A state appeals court panel Thursday upheld a man’s conviction for a pair of stabbings in Santa Clarita five years ago, including one that left a man dead.
The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s claim that some evidence was wrongly excluded at Steven Daniel Trujillo’s trial about his history of mental health and substance abuse, along with the defense’s contention that he received ineffective assistance from his attorney.
Trujillo, now 32, was convicted of first-degree murder for the May 15, 2020, slaying of 51-year-old Sean Driggs outside a convenience store, along with the attempted murder of another man in an attack about 1 1/2 hours earlier outside another convenience store.
Jurors also found true allegations that he had personally used a deadly weapon in the commission of the crimes.
In its 28-page opinion, the appellate court panel noted that Trujillo testified that he had been treated in hospital settings for mental health issues and that he had used marijuana, methamphetamine and alcohol the day of the attacks. He testified that he had heard voices before, but said the first time they ever directed him to commit violence was the day of the attacks, according to the ruling.
The appellate court panel noted that “the evidence was overwhelming as to identification of Trujillo as the perpetrator,” resulting in the defense challenging the issue of intent based on Trujillo’s mental health and substance abuse issues.
“We conclude the trial court properly drew the line between preventing Trujillo’s experts from testifying about what mental state he actually had on the day of the incident and allowing them to testify about their diagnoses of Trujillo and about how drug use or those mental health diagnoses could affect individuals,” the panel found.
Trujillo is serving a 26-year-to-life sentence in state prison.