People v. Bracamonte

Opinion

POTTER, Acting P. J .

Defendant Antonio Bracamonte appeals from the judgment of conviction of burglary (Pen. Code, § 459). The main issue on appeal is whether defendant was entitled to a bifurcated trial on the issue of (1) his guilt and (2) the validity of alleged prior-convictions.

On March 27, 1979, at around 11 a.m., Keith Woodward saw the profile of a man 20 to 30 feet away, walking away from his neighbors’ apartment, carrying a large, apparently heavy, covered object. He entered the apartment and noticed that the neighbors’ portable TV set was missing. He then walked out to the…