People v. Goran CA4/1

INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted Mehran Goran of a misdemeanor charge of resisting a peace

officer (Pen. Code, § 148, subd. (a)(1)) and acquitted him of a felony charge of resisting

an executive officer (Pen. Code, § 69). The trial court sentenced him to 365 days in jail.

Goran appeals, contending the trial court violated his federal constitutional right to

counsel by not readvising him of the right to counsel and obtaining a renewed waiver of it

from him when the prosecutor amended the information to add the resisting a peace

officer charge. We are unpersuaded by this contention and affirm the judgment.

BACKGROUND

Goran, representing himself, attempted to have a family court matter heard ex

parte. When the court informed him his matter was not appropriate for an ex parte

hearing, he became angry and began yelling. A deputy sheriff stepped in front of Goran

and repeatedly directed him to stop yelling, gather his things, and step back from the

counsel table. Goran repeatedly refused to leave even after the deputy informed him he

would be arrested if he did not.

The deputy tapped Goran's arm, grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the

counsel chair. Using a closed…