Soto

People v. Soto

Good Law
157 Cal. App. 3d 694·1984 Cal. App. LEXIS 2238·204 Cal. Rptr. 204
Court of Appeal of CaliforniaJune 25, 1984Crim. 44632California5,223 words

Opinion

Opinion

Kingsley, J.

Upon trial by jury, defendant was convicted of second degree murder with use of a deadly weapon. (Pen. Code, §§ 187; 12022, subd. (b).) He appeals, contending: (1) improper introduction of a confession and the murder weapon, (2) erroneous exclusion of defense evidence, and (3) various errors in the jury instructions. We conclude that the confession was obtained in violation of Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 [ 16 L.Ed.2d 694 , 86 S.Ct. 1602 , 10 A.L.R.3d 974 ], and we therefore reverse.

Facts

Sixteen-year-old Rosa Gutierrez was killed on the night of August 20, 1980. Her sisters discovered the body in the family living room at 10:30 p.m. She had been stabbed multiple times in the head and neck, and suffered several more blunt-force trauma wounds. Her clothes had been partially removed. Police noted blood in various areas of the living room.

Police interviewed Rosa’s family and friends, including 19-year-old defendant, whom Rosa had mentioned in her diary in an amorous context and whom she had tried to telephone on the night of her death. In the first interview, on the morning of August 21, defendant denied all knowledge of the killing. In a subsequent interview…

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