People v. Murphy CA1/5

BACKGROUND

A. The facts underlying Murphy’s offenses relate to a dating relationship he had with Jane Doe (a pseudonym) from May through December 2020. At a preliminary hearing on February 19, 2021, Jane Doe testified to multiple incidents between September and December 2020 in which Murphy made

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code. 1 harassing, angry, and threatening statements to her in repeated phone calls and text messages. Because she became fearful of Murphy, Doe obtained a temporary restraining order against him that was in effect from September 15 through October 8. However, he continued to contact her throughout that period, notwithstanding the restraining order. For example, on September 25, he contacted Doe approximately 100 times in a two hour period; he was angry and irrational. On October 10, while Doe was meeting with the police about Murphy’s actions, he called her 99 times and sent her about 70 text messages in less than two hours. Murphy threatened to come to her house and knock out the teeth of the father of Doe’s children. He also threatened to call Child Protective Services and have her children taken away from her. Although the couple…