People v. Jones CA2/4

DISCUSSION

After examination of the record, appointed appellate counsel filed an opening brief which raised no issues and requested this court to conduct an independent review of the record. By notice filed February 20, 2015, the clerk of this court advised appellant to submit by brief or letter any contentions, grounds of appeal, or arguments he wished this court to consider. On April 16, 2015, appellant filed a supplemental letter in which he raised the claims addressed below. Appellant claims Salas lied during her testimony about whether she saw his face. But Salas did not testify that she saw appellant as he was grabbing her chain from behind; rather, she testified that she had noticed him when he boarded the bus. Phang testified that she observed appellant grabbing Salas’s necklace through her rearview mirror, and the incident also was captured on the bus surveillance camera. Appellant argues Phang testified appellant was wearing shorts, whereas a police officer testified he was wearing long pants. This is true, but Salas also testified appellant was wearing shorts, and this evidentiary discrepancy regarding appellant’s pants does not mean, as he implies, that there was…