State v. Lewis ( 2023 )


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  •                      NOTICE: NOT FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATION.
    UNDER ARIZONA RULE OF THE SUPREME COURT 111(c), THIS DECISION IS NOT PRECEDENTIAL
    AND MAY BE CITED ONLY AS AUTHORIZED BY RULE.
    IN THE
    ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS
    DIVISION ONE
    STATE OF ARIZONA, Appellee,
    v.
    JAMES F. LEWIS, Appellant.
    No. 1 CA-CR 22-0289
    FILED 10/26/2023
    Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County
    No. CR2020-001368-001
    The Honorable Laura J. Giaquinto, Judge Pro Tempore
    AFFIRMED
    COUNSEL
    Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Phoenix
    By Alice Jones
    Counsel for Appellee
    Maricopa County Public Defenders Office, Phoenix
    By Cory Engle
    Counsel for Appellant
    James F. Lewis, Tucson
    Appellant
    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    MEMORANDUM DECISION
    Judge Daniel J. Kiley delivered the decision of the Court, in which Presiding
    Judge Maria Elena Cruz and Judge James B. Morse Jr. joined.
    K I L E Y, Judge:
    ¶1           A jury convicted James F. Lewis of two counts of aggravated
    DUI, a class 4 felony. Lewis now appeals his convictions and sentences
    pursuant to Anders v. California, 
    368 U.S. 738
     (1967), and State v. Leon, 
    104 Ariz. 297
     (1969). Stating that her search of the record has identified no
    arguable issues for appeal, Lewis’s counsel asks us to review the record for
    fundamental error. Lewis has filed a supplemental brief in propria persona.
    After reviewing the record and considering the arguments Lewis raises on
    his own behalf, we affirm.
    FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
    ¶2            This Court’s obligation here “is to review the entire record for
    reversible error, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to
    sustaining the convictions and resolving all reasonable inferences against”
    the appellant. State v. Melendez, __ Ariz. __, 
    2023 WL 4728653
     at *1, ¶ 1 (Ariz.
    App. July 25, 2023) (cleaned up).
    ¶3            Viewed in this manner, the record shows that on October 21,
    2018, a 911 caller reported a stopped car blocking a northbound lane of
    traffic on the I-17 freeway. Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper
    Munoz responded to the scene. As soon as Trooper Munoz pulled up
    behind the vehicle with his emergency lights on, the vehicle began moving.
    Munoz then initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver (and sole
    occupant) by his Arizona identification card as James F. Lewis. A
    computerized record check disclosed that Lewis’s driver’s license was
    suspended.
    ¶4             Trooper Munoz observed that Lewis “display[ed] abnormal
    behavior” in that he “was very fidgety” and his eyes “were moving pretty
    fast all over the place.” Lewis stated that he was having a panic attack, so
    Munoz requested medical attention from the Phoenix Fire Department.
    Emergency medical technicians arrived, assessed Lewis, and medically
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    cleared him. They informed Trooper Munoz, however, that Lewis reported
    having recently taken tramadol.
    ¶5           Arizona Department of Public Safety Detective Houchens, a
    drug recognition expert, arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.
    ¶6             After Lewis, his vehicle, and all other personnel and vehicles
    were moved off the highway to a location away from traffic, Munoz read
    Lewis his rights per Miranda.1 Lewis agreed to answer questions and
    disclosed that he had recently taken tramadol and used medical marijuana.
    Detective Houchens then asked Lewis if he was willing to perform field
    sobriety tests; Lewis agreed. Lewis underwent several tests, including the
    horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test, the Romberg modified test, and the
    finger-to-nose test. Determining from the tests that Lewis was under the
    influence, Detective Houchens placed him under arrest and transported
    him to a Department of Public Safety station.
    ¶7            After Lewis consented to a blood test, Sergeant Kudler, a
    phlebotomist, drew a sample of his blood, which was then submitted for
    testing. Lewis was not charged or booked into jail that evening.
    ¶8           The blood analysis yielded positive results for phencyclidine
    (PCP) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The State presented the case to a
    grand jury in February 2020, which charged Lewis with two counts of
    aggravated DUI.
    ¶9            Lewis sought a Rule 11 evaluation to determine his
    competency twice before trial. Each time, the court appointed mental health
    professionals to evaluate Lewis. After considering the experts’ reports, the
    court determined, both times, that Lewis was competent to stand trial.
    ¶10           At a trial management conference on March 22, 2022, the
    court granted Lewis’s request to represent himself after engaging in a
    colloquy to determine that he was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily
    waiving his right to counsel. The court then appointed Lewis’s attorney,
    Jose Saldivar, to serve as advisory counsel.
    ¶11           Trial began six days later, on March 28, 2022. Lewis
    represented himself throughout the majority of the trial, though, at Lewis’s
    request, the court allowed advisory counsel to step in to handle the cross-
    examination of the State’s forensic scientist and to examine Lewis when he
    took the stand. At the conclusion of the State’s case-in-chief, Lewis moved
    1 Miranda v. Arizona, 
    384 U.S. 436
     (1966).
    3
    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    for a directed verdict under Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 20. After
    argument, the court denied the motion. Lewis then testified on his own
    behalf, and the State impeached him with one prior felony conviction under
    Arizona Rule of Evidence 609. The jury found Lewis guilty as to both
    aggravated DUI counts.
    ¶12           At the subsequent sentencing hearing, the court weighed
    aggravating and mitigating factors and sentenced Lewis to a mitigated term
    of 8 years with credit for 103 days’ time served. The court imposed a total
    amount of $4,649 in fees and fines.
    ¶13          Lewis timely appealed. We have jurisdiction pursuant to
    Article 6, Section 9, of the Arizona Constitution and A.R.S.
    §§ 12-120.21(A)(1), 13-4031, and 13-4033(A)(1).
    DISCUSSION
    ¶14            After reviewing the entire record, see State v. 
    Thompson, 229
    Ariz. 43, 45, ¶ 3 (App. 2012), we find no reversible error. No evidence was
    obtained in a manner that violated Lewis’s constitutional or statutory
    rights. All of the proceedings were conducted in compliance with
    applicable statutes and court rules. At all stages of the proceedings, Lewis
    was either represented by counsel or represented himself with the
    assistance of advisory counsel. The sentences imposed were within the
    statutory parameters, with proper credit for time spent in pretrial custody.
    ¶15           Lewis raises a number of arguments in his supplemental brief,
    all of which we reject as meritless.
    A. The Court Did Not Abuse Its Discretion In Finding Lewis
    Competent.
    ¶16         First, Lewis contends that the State violated due process by
    trying him while incompetent, stating that he has “obvious mental health
    issues.”
    ¶17            This Court “review[s] a trial court’s finding of competency for
    abuse of discretion,” determining “whether reasonable evidence supports
    the trial court’s finding that the defendant was competent” while viewing
    “the facts in the light most favorable to sustaining the trial court’s finding.”
    State v. Glassel, 
    211 Ariz. 33
    , 44, ¶ 27 (2005). The trial judge’s determination
    of competency is entitled to deference in part because the judge is able to
    directly observe the defendant during court proceedings. See Bishop v.
    Superior Court, 
    150 Ariz. 404
    , 409 (1986) (“On questions of competency to
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    stand trial, not only is the judge a finder of fact, he is also a de facto witness
    who may take into consideration his own observations of the defendant.”).
    ¶18           Lewis’s competency was addressed twice during the
    pendency of this case. In July 2020, the court granted Lewis’s Motion for
    Rule 11 Evaluation, ordering two “qualified mental health experts [to] be
    appointed to conduct an examination and complete a mental health
    evaluation report on [Lewis’s] competency.” One expert found Lewis
    competent to stand trial, opining that Lewis “was embellishing his
    mental/emotional condition” to be found incompetent, while the other
    found him not competent but restorable within the statutory timeline.
    Because their conclusions conflicted, the court appointed a third mental
    health expert, who found Lewis competent and opined that he was
    “purposely exaggerating his symptoms to avoid any legal consequences to
    his current charges.” After considering the experts’ reports, the court found
    Lewis competent pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-4510(B).
    ¶19            Later, in March 2021, Lewis requested a second examination
    of his competence to stand trial due to his “recently prescribed mental
    health medication.” The court appointed two new mental health experts to
    evaluate him. Both found Lewis competent to stand trial, with one opining
    that Lewis “appeared to be feigning symptoms.” After considering the
    experts’ reports, the court again found Lewis competent pursuant to A.R.S.
    § 13-4510(B). Because reasonable evidence supports the court’s
    determination that Lewis was competent to stand trial, we discern no abuse
    of discretion.
    B. The Court Did Not Violate Lewis’s Right to Self-Representation.
    ¶20             Noting that his request to waive counsel and proceed in
    propria persona “was granted just six days before trial,” Lewis argues that
    the court violated his right to self-representation and hindered his ability to
    prepare his defense. The court’s “intentional delay in granting [his] request
    to proceed in pro per capacity,” Lewis complains, gave the prosecutor “a
    tacticle [sic] advantage.”
    ¶21          A review of the transcripts of the pretrial hearings in this case
    shows that Lewis himself is responsible for the delay he now complains of
    in granting his request to represent himself. At a pretrial hearing in
    December 2021, the court informed Lewis, in response to his repeated
    statements, “I’m representing myself,” that he was required to submit a
    written motion to that effect. Upon doing so, the court told him, the court
    would “review the self-representation form on the record.” When, at a
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    hearing the following month, the court asked Lewis whether he had
    reviewed the “waiver of counsel” form and discussed it with his attorney,
    Jose Saldivar, Lewis refused to answer, instead “invok[ing] [his] First
    Amendment rights.” Stating that it interpreted Lewis’s unwillingness to
    respond to indicate that he no longer sought to represent himself, the court
    proceeded with the hearing with Saldivar acting as Lewis’s counsel.
    Although Lewis was disruptive at times, calling out “[h]e’s not speaking
    for me” when the court directed a question at Saldivar, Lewis neither
    re-urged a request to represent himself nor indicated a willingness to
    discuss self-representation. When, at the next hearing in February 2022,
    Lewis reiterated his desire to represent himself, the court reminded him
    that he would need to review and sign the “waiver of counsel” form so the
    court could “go through it with you line by line” to be certain Lewis
    understood “what it means to represent yourself.”
    ¶22           At the trial management conference on March 22, 2022, Lewis
    finally confirmed that he had read and signed the “waiver of counsel” form.
    The court then reviewed the form with him, and, after conducting a
    colloquy to confirm that he wanted to represent himself despite
    understanding his constitutional rights and the benefits of representation
    by counsel, approved his request to represent himself.
    ¶23           The court could have addressed and resolved Lewis’s request
    to represent himself earlier but for Lewis’s delays in complying with the
    court’s instructions to review, sign, and submit a “waiver of counsel” form.
    Accordingly, any prejudice resulting from delay is of Lewis’s own making,
    entitling him to no relief. See State v. Lukezic, 
    143 Ariz. 60
    , 69 (1984) (denying
    relief to defendant who was “the cause for the delay about which she
    complains on appeal”); cf. State v. Gomez, 
    231 Ariz. 219
    , 223, ¶ 15 (2012) (“[A]
    self-represented defendant must not only respect the dignity of the
    courtroom, but also comply with relevant rules.”) (cleaned up).
    C. The Record Does Not Support Lewis’s Claim that the Officers
    Violated His Right to Independent Blood Testing.
    ¶24            Lewis asserts that Detective Houchens violated his
    constitutional rights at the time of the blood draw by failing to advise him
    of “his right to do independant [sic] chemical testing of the blood sample.”
    ¶25           Lewis’s assertion is not borne out by the record. At no point
    during trial did either Detective Houchens or Sergeant Kudler testify about
    whether they advised Lewis of his right to an independent sample.
    Although he personally cross-examined those witnesses, Lewis never asked
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    them that question. Likewise, although he took the stand in his own
    defense, Lewis never testified that the officers failed to advise him of his
    right to have another sample drawn for independent testing. In the absence
    of any supporting evidence in the record, Lewis is entitled to no relief on
    this claim.
    D. The Trial Court Did Not Deny Lewis His Right To Present a
    Defense.
    ¶26           Asserting that he sought to present at trial the testimony of
    “Courtney Gaines, Oludare Onisile, and Allie from Poison Control,” Lewis
    argues that the State’s successful efforts to preclude these three witnesses
    “violated constitutional guarantees” by “denying [him] ‘a meaningful
    opportunity to present a complete defense.’” The testimony of these
    witnesses, he contends, would have “destroyed the prosecution’s case” by
    establishing that his “impairments” were “caused by his neuropathy and
    disability” and were thus “neurological” in nature.
    ¶27            Lewis did not identify these three individuals as potential
    witnesses until the morning the trial began. Although the State moved to
    preclude all three witnesses due to the lateness of the disclosure, the court
    deferred ruling on the State’s motion to preclude, instead directing Lewis
    to provide the prosecutor with the prospective witnesses’ contact
    information so the prosecutor could interview them. The record does not
    indicate that Lewis ever provided their contact information. Further, on the
    third day of trial, Lewis admitted that he had not yet spoken with either Dr.
    Gaines or Dr. Onisile to confirm their availability and willingness to testify.
    At the conclusion of the third day, the court ordered Lewis to provide their
    contact information to the prosecutor by email “by midnight tonight.” The
    record contains no evidence that Lewis complied. As far as the trial
    transcripts show, Lewis never again expressed a desire to call either Dr.
    Gaines or Dr. Onisile to testify. At no point did the court preclude Dr.
    Gaines or Dr. Onisile from testifying. Because the record does not indicate
    that the court precluded either of these witnesses, Lewis’s failure to present
    their testimony entitles him to no relief.
    ¶28            The court did, however, grant the State’s motion to preclude
    “Allie from Poison Control” from testifying. The court’s ruling was amply
    justified by the vagueness of the disclosure and by Lewis’s failure to
    identify this person as a witness until the morning of trial. See Ariz. R. Crim.
    P. 15.2(b), (d) (requiring defendants to disclose all defenses and defense
    witnesses no later than 40 days after arraignment or 10 days after the State’s
    witness disclosure, whichever occurs first). Although the untimely
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    disclosure of evidence does not necessarily justify its preclusion, preclusion
    is warranted where, as here, the evidence is disclosed so close to trial that
    the opposing party has no fair opportunity to investigate and respond to it.
    See State v. Payne, 
    233 Ariz. 484
    , 518, ¶¶ 154-56 (2013) (affirming preclusion
    of psychologist who was to testify as defense witness at penalty phase of
    trial, in part because psychologist was not disclosed until “two days before
    the penalty phase,” “depriv[ing] the State of the opportunity to interview
    [psychologist] or obtain a rebuttal witness”).
    ¶29             In any event, Lewis made no offer of proof at trial about the
    substance of the testimony that “Allie from Poison Control” was expected
    to offer, and so has failed to establish the importance of her testimony. See
    id. at ¶ 156; see also State v. Fendler, 
    127 Ariz. 464
    , 482 (App. 1980) (affirming
    prelusion of untimely-disclosed witnesses in part because defendant’s
    “offer of proof was insufficient to fully inform the court of the relevancy, let
    alone the vitality, of the proposed testimony”). The court’s order precluding
    Lewis from calling “Allie from Poison Control” as a witness therefore
    entitles him to no relief.
    E. Lewis’s Challenge to the Sufficiency of the Evidence Entitles Him
    to No Relief.
    ¶30          Lewis asserts that the evidence fails to establish his guilt
    beyond a reasonable doubt. In so doing, he invites us to re-weigh the
    evidence that was presented at trial, which we cannot do. State v. Lee, 
    189 Ariz. 590
    , 603 (1997) (“When the evidence supporting a verdict is
    challenged on appeal, an appellate court will not reweigh the evidence.”).
    ¶31            Lewis argues that the State failed to prove that he performed
    poorly on the field sobriety tests due to impairment. In support of this
    contention, Lewis first challenges Detective Houchens’s qualifications to
    administer field sobriety tests. Noting that Detective Houchens “testified
    that he was certified to perform horizontal [g]aze nystagmus and field
    sobriety tests,” Lewis asserts that the State “never provided any proof” to
    “corroborate these claims.” This assertion is self-evidently false; Detective
    Houchens’s own testimony constitutes competent evidence about his
    qualifications. See McMurtry v. Weatherford Hotel, Inc., 
    231 Ariz. 244
    , 249,
    251-52, ¶¶ 11, 17 (App. 2013) (holding that trial court erred in holding that
    proffered expert was not qualified to testify in premises liability claim
    against hotel where expert’s qualifications were sufficiently established in
    his affidavit describing his relevant professional experience). Further, after
    Detective Houchens testified that he was certified as a drug recognition
    officer, Lewis was permitted to show the detective his certification log and
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    cross-examine him about its contents even though the document was never
    admitted in evidence. Lewis had a full opportunity to question Detective
    Houchens at trial about his qualifications, and he is entitled to no relief on
    appeal. See State v. Delgado, 
    232 Ariz. 182
    , 186, ¶ 12 (App. 2013) (“Whether
    a witness is qualified as an expert is to be construed liberally,” and “[i]f an
    expert meets the liberal minimum qualifications, her level of expertise goes
    to credibility and weight, not admissibility.”) (cleaned up).
    ¶32            Lewis next argues that his poor performance on the field
    sobriety tests conducted at the scene was attributable to medical issues and
    not impairment. Asserting that he “is a diabetic,” Lewis maintains that “the
    symptoms of low blood sugar,” which include “dizziness,” “shaking,” and
    “blured [sic] vision,” account for his performance on the field sobriety tests.
    He goes on to suggest that the police are at least partly to blame for his
    performance, asserting the officers at the scene “asked [him] to perform
    tasks” without “allow[ing] [him] to eat” the food in his car that would have
    stabilized his blood sugar levels.
    ¶33            Lewis had a full opportunity to explore this issue at trial. He
    asked Detective Houchens on cross-examination whether he had
    complained at the scene that “his insulin levels” were “low”; Detective
    Houchens replied in the negative. In his testimony, Lewis asserted that his
    poor performance on the field tests “could have been due” to either
    “anxiety” or “low insulin levels.” He realized at the time that his blood
    sugar was low, he testified, and so he asked the officers “[s]everal times” to
    let him “retrieve a plate of ribs that was located in [his] automobile” to help
    “level [his] insulin.” In closing argument, Lewis argued that the first
    responders “didn’t check [his] blood sugar, which should have been
    standard.” Lewis had ample opportunity at trial to present his explanation
    for his performance on the field tests. The fact that, as their guilty verdicts
    suggest, the jurors did not accept Lewis’s explanation entitles him to no
    relief on appeal.
    ¶34            Lewis discusses, at some length, his contention that his
    positive blood test results were erroneous. According to Lewis, the State
    failed to “follow up or investigate[]” Lewis’s prescription medications, and
    so overlooked the “possibility of the false possitive [sic] results” those
    medications may yield if the patient is “screened for illicit drugs.” Indeed,
    he asserts, even “common” over-the-counter drugs like “Nyquil” and
    “Vicks nasal spray” may “contain phenylpropanolamine,” which “will
    perduce [sic] false possitive [sic] [results] for Amphetamine.” Likewise, he
    goes on, over-the-counter pain relievers such as “Ibuprofen” and “Advil”
    can yield false positive results for THC. “[Don’t] take my word for it,” he
    9
    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    urges; his assertions can be verified by a “visit” to the “drug Rx website.”
    The State failed to consider the possibility of false positives resulting from
    the use of lawful medications, he concludes, and its failure to consider that
    possibility amounts to a “fail[ure] to meet the burden of proof beyond a
    reasonable doubt.”
    ¶35            No evidence in the record supports Lewis’s assertions about
    the possibility of false positives resulting from the use of the medications
    he references. Further, Lewis never presented an offer of proof that Dr.
    Gaines, Dr. Onisile, or any other witness would testify in support of those
    assertions. Because Lewis’s arguments on this point have no support in the
    record, they entitle Lewis to no relief. See GM Dev. Corp. v. Cmty. Am. Mortg.
    Corp., 
    165 Ariz. 1
    , 4-5 (App. 1990) (noting that appellate court will not grant
    relief on claims that are based on evidence not part of the record on appeal).
    ¶36             Lewis argues that the State engaged in “willful
    misrepresentations” by charging him with driving “under the influence of
    drugs” when the State knew, but “ignored,” evidence that at the time of his
    arrest he had taken only “doctor prescribed medications, authorized by the
    Drug Enforcement Agency.” Although it is not entirely clear, Lewis appears
    to argue that he cannot be guilty of impaired driving because he had
    purportedly taken only medication that had been legally prescribed for
    him. If this is, in fact, Lewis’s contention, it is unavailing as a matter of law.
    “It is not a defense to a charge of a violation of [A.R.S. § 28-1381(A)(1)] that
    the person is or has been entitled to use the drug under the laws of this
    state.” A.R.S. § 28-1381(B).
    F. Lewis’s Remaining Arguments Entitle Him to No Relief.
    ¶37           Lewis accuses the State of “fraudulent concealment of
    material evidence,” including “9-1-1 phone call audio recordings and
    transcript,” “body cam and dash cam video footage” from Munoz and
    Houchens, “Phoenix Fire Department medical personnel names and
    badges,” and the report made by the Phoenix Fire Department on October
    21, 2018.
    ¶38          The record does not support Lewis’s accusation that the State
    “fraudulently concealed” evidence. Not only did the State disclose the 911
    audio recording before trial, but the State played the recording at trial
    without objection from Lewis. The State disclosed no body cam or dash cam
    video footage because, the State asserted, no such evidence existed. Lewis
    has presented no basis on which to disbelieve the State’s assertions on this
    point. Likewise, Lewis points to nothing in the record to show that he ever
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    requested information from the fire department. Nor has he offered any
    basis to conclude that such information would be “plainly exculpatory”
    such that the State was obligated to disclose it in the absence of a request.
    See State v. O’Dell, 
    202 Ariz. 453
    , 457, ¶ 10 (App. 2002) (“[T]he state is
    required to disclose all plainly exculpatory evidence within its possession and
    violates due process if it fails to do so.”) (emphasis added). In any event,
    Lewis has made no effort to explain what the purportedly undisclosed
    evidence would (or at least might) have proved, and so he has failed to
    establish that he was prejudiced by any nondisclosure. See State v. Dumaine,
    
    162 Ariz. 392
    , 405-06 (1989) (holding that to obtain reversal of conviction
    based on nondisclosure of evidence, defendant must establish materiality
    of undisclosed evidence).
    ¶39              Lewis asserts that the State misled the court in its response to
    his motion to suppress the blood test results when it asserted that Lewis
    “failed to notice any expert, doctor, or pharmacist in this case” to testify that
    his blood test results could represent a false positive resulting from his use
    of prescription medication. The State’s assertion was false, Lewis contends,
    because he (1) “provide[d] the State with a prescription list from his
    pharmacy at Walgreens,” (2) showed the prosecutor his “medical THC card
    . . . issued by the Arizona Department of Health Services,” and (3) disclosed
    a letter dated November 17, 2021 from Dr. Gaines regarding his medical
    history.
    ¶40            Lewis’s assertions are meritless. Neither a list of his
    prescriptions nor his medical marijuana card, by themselves, constitute
    competent evidence to show that his blood test results were inaccurate.
    Moreover, as noted above, the legality of a defendant’s use of the substance
    causing the impairment is no defense to a charge of driving while impaired.
    See A.R.S. § 28-1381(B). Further, the letter from Dr. Gaines merely states that
    Lewis is her patient, he “meets the definition of disability under the
    Americans with Disabilities Act,” and he “continues to undergo medication
    management.” Nothing in Dr. Gaines’s letter controverts the evidence
    presented by the State or otherwise offers any kind of defense to the charges
    in this case. Lewis has cited nothing in the record to contradict, or call into
    question the accuracy of, the State’s assertions in response to Lewis’s
    motion to suppress.
    ¶41           Lewis complains that the court “displayed an abuse of
    discretion” by “fail[ing] to rule on” the motion to dismiss that he filed in
    propria persona on February 16, 2022.
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    ¶42            At a hearing on February 24, the court acknowledged
    receiving the motion to dismiss that Lewis had filed eight days earlier but
    stated that it would not consider the motion on the merits, explaining, “Mr.
    Saldivar is your attorney and you’re not representing yourself.” The court’s
    unwillingness to consider a motion filed in propria persona by a represented
    defendant was consistent with the well-established principle that a
    “defendant who is represented by counsel is not entitled to hybrid
    representation” and so “may not file motions in addition to those the
    attorney files.” State v. Carlson, 
    237 Ariz. 381
    , 398, ¶ 63 (2015). Because Lewis
    was represented on February 16, 2022, he was not entitled to file motions
    on his own behalf, and the court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to
    address that motion on the merits.
    ¶43            In any event, the court considered, and denied, a subsequent
    motion to dismiss that Lewis filed shortly before the commencement of
    trial. We find no merit to Lewis’s complaints about the court’s failure to
    consider a prior motion to dismiss he filed on his own behalf while he was
    still represented by counsel.
    ¶44           Lewis concludes by asserting that “his ethnic background
    motivated Trooper Allen Munoz and Trooper Brian Houchens to turn an
    assistance or person in duress [sic] call into a D.U.I. investigation.” Lewis
    points to no evidence to support this accusation, and his speculation about
    the motives of the investigating officers entitles him to no relief. See State v.
    Diaz, 
    223 Ariz. 358
    , 361, ¶ 13 (2010) (“We will not reverse a conviction based
    on speculation or unsupported inference.”). In any event, the jury’s verdict
    establishes Lewis’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, rendering irrelevant
    his unsupported allegations about the purportedly improper motives of the
    investigating officers. See Scott v. United States, 
    436 U.S. 128
    , 138 (1978)
    (noting that officer’s state of mind “does not invalidate the action taken as
    long as the circumstances, viewed objectively, justify that action”); State v.
    Jeney, 
    163 Ariz. 293
    , 296 (App. 1989) (citing, with approval, case law holding
    that “so long as the police do no more than they are objectively authorized
    and legally permitted to do, their motives in making an arrest are irrelevant
    and not subject to inquiry”).
    CONCLUSION
    ¶45           For the foregoing reasons, we affirm.
    ¶46          Unless, upon further review, appellate counsel discovers an
    issue appropriate to raise with the Arizona Supreme Court, counsel’s
    obligations will end once counsel “informs [Lewis] of the status” of this
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    STATE v. LEWIS
    Decision of the Court
    appeal and his “future options.” See State v. Shattuck, 
    140 Ariz. 582
    , 584-85
    (1984). Lewis has 30 days from the date of this decision to file a motion for
    reconsideration or a petition for review on his own behalf.
    AMY M. WOOD • Clerk of the Court
    FILED: TM
    13
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 1 CA-CR 22-0289

Filed Date: 10/26/2023

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 10/26/2023