Defendant Daniel Joseph Berlanga pleads guilty; judge sentences him to 3 years in prison

Judge Stephanie Boyd accepted a guilty plea from Daniel Joseph Berlanga to Count 4, assault of a family or household member with a prior conviction, and sentenced him to three years in prison and a $1,500 fine.

During the January 25, 2025 hearing, the court read the admonishments required for a guilty plea, including the statutory punishment range and the defendant's rights to a jury trial, to confront witnesses and to remain silent. The court found the state's exhibits sufficient to support the plea and stated on the record that the defendant knowingly and voluntarily waived his trial rights and consented to stipulated testimony.

The judge imposed an affirmative finding of family violence, ordered no contact with the complainant, and explained collateral consequences: "With an affirmative finding of family violence, you're not allowed to own or possess any weapons or ammunition," Judge Boyd said. The court also noted a prohibition on designation as a primary custodial parent under the affirmative finding.

The plea agreement and sentencing referenced case identifier 2025AL001676; the court credited the defendant for any time served and discussed the trial court certification of defendant's right of appeal. The judge told Berlanga he would not have the court's permission to appeal the plea, and she explained that the only appealable items would be written pretrial motions that had been filed, heard and ruled upon.

Judge Boyd addressed the defendant directly about future conduct: "You're gonna have to work on your anger and figure out why you behave the way you do. Otherwise, you're gonna end up spending a lot of time in prison." The court then completed routine administrative steps, including verifying paperwork and scheduling follow-up as needed.

No additional applications to modify the sentence were announced at the hearing. The court's acceptance of the plea and imposition of sentence concluded the matter on the record.