P. v. Ruggles
A jury found defendant John Arthur Ruggles guilty of inflicting corporal injury on his wife Martha[1] (Pen. Code, 273.5, subd. (a))[2] and found true special allegations he personally inflicted great bodily injury under circumstances involving domestic violence ( 12022.7, subd. (e)) and personally inflicted great bodily injury in the commission of a felony causing the victim to become comatose due to brain injury ( 12022.7, subd. (b)). In a bifurcated proceeding, the trial court found true allegations defendant had one prior strike conviction ( 667, subds. (b)-(i); 1170.12, subds. (a)-(d)) and a prior serious felony conviction ( 667, subd. (a)(1)). Sentenced to 18 years in state prison, defendant appeals, contending the trial court abused its discretion in admitting evidence of two prior incidents of domestic violence to impeach Marthas testimony that defendant never hit or kicked her in the past. Court shall conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the challenged evidence, and even if it did, any error was harmless. Accordingly, Court shall affirm the judgment.
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