People v. Smith CA4/1

I.

INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted defendant Ronald Jake Smith of 13 counts of lewd acts on a child. The victims of Smith’s offenses were his stepdaughter and daughter. On appeal from the judgment, Smith raises six arguments. First, Smith contends that the trial court erred when it concluded that a prospective juror’s comments during voir dire did not taint the entire venire. He argues that the trial court’s error is structural and requires reversal of the judgment. Second, Smith contends that the trial court denied him the right to present a full defense when it excluded certain evidence regarding Global Positioning System (GPS) information from his work truck and evidence of referrals to Child Welfare Services (CWS) unrelated to the charges at issue in this case. Third, Smith claims that the trial court abused its discretion in admitting expert testimony regarding common behaviors of child molestation victims, known as child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome (CSAAS). Fourth, Smith contends that the trial court erred when it instructed the jury with CALCRIM No. 1193, which is the pattern instruction on CSAAS evidence. According to Smith, the instruction informs the jury that it…