People v. Ruffin CA5

INTRODUCTION

In 2024, appellant Nathaniel Ruffin, Jr. entered into a negotiated plea agreement in which he pleaded no contest to evading a police officer (Veh. Code, § 2800.2, subd. (a); count 1). He admitted that he had suffered a prior strike conviction. The parties stipulated that, if the court were to review the police reports and the preliminary hearing transcript, it would find a sufficient factual basis for the plea. In exchange for the plea agreement, the prosecutor dismissed three other pending charges.1 Pursuant to the plea agreement, appellant was sentenced to prison for four years. Following his 2024 sentencing, appellant appealed to this court. His counsel has filed a Wende2 brief. After reviewing the entire record, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

According to the probation report, a deputy sheriff observed appellant on November 15, 2018, driving an allegedly stolen vehicle. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but appellant failed to yield and led the deputy on a pursuit. Appellant eventually crashed the vehicle and was taken into custody after running a short distance on foot. Appellant’s prior strike conviction occurred in 1996. He was sentenced to prison for…