Unreported / Non-Citable
Disposition notice
The Court of Appeal dismissed Darnell Joseph Taylor's appeal as moot. After the trial court found Taylor incompetent to stand trial and determined under Penal Code section 1370, subdivision (a)(1)(B)(i)(II), that restoring him to competence was in the interests of justice, Taylor's competency was quickly restored and he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor theft. Because these events rendered it impossible to grant effective relief, the court declined to exercise its discretion to decide the moot issue Taylor raised concerning the extent of a trial court's discretion under section 1370. The court noted the record was not as clear as it could be, as defense counsel had submitted on the restoration question at the hearing, and concluded the case was an unsuitable vehicle for establishing broader precedent. The court also denied Taylor's request for judicial notice and stated that, because the appeal was dismissed without reaching the merits, Taylor does not have a right to oral argument and no argument will be calendared.