez entered into a plea agreement, in which he

pleaded guilty to first degree murder (Pen. Code,1 § 187, subd. (a)) and
admitted he personally discharged a firearm causing death (§ 12022.53,

1        All further statutory references are to the Penal Code.
subd. (c)). The remaining charges and allegations were dismissed, and the
parties stipulated to an indeterminate sentence of 45 years to life in prison.
      Prior to sentencing, Martinez advised the court he wanted to withdraw
his guilty plea and proceed to trial under section 1018. Martinez claimed the
plea was a result of ignorance and mistake and that he did not understand
due to lack of an interpreter at crucial times.
      The court relieved appointed counsel and appointed the alternate
public defender to represent Martinez in his challenge to his guilty plea and
sentencing. Thereafter, a motion for new trial was filed and the court held an
evidentiary hearing.
      The court denied the motion to set aside the plea and sentenced
Martinez as indicated above.
      Martinez filed a timely notice of appeal and obtained a certificate of
probable cause. (§ 1237.5.)
      Appellate counsel filed a brief pursuant to People v. Wende (1979) 25
Cal.3d 436 (Wende) indicating counsel has not been able to identify any
arguable issues for reversal on appeal. Counsel asks the court to review the
record for error as mandated by Wende. We offered Martinez the opportunity
to file his own brief on appeal, but he has not responded.

                                DISCUSSION2
      As we have noted, appellate counsel has filed a Wende brief and asks
the court to independently review the record for error. To assist the court in
its review, and in compliance with Anders v. California (1967) 386 U.S. 738
(Anders), counsel has identified a possible issue that was considered in
evaluating the potential merits of this appeal: Whether the trial court erred

2     The facts of the offense are not important to the resolution of the
possible issues on this appeal. We will omit a statement of facts.
                                        2
in finding Martinez had not shown good cause to set aside the guilty plea
considering the claim of denial of an interpreter at critical stages and his
history of brain damage from Martinez’s boxing career.
      We have independently reviewed the record as required by Wende and
Anders. We have not discovered any arguable issues for reversal on appeal.
Competent counsel has represented Martinez on this appeal.
                                 DISPOSITION
      The judgment is affirmed.

                                                       HUFFMAN, Acting P. J.

WE CONCUR:

                     IRION, J.

                    RUBIN, J.

                                        3