P. v. Rivera CA4/1
A jury convicted defendant Giovanni Rivera of one count of assault with a deadly weapon after he held a knife to his father's throat in the early morning hours after Thanksgiving Day in 2015. It was undisputed at trial that Rivera had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was a teenager, and that a few months prior to the incident that led to his conviction, Rivera had suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a severe beating. An expert testified on Rivera's behalf regarding the effects of Rivera's cognitive impairments and mental health issues. On appeal, Rivera raises four issues, two of which involve the trial court's instructions to the jury and two of which involve the trial court's sentencing decisions. After reviewing the record on the appeal, we find no merit to Rivera's contentions. We therefore affirm the judgment.
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