People v. Riddle CA4/2

I. INTRODUCTION

A jury found defendant Travis Ray Riddle, Jr. guilty of failing to register as a sex

offender within five days of changing his residence. (Pen. Code, § 290, subd. (b).)1 A

mistrial was declared on two related charges after the jury failed to reach verdicts: failing

to register at all addresses where he resided (§ 290.010) and failing to notify law

enforcement of change of his address within five days of relocating (§ 290.013). The

trial court found defendant had 16 of 17 alleged prior strike convictions, denied his

Romero2 motion to strike his prior strikes, and sentenced him to 25 years to life based on

his recidivism and his current failure-to-register conviction.

On this appeal, defendant claims (1) the court erroneously admitted his

involuntary confession to police that he failed to register, (2) the court abused its

discretion in refusing to strike his strike priors, and (3) his life sentence must be vacated

because it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the federal and state

Constitutions. We affirm. For the reasons we explain, defendant’s confession was

voluntary and properly admitted, the court properly refused to strike defendant’s…