Opinion
2 CA-CR 2021-0052
01-27-2022
The State of Arizona, Appellee, v. James Daniel Candelaria, Appellant.
Joel Feinman, Pima County Public Defender By David J. Euchner, Assistant Public Defender, Tucson Counsel for Appellant
Not for Publication - Rule 111(c), Rules of the Arizona Supreme Court
Appeal from the Superior Court in Pima County No. CR20185458001 The Honorable James E. Marner, Judge
Joel Feinman, Pima County Public Defender By David J. Euchner, Assistant Public Defender, Tucson Counsel for Appellant
Judge Espinosa authored the decision of the Court, in which Presiding Judge Eckerstrom and Chief Judge Vásquez concurred.
MEMORANDUM DECISION
ESPINOSA, JUDGE
¶1 After a jury trial, James Candelaria was convicted of the lesser-included offense of second-degree murder and sentenced to a sixteen-year prison term. Counsel have filed a brief in compliance with Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), State v. Leon, 104 Ariz. 297 (1969), and State v. Clark, 196 Ariz. 530 (App. 1999), stating they have reviewed the entire record but found no "arguably meritorious issue to raise on appeal" and asking this court to review the record for error. Candelaria has not filed a supplemental brief.
¶2 Viewed in the light most favorable to sustaining the jury's verdict, see State v. Delgado, 232 Ariz. 182, ¶ 2 (App. 2013), the evidence is sufficient here, see A.R.S. § 13-1104(A). In November 2018, Candelaria fatally shot the victim during a claimed "citizen's arrest" following an incident in which the victim allegedly placed a lit cigarette into the nozzle of a gas pump at a convenience store where Candelaria had stopped to purchase gas. At trial, Candelaria denied pursuing the victim and testified that although he had not intended to shoot or harm the unarmed victim over an hour following the incident at the pump, he had pointed his gun at the victim and intentionally pulled the trigger, fatally shooting him outside a restaurant near the convenience store. Candelaria's sentence is within the statutory range. See A.R.S. § 13-710(A).
Candelaria also testified that he had lied to the police and medical personnel about what occurred. After he shot the victim, he cut his own chest and face with a box cutter, which he deposited near the victim's body along with his gun in an attempt to support his false self-defense story.
¶3 Pursuant to our obligation under Anders, we have searched the record for fundamental, prejudicial error and have found none. Accordingly, Candelaria's conviction and sentence are affirmed.