P. v. Thompson
Appellant Kasha Lanay Thompson appeals from the judgment entered following her plea of no contest to a felony count of arson of an inhabited structure or property in violation of Penal Code section 451, subdivision (b). Pursuant to the plea agreement, appellant was sentenced to the low term of three years in state prison.
We appointed counsel to represent appellant on this appeal. After examination of the record, counsel filed an “Opening Brief†in which no arguable issues were raised. On October 11, 2012, we advised appellant that she had 30 days within which to personally submit any contentions or issues that she wished us to consider.
Appellant submitted a response on October 31, 2012, claiming that testimony given at the preliminary hearing was untruthful and that she was manipulated by the arson investigator, but without any citation to the record or any legal authority to support her assertions. Moreover, the record does not contain a certificate of probable cause executed by the trial court. Without such a certificate, no appeal can be taken from a judgment of conviction upon a plea of no contest. (Pen. Code, § 1237.5.) Although certain exceptions exist, such as when the issues on appeal arose after entry of the plea and do not affect its validity (see Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.304(b)(4)), that is not the case here. Appellant’s claims directly affect the plea’s validity.
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