The People v. Om CA3

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS

Prosecution Case-in-Chief October 2005 to May 2007: Background S.L. has two children, D.L. and S.P. In October 2005, while S.L. was in the process of divorcing the children‟s father, her sister S.R. introduced her to defendant. The pair married within two years. As the marriage progressed, defendant‟s equanimity foundered. He had difficulty maintaining employment, and S.L. began supporting him. S.L. did not remember telling police that defendant began using cocaine or methamphetamine. However, defendant began consuming alcohol on a daily basis and became increasingly paranoid and violent with S.L. and her children. S.L. believed defendant was mentally ill. She thought treatment was the answer because defendant‟s behavior normalized when he was sober. November 2007: Counts 1, 2, and 3 On November 3, 2007, defendant and S.L. got into a fight. The children were not around. Defendant punched and choked S.L. She could not breathe for a few seconds and thought she was going to die. Defendant also “slashed” S.L. with a knife, although she did not think he meant to cut her. He was “just thinking wrong.” Defendant bandaged the wound for S.L. The wound left a scar on…