People v. Flores CA4/3 ( 2015 )


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  • Filed 4/17/15 P. v. Flores CA4/3
    NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
    California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
    publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
    or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
    IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
    FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
    DIVISION THREE
    THE PEOPLE,
    Plaintiff and Respondent,                                         G049054
    v.                                                            (Super. Ct. No. 10CF1723)
    ADOLFO AGUILAR FLORES,                                                 OPINION
    Defendant and Appellant.
    Appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Orange County, Lance
    Jensen, Judge. Affirmed.
    Susan K. Shaler, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant
    and Appellant.
    Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant
    Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Charles C. Ragland,
    Scott C. Taylor and Teresa Torreblanca, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and
    Respondent.
    *                  *                  *
    A jury convicted defendant Adolfo Aguilar Flores of four counts of
    molesting a child under 14 years of age. (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (a); all undesignated
    statutory references are to the Penal Code.) The court sentenced defendant to 30 years to
    life and an additional 10 years in state prison. On appeal, defendant claims count four
    must be reversed because the corroboration required by section 803 was not proven
    beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury was misinstructed, and he received ineffective
    assistance of counsel. We find the prosecution was not required to prove beyond a
    reasonable doubt which statute of limitation applied, the jury was properly instructed and
    if they were not, any error was harmless. As defendant’s ineffective assistance of counsel
    argument is based on counsel’s failure to object to the instructions and we decided the
    merits of the instructional issues, there is no need to address the Sixth Amendment
    argument.
    I
    FACTS
    The information charged defendant with four counts of a lewd act on a
    child under 14 years of age. (§ 288, subd. (a).) In count one, defendant was alleged to
    have touched El.’s vagina between January 2, 1996 and December 11, 1997, he was also
    alleged in count two to have touched Es.’s vagina between July 14, 1997 and July 13,
    1999, in count three, to have touched Es.’s breast between June 15, 2001 and July 13,
    2004, and in count four he was alleged to have digitally penetrated Y. between August
    30, 1992 and August 29, 1994. The information alleged defendant engaged in substantial
    sexual conduct in counts one, two (§ 667.61, subds. (b), (e)(5)), and four (§ 1203.066,
    subd. (a)(8)), and that the statute of limitations on the offense charged in count four had
    been tolled and the matter prosecuted in a timely fashion in compliance with section 803,
    subdivision (f)(1).
    2
    Defendant and his wife have eight children, including each of the named
    victims. Es., El., and Y. were each under 14 years of age when molested by defendant.
    Defendant was abusive to his wife. She wears dentures because he hit her and knocked
    out her teeth shortly after they married in 1980. The children have seen defendant hit
    their mother. His wife has seen him hit a number of the children.
    A. Count One—El. (Touching Vagina)
    El. was in her late 20’s at the time of trial. When she was in the fifth grade,
    she woke up once because someone was touching her vagina. She awoke and saw
    defendant with his hand inside her pajamas, but outside her panties, “caressing [her]
    private part.” She asked defendant what he was doing and he said, “Nothing.” El. was
    angry and started crying. She did not tell anyone what happened because she was afraid
    defendant would hit her or beat up her mother.
    As she got older, defendant would drive El. to school and touch her thighs
    while he drove. According to El., once she started growing breasts, she woke up one
    morning to defendant touching her breasts.
    At one point when El. was 16 or 17 years old, she told her mother what
    happened. Her mother confronted defendant and they got into a big fight, but nothing
    changed. El. confronted defendant about the molestation when she was 24 years old.
    Defendant said he was sorry and that he had been molested as a child. El. reported
    defendant’s actions to the police on June 24, 2010.
    B. Counts Two & Three—Es. (Touching Vagina and Touching Breast)
    Es. was 20 years old at the time of trial. When she was five or six years
    old, defendant entered the room where she was sleeping one night, lifted her nightgown,
    spread her legs apart, and touched the outer portion of her vagina with his hand. She did
    3
    not tell anyone because she was afraid. When she was nine or 10 years old, Es. was
    sleeping on the top bunk bed when defendant opened her shorts and rubbed the outside of
    her vagina with his hand.
    Once, when Es. was 11 years old, she was sweeping in the living room
    when defendant walked up behind her and put his hands on her breasts, squeezed them,
    and said, “They’re growing, aren’t they?” His hands were on the outside of her clothing.
    She initially did not tell anyone about this incident either because of her fear, but she
    went to the police with El. in 2010 and reported the incident.
    C. Count Four—Y. (Digital Penetration)
    Y. was 25 years old at the time of trial. She was living in Washington in
    March 2011, when she received a telephone call from a Santa Ana Police Department
    detective. The detective asked her about some incidents that occurred with her father
    when she was a child. Prior to then, Y. had never told law enforcement about the
    incident.
    When Y. was in kindergarten in Santa Ana, she slept on the top bunk bed in
    the living room. On a night when she wore a T-shirt and shorts to bed, she woke up and
    saw defendant’s head “right next to” hers. He put his fingers inside her underwear. He
    touched the outside of her vagina and then penetrated her vagina with his fingers. After a
    minute or two he stopped and told Y. to go back to sleep. She said he did something
    similar on another occasion while she was either in kindergarten or first grade. On that
    occasion, Y. was sleeping on the bottom bunk bed. Defendant reached over from the bed
    next to the bunk bed and put his hand inside her underwear, touching the outside of her
    vagina and then penetrating her.
    4
    Y. also recounted a time in the first grade when she went inside the
    apartment after playing. Defendant grabbed her from behind and moved his fingers down
    to her waist, and then inside her underwear to the outside of her vagina.
    Y. graduated from the eighth grade in 2001. She remembers she wore a
    blue dress that day and defendant touched her hips and waist, stating he likes girls with
    nice figures.
    D. Evidence Admitted Pursuant to Evidence Code Section 1108
    E. was 31 years old at the time of trial. She is the oldest of defendant’s
    children. One night when she was nine years old, she was asleep and awoke to find
    defendant on top of her. She felt something she had never felt before; his penis was
    inside of her. Defendant signaled E. with his hand to be quiet.
    Some time thereafter, the family lived on the street in defendant’s van. One
    night while she was sleeping in the van, E. again awoke to find defendant on top of her
    with his penis inside of her. E. also testified to a third incident that occurred when they
    were living in a one-bedroom apartment. This time she was asleep on her stomach in the
    living room. She felt defendant on top of her. He had pulled down her underwear and
    penetrated her vagina with his penis.
    The victims’ brother F., who was 30 year old at the time of trial, testified
    that when he was 11 years old he was in bed asleep and was awaken by an adult male
    “humping” him. Defendant was the only adult male in the house and F. was the only
    boy. F. did not open his eyes and cried himself to sleep when the incident was over.
    The family moved to Washington at one point. A family meeting with a
    pastor from the church was arranged to see if defendant would “confess or accept his . . .
    bad behavior.” F. said that during the meeting, defendant admitted molesting E., but said
    he did not remember molesting Es.
    5
    E. Defendant’s Recorded Statement
    Defendant was interrogated after his arrest and after being advised of and
    waiving his Miranda1 rights. When asked if he had touched his daughters’ vaginas, he
    said he did “like a father, like a dad not, not like a man.” According to defendant, his
    daughters misinterpreted his actions. He admitted the touching was “skin-to-skin,” but
    denied doing it while his daughters were asleep. He said his hand merely passed over
    their vaginas while he talked to them. He denied ever touching their breasts.
    F. Defense
    Defendant testified in his own defense. He denied touching his children in
    a sexual way. He admitted hitting his wife once because she did not obey him and was
    not behaving properly, as well as hitting her when she would not feed him. He also
    admitted hitting his children when reprimanding them. He said the officer who
    interrogated him spoke broken Spanish and he did not really understand her.
    G. Verdict and Sentence
    The jury found defendant guilty of each of the charged offenses and found
    true each of the special allegations. The court found defendant ineligible for probation (§
    1203.066, subd. (a)(8)), sentenced him to 15 years to life on count one, a consecutive
    term of 15 years to life on count two, a consecutive term of eight years on count three and
    a consecutive two-year term (one-third the midterm) on count four. The court awarded
    defendant 870 days of presentence credits, and ordered him to register as a sex offender.
    1   Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 
    384 U.S. 436
    .
    6
    II
    DISCUSSION
    Defendant’s challenges on appeal all relate to his conviction on count four,
    the offense against Y. In his first challenge, he claims his conviction must be set aside
    because the statute of limitations expired prior to the filing in this matter and the
    prosecution did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt the corroboration necessary to
    extend the statute of limitations in this instance.
    A. Statute of Limitation
    Defendant was charged in count four with a lewd act on his daughter Y.
    who was under 14 years of age at the time of the incident in 1992 or 1993. (§ 288, subd.
    (a).) Because a violation of section 288, subdivision (a) is punishable by a maximum
    sentence of eight years in prison, section 800 requires the prosecution to file charges
    within six years of the offense. “Except as provided in Section 799, prosecution for an
    offense punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for eight years or more or by
    imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for eight years or more shall be
    commenced within six years after commission of the offense.” (§ 800.)
    The offense charged in count four was not charged in the original
    complaint. The charge was added by the amended complaint filed at the end of March
    2011. The six-year period set forth in section 800 expired prior to the filing of the
    amended complaint. However, section 803, subdivision (f)(1) provides a limited
    extension to the applicable statute of limitation: “Notwithstanding any other limitation of
    time described in this chapter, a criminal complaint may be filed within one year of the
    date of a report to a California law enforcement agency by a person of any age alleging
    that he or she, while under 18 years of age, was the victim of a crime described in Section
    7
    261, 286, 288, 288a, 288.5, or 289, or Section 289.5, as enacted by Chapter 293 of the
    Statutes of 1991 relating to penetration by an unknown object.” (§ 803, subd. (f)(1).)
    For subdivision (f)(1) of section 803 to extend the applicable statute of
    limitation, three conditions must be met. First, “[t]he limitation period specified in
    Section 800, 801, or 801.1, whichever is later, has expired.” (§ 803, subd. (f)(2)(A).)2
    Next, “[t]he crime involved substantial sexual conduct, as described in subdivision (b) of
    Section 1203.066, excluding masturbation that is not mutual.” (§ 803, subd. (f)(2)(B).)
    Lastly, there must be “independent evidence that corroborates the victim’s allegation. If
    the victim was 21 years of age or older at the time of the report, the independent evidence
    shall clearly and convincingly corroborate the victim’s allegation.” (§ 803, subd.
    (f)(2)(C), italics added.)
    Defendant contends the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment of the United
    States Constitution require the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the four
    elements triggering section 803, subdivision (f)(1)’s application, and his conviction on
    count four must be reversed because the prosecution was not required to prove the
    application of section 803, subdivision (f)(1) by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Citing
    Apprendi v. New Jersey (2000) 
    530 U.S. 466
    , 490, he argues a defendant cannot be
    convicted of an offense unless the prosecution proves every fact necessary to the
    conviction beyond a reasonable doubt.
    In Apprendi, the high court held: “Other than the fact of a prior conviction,
    any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum
    must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” (Apprendi v. New
    2 Section 800 provides a six-year statute of limitations for offenses carrying
    a maximum penalty of eight or more years. Section 801 provides a three-year statute of
    limitation for offenses punishable by imprisonment in the state prison. Section 801.1 did
    not exist in 1992 and 1993.
    8
    
    Jersey, supra
    , 530 U.S. at p. 490, italics added.) This language does not include statute
    of limitations issues. The extension of the time for prosecution under section 803 does
    not increase a defendant’s punishment. (People v. Betts (2005) 
    34 Cal. 4th 1039
    , 1054;
    People v. Linder (2006) 
    139 Cal. App. 4th 75
    , 85.) Therefore, Apprendi does not compel
    the conclusion the three facts necessary to trigger section 803’s extension of the
    applicable statute of limitation must be proven by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
    We have not been pointed to any Supreme Court opinion holding a statute
    of limitation must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecution, and we have
    found none. However, in Smith v. United States (2013)       U.S.      [
    133 S. Ct. 714
    ], the
    defendant was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics.     (Id. at p.   [133 S.Ct. at
    p. 717].) The conspiracy purportedly lasted “for about a decade.” (Ibid.) The court
    described the issue on appeal as follows: “Upon joining a criminal conspiracy, a
    defendant’s membership in the ongoing unlawful scheme continues until he withdraws.
    A defendant who withdraws outside the relevant statute-of-limitations period has a
    complete defense to prosecution. We consider whether, when the defendant produces
    some evidence supporting such a defense, the Government must prove beyond a
    reasonable doubt that he did not withdraw outside the statute-of-limitations period.”
    (Ibid.)3
    The issue in Smith is analogous to the issue raised in the present appeal. In
    Smith, the question was whether the prosecution had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
    the defendant did not withdraw from the conspiracy outside the statute of limitation once
    there was some evidence of withdrawal outside the applicable statute of limitation. In the
    present case, there is evidence the presumptive statute of limitation expired (§ 800) and,
    3Withdrawal “starts the clock running on the time within which the
    defendant may be prosecuted, and provides a complete defense when the withdrawal
    occurs beyond the applicable statute-of-limitations. [Fn. omitted.]” (Smith v. United
    
    States, supra
    ,   U.S. at p.    [133 S.Ct. at p. 719].)
    9
    therefore the question is the extent of the prosecution’s burden of proving the statute
    extending the time period in which prosecution could be initiated. (§ 803, subd. (f)(1).)
    The defendant in Smith sought to dismiss the conspiracy count based on the
    “applicable 5-year statute of limitations.” (Smith v. United 
    States, supra
    ,     U.S. at p.
    [133 S.Ct. at p. 718].) In other words, the defendant contended he withdrew from the
    conspiracy more than five years earlier and therefore was no longer subject to
    prosecution for conspiracy. The Supreme Court described the Smith defendant’s claim as
    laying “at the intersection of a withdrawal defense and a statute-of-limitations defense.”
    (Ibid.) He contended that once he introduced some evidence he withdrew from the
    conspiracy more than five years prior, it became the prosecution’s burden to prove
    beyond a reasonable doubt he participated in the conspiracy within the five years
    preceding the initiation of the prosecution. (Id. at pp.   [133 S.Ct. at pp. 718-719].) In
    rejecting the defendant’s position, the court noted that where a special defense like the
    expiration of the applicable statute of limitation “‘excuse[s] conduct that would otherwise
    be punishable,’ but ‘does not controvert any of the elements of the offense itself,’ the
    Government has no constitutional duty to overcome the defense beyond a reasonable
    doubt. [Citation.] (Id. at p.   [133 S.Ct. at p. 719].) Just as withdrawal and the passage
    of time does not negate an element of the crime of conspiracy (ibid.), the passage of time
    does not negate an element of the crime of committing a lewd act on the body of a child
    under 14 years of age. In both instances, the passage of time merely excuses the conduct
    that occurred prior to the running of the applicable statute of limitation—i.e., the statute
    of limitation merely precludes conviction despite the evidence of each of the elements of
    the crime.
    Because the application of a particular statute of limitation does not
    increase the maximum possible punishment, Apprendi does not require it be proven
    beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, because “[c]ommission of the crime within the
    10
    statute-of-limitations period is not an element of [a charged] offense” (Smith v. United
    
    States, supra
    ,      U.S. at p.   [133 S.Ct. at p. 720]; accord People v. Thomas (2007) 
    146 Cal. App. 4th 1278
    , 1286, disapproved on another ground in People v. Shockley (2013) 
    58 Cal. 4th 400
    , 406; see also People v. Ruiloba (2005) 
    131 Cal. App. 4th 674
    , 681
    [prosecution must generally prove the charges were timely brought by a preponderance of
    evidence]), the prosecution is not required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt which
    statute of limitation applies.
    B. Jury Instructions
    Defendant next argues that even if we reject his first argument, count four
    must still be reversed because the court erred in instructing the jury. He claims the court
    misstated the definition of clear and convincing evidence, the instructions given in
    connection with the statute of limitation issue were ambiguous and conflicting, and the
    court failed to adequately instruct on the meaning of corroboration.
    We review de novo the propriety of the instructions given. (People v.
    Guinan (1998) 
    18 Cal. 4th 558
    , 569.) Preliminarily, we note defendant did not object to
    the complained of instructions. Although the failure to raise an issue in the trial court
    will often result in the forfeiture of the issue on appeal (see, e.g., People v. Zambrano
    (2007) 
    41 Cal. 4th 1082
    , 1139, overruled on another ground in People v. Doolin (2009) 
    45 Cal. 4th 390
    , 421, fn. 22), we may “review any instruction given . . . even though no
    objection was made thereto in the lower court, if the substantial rights of the defendant
    were affected thereby.” (§ 1259.) We address the issues notwithstanding defendant’s
    failure to object because the instructions affect defendant’s substantial rights.
    1. Clear and Convincing Evidence
    The court gave the following modified version of CALCRIM No. 3410 on
    clear and convincing evidence: “Clear and convincing evidence of the corroboration
    11
    means evidence of such convincing force that it demonstrates, in contrast to the opposing
    evidence, a high probability of the truth of the facts for which it is offered as proof. Such
    evidence requires a higher standard of proof than proof by a preponderance of evidence.”
    Defendant claims this instruction was insufficient because it did not state “clear and
    convincing evidence denotes proof that is clear, explicit, and unequivocal and leaves no
    substantial doubt. [Citations.]” (See People v. Yovanov (1999) 
    69 Cal. App. 4th 392
    ,
    402.) We disagree.
    The instruction in this case followed the language in BAJI No. 2.62.
    (People v. Mabini (2001) 
    92 Cal. App. 4th 654
    , 659.) As the court noted in Mabini, “If
    BAJI No. 2.62 is a correct instruction in civil actions, there is no compelling reason for
    applying a different standard of ‘clear and convincing evidence’ in jury instructions in
    criminal actions.” (People v. 
    Mabini, supra
    , 92 Cal.App.4th at p. 660.) After all, there is
    no reason to believe the Legislature intended clear and convincing to have one meaning
    in a civil action and a different meaning in a criminal matter. We conclude the
    instruction was proper. (Id. at p. 663 [BAJI No. 2.62 correctly defines “clear and
    convicincing”]; Mattco Forge, Inc. v. Arthur Young & Co. (1997) 
    52 Cal. App. 4th 820
    ,
    849.)
    In addition to the instruction on clear and convincing evidence, the jury was
    instructed on preponderance of the evidence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The
    complained of instruction informed the jury the clear and convincing evidence standard is
    stricter than the preponderance of the evidence standard. Together, “[t]hese instructions
    adequately explained the meaning of ‘clear and convincing evidence.’” (People v.
    
    Mabini, supra
    , 92 Cal.App.4th at p. 663.) Additionally, we agree with the Mabini court
    the version of the instruction defendant now urges should have been given is not
    substantially different from the definition of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. “‘There is
    essentially no difference between requiring proof that “leaves no substantial doubt” . . .
    12
    and the criminal definition of reasonable doubt.’ [Citation.]” (Id. at p. 662, quoting
    Mattco Forge, Inc. v. Arthur Young & 
    Co., supra
    , 52 Cal.App.4th at p. 849.)
    “‘Without an additional mandate from the Supreme Court or the
    Legislature, BAJI No. 2.62 remains a correct instruction. [Citation.]’ [Citation.]”
    (People v. 
    Mabini, supra
    , 92 Cal.App.4th at p. 663.) As the jury was instructed in the
    terms BAJI No. 2.62, we conclude the court correctly instructed the jury on the meaning
    of clear and convincing evidence.
    2. Requirement to Prove Corroboration
    The offense charged in count four, the offense involving Y., occurred
    outside the time frame set forth in section 800 and could be prosecuted only if the
    prosecution complied with section 803. As noted above (ante, p. 8), section 803 requires
    the prosecution to introduce “independent evidence that corroborates the victim’s
    allegation.” (§ 803, subd. (f)(2)(C).) Additionally, if the victim was 21 years of age or
    older when she first reported the incident, “the independent evidence shall clearly and
    convincingly corroborate the victim’s allegation.” (Ibid.) Defendant contends certain
    instructions given the jury were erroneous because they indentified impermissible
    methods of proving the required corroboration.
    Pursuant to CALCRIM No. 301, the court instructed the jury, “(The)
    testimony of only one witness can prove any fact.” The jury was also instructed,
    “Conviction of a sexual assault crime may be based on the testimony of a complaining
    witness alone.” (CALCRIM No. 1190.) Defendant appears to agree these instructions
    were properly given in connection with counts one, two, and three. He contends the jury
    should have been instructed CALCRIM Nos. 301 and 1190 do not apply to Y.’s
    testimony because her testimony required corroboration. He points out that CALCRIM
    No. 301 contains a suggested revision that should have been used in this matter. “Except
    for the testimony of         , which requires supporting evidence
    13
    . . .” (CALCRIM No. 301) and argues CALCRIM No. 1190 should have been similarly
    modified.
    We agree CALCRIM Nos. 301 and 1190 should have been modified given
    the fact one of the four charges (count four) required corroboration and thus could not
    have been proven by Y.’s testimony alone because section 803, subdivision (f)(2)(C)
    required it to be corroborated by clear and convincing evidence. The error, however, was
    harmless. There was abundant corroborating evidence in this matter. Moreover, the jury
    found much of it proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Given the fact that uncharged
    evidence of sexual misconduct admitted pursuant to Evidence Code section 11084 may
    satisfy the clear and convincing corroboration requirement of section 803 (People v.
    
    Ruiloba, supra
    , 131 Cal.App.4th at p. 682), evidence of other charged offenses involving
    other victims may satisfy the corroboration requirement. (People v. Villatoro (2012) 
    54 Cal. 4th 1152
    , 1164.) “Whether an offense is charged or uncharged in the current
    prosecution does not affect in any way its relevance as propensity evidence.” (Ibid.)
    The jury convicted defendant of molesting his daughter El. while she was
    in elementary school. Like his molestation of Y., defendant molested El. at night when
    she was asleep in bed. Just as defendant woke Y. from her sleep and fondled her vagina,
    so too did he wake El. from her sleep and fondle her vagina. Additionally, the jury also
    convicted defendant of molesting another daughter, Es., when she was five or six years
    old. Just as he did with Y., defendant woke Es. from her sleep to fondle her vagina.
    There was still more corroboration. There was evidence defendant
    molested yet another daughter, E., when she was in elementary school. E. was nine years
    old when she awoke to find defendant on top of her having intercourse. Shortly
    4 “In a criminal action in which the defendant is accused of a sexual
    offense, evidence of the defendant’s commission of another sexual offense or offenses is
    not made inadmissible by Section 1101, if the evidence is not inadmissible pursuant to
    Section 352.” (Evid. Code, § 1108, subd. (a).)
    14
    thereafter, when the family was homeless and living in a van, defendant again woke up E.
    by getting on top of her and having intercourse with her. He again had sex with her once
    they were back in an apartment, again climbing on top of her while she was asleep.
    Defendant did not molest only his daughters. He also climbed on top of his son who was
    11 years old and “hump[ed]” him.
    There was additional corroboration in the form of defendant’s statements.
    He admitted to a church official he had molested E. and he admitted touching his
    daughters’ vaginas skin-to-skin to the police, albeit he said he touched them like a father,
    not a man, and that he merely passed over their vaginas while talking to them.
    Because much of the corroboration evidence consisted of testimony
    concerning other very similar molests the jury ultimately convicted defendant of
    committing, the jury necessarily found beyond a reasonable doubt evidence that
    corroborated Y.’s testimony. Accordingly, the failure to modify CALCRIM Nos. 301
    and 1190 to state that the testimony of Y. alone is insufficient to sustain a conviction on
    count four was harmless because the jury found much of the corroborating evidence true
    beyond a reasonable doubt.
    3. Failure to Instruct on the Meaning of Corroboration
    Defendant next complains the trial court prejudicially erred in failing to
    instruct the jury on the meaning of corroboration. A trial court is not required to instruct
    on the definition of all words. “If a statutory word or phrase is commonly understood
    and is not used in a technical sense, the court need not give any sua sponte instruction as
    to its meaning.” (People v. Rodriguez (2002) 
    28 Cal. 4th 543
    , 546–547.)
    As used by section 803, corroboration is not used in a technical sense. As
    the jury was instructed that before it could convict defendant of the charge in count four,
    it must find “independent evidence that clearly and convincingly corroborates [Y.’s]
    allegations,” it would have understood the corroborating evidence must (1) corroborate
    15
    her allegation of sexual assault and (2) could not come from her. The jury was properly
    instructed concerning the need for corroboration.
    C. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
    Lastly, defendant argues that if we find defendant forfeited the issues
    addressed in sections A and B, ante, by failing to object, then he received ineffective
    assistance of counsel, requiring reversal of count four. Because we decided those issues
    on their merits, there is no need to address the issue of counsel’s alleged effectiveness for
    failing to object to the instructions.
    III
    DISPOSITION
    The judgment is affirmed.
    MOORE, ACTING P. J.
    WE CONCUR:
    ARONSON, J.
    THOMPSON, J.
    16