People v. Maldonado CA2/7

INTRODUCTION

Manuel Ramirez Maldonado was charged with five counts of possession for sale of five different controlled substances (Pen. Code, §§ 11351, 11375, subd. (b)(1)) , and it was further alleged he had multiple prior drug convictions and had served three prior prison terms. After representing himself at his preliminary hearing, he told the trial court he wanted an attorney to represent him. Later, however, he told the trial court he wished to represent himself at trial, and his request was granted. (Faretta v. California (1975) 422 U.S. 806.) Thereafter, the jury convicted him as charged and found true all special allegations. In this appeal, Maldonado says the trial court erred as his request for self- representation was equivocal. He also claims evidentiary error in connection with related forfeiture proceedings. We affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL SUMMARY1

In June 2012, Los Angeles Police Officer Jennifer Cook received a tip from an anonymous caller who told her drug sales were taking place at the McDonald’s located near Alvarado and 7th Streets in Los Angeles and a late model white Dodge Dakota with the license plate 8T30343 was involved. From a search of the…