People v. Corleto CA2/5

INTRODUCTION

Defendant and appellant Rolando Antonio Corleto (defendant) was convicted of one count of lewd acts upon S.G., a child under the age of 14 (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a)1). On appeal, defendant contends that the trial court erred in allowing S.G.’s mother to testify that S.G. told her defendant had kissed S.G.; in sustaining objections to certain evidence relating to defendant’s attempt to mitigate the admissions he made to law enforcement because he made the admissions under duress by S.G.’s father; and in precluding defendant’s counsel from asking defendant whether a detective “lied.” Defendant also contends that the prosecutor engaged in misconduct by endorsing vigilante justice and that the jury had insufficient evidence to convict him had the above errors not occurred. We affirm the judgment.

BACKGROUND2

A. Factual Background

1. Prosecution Evidence Defendant was a friend of M.G., S.G’s. father. S.G. testified that on May 27, 2012, when she was 13 years old, she and her family were at defendant’s house for a party. S.G. sat in a chair behind a couch where other people were sitting watching television. Defendant came up behind S.G. and startled her.…