Court Opinion

ID: 9369774
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-09 18:02:16.825478+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:17.006618
License: Public Domain

Filed 2/9/23 P. v. Boatwright CA3
                                           NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
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 This opinion has not been certified for publication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
                                      THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT
                                                        (Shasta)
                                                            ----

 THE PEOPLE,                                                                                   C096855

                    Plaintiff and Respondent,                                       (Super. Ct. No. 22F1309)

           v.

 DAKOTA LEE BOATWRIGHT,

                    Defendant and Appellant.

         Appointed counsel for defendant Dakota Lee Boatwright filed an opening brief
that sets forth the facts of the case and asks this court to review the record and determine
whether there are any arguable issues on appeal. (People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d
436.) Finding no arguable error in defendant’s favor, we affirm.
                                                  BACKGROUND
         At sentencing, the parties stipulated that the California Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection (Cal Fire) Report 22CASHU007730, provided a factual basis for
defendant’s plea. That report is not part of the record on appeal. The post-sentencing

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probation report, however, is part of the record and summarized the facts of the Cal Fire
Report, which we rely on here.
       In the very early morning hours of July 17, 2022, a man named “Heller” told
defendant he was not welcome on his property. Shortly thereafter, Heller saw a brush
fire, which took him 45 minutes to extinguish. At approximately 5:00 a.m., Heller’s
girlfriend saw defendant throw a rock at her car as she drove past him.
       At approximately 5:30 a.m., Cal Fire responded to a call about the fire. As they
approached the property, about one-half mile away, they saw defendant. The officers
noted his location and continued to the fire. After speaking to the witness, Cal Fire
officers spoke to defendant. Defendant said he was smoking when he left the property
and threw a cigarette on the ground as he was leaving. Defendant “stepped on it to put it
out and threw it on the gravel road.” Defendant denied having anything to do with the
fire. Investigators located defendant’s discarded cigarette and determined it was the same
kind of cigarette they found on defendant. The officers arrested defendant and took him
into custody.
       The People subsequently charged defendant with willful and malicious arson of a
structure or forest (Pen. Code, § 451,1 subd.(c); count 1), recklessly causing a fire of a
structure or forest (§ 452, subd. (c); count 2), willful and malicious arson of property of
another during a state of emergency (§§ 451, subd. (d)/454, subd. (a)(2); count 3), and
misdemeanor possession of a device used to inject a controlled substance (Health & Saf.
Code, § 11364, subd. (a); count 4). The People also alleged defendant was previously
convicted of a strike offense, a burglary conviction from 2019. (§§ 667, subd. (a)(1),
1170.12).

1      Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

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          Defendant pleaded no contest to count 2, recklessly causing a fire of a structure or
forest, a felony. Defendant also admitted to being previously convicted of a strike
offense. In exchange for his plea, the People moved to dismiss the remaining charges
along with four pending cases and a violation of probation in another case. Defendant
stipulated to a six-year state prison sentence: the upper term of three years, doubled for
the prior strike offense. Defendant also stipulated to a factual basis for the aggravating
circumstances supporting the upper term.
          Defendant waived referral to probation and was immediately sentenced in
accordance with his negotiated plea agreement. The trial court imposed a minimum
restitution fine, imposed but stayed a parole revocation fine, and reserved the issue of
victim restitution. Following a Fares2 letter from appellate counsel, the trial court
corrected defendant’s custody credits and, ultimately, awarded him 21 days total custody
credit.
          Defendant timely appealed his conviction; the trial court denied his request for a
certificate of probable cause.
                                         DISCUSSION
          Counsel filed an opening brief that sets forth the facts and procedural history of
the case and requests this court to review the record and determine whether there are any
arguable issues on appeal. (People v. Wende, supra, 25 Cal.3d 436.) Defendant was
advised by counsel of his right to file a supplemental brief within 30 days from the date
the opening brief was filed. More than 30 days have elapsed, and defendant has not filed
a supplemental brief.
          We have undertaken an independent examination of the entire record and find no
arguable error that would result in a disposition more favorable to defendant.

2         People v. Fares (1993) 16 Cal.App.4th 954.

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                                    DISPOSITION
      The judgment is affirmed.

                                                    \s\                    ,
                                                McADAM, J.*

      We concur:

          \s\          ,
      DUARTE, Acting P. J.

          \s\              ,
      KRAUSE, J.

*       Judge of the Yolo County Superior Court, assigned by the Chief Justice pursuant
to article VI, section 6 of the California Constitution

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