People v. Adams

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 3, 2016
DocketB257829
StatusPublished

This text of People v. Adams (People v. Adams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Adams, (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Filed 3/3/16 CERTIFIED FOR PARTIAL PUBLICATION*

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

THE PEOPLE, B257829

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. YA084177) v.

KEVIN ADAMS et al.

Defendants and Appellants.

APPEALS from judgments of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Alan B. Honeycutt, Judge. Affirmed as modified and remanded with directions. Vanessa Place, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Devon Delshawn Moreland. David H. Goodwin, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Kevin Adams. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Joseph P. Lee and Jaime L. Fuster, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

* Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rules 8.1100 and 8.1110, parts I, II, III(C)(1)-(3) and IV are certified for publication. I. INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted defendants, Davon Delshawn Moreland and Kevin Adams, of: forcible rape in concert (Pen. Code1, § 264.1, subd. (a)); forcible oral copulation in concert (former Pen. Code, § 288a, subd. (d)(1), Stats. 2010, ch. 219, § 8); aggravated kidnapping (§ 209, subd. (b)(1)); assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (former § 245, subd. (a)(1), Stats. 2004, ch. 494, § 1); second degree robbery (§ 211); and willful, deliberate, premeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)). With respect to the sex offenses, the jury found true section 667.61, subdivisions (a), (d) and (e) allegations. The jury further found true multiple gang, great bodily injury and firearm use enhancement allegations. (Former §§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(C), Stats. 2010, ch. 256, § 1; 12022, subd. (a)(1), Stats. 2004, ch. 494, § 3; 12022.3, subd. (a), Stats. 2008, ch. 599, § 5; 12022.5, subd. (a), Stats. 2004, ch. 494, § 4; 12022.7, subd. (a), Stats. 2002, ch. 126, § 6; 12022.8, Stats. 2008, ch. 599, § 6; and 12022.53, subds. (b), (e), Stats. 2006, ch. 901, § 11.1.) Mr. Moreland admitted he had sustained a prior serious and violent felony robbery conviction within the meaning of sections 667, subdivision (e)(1) and 1170.12, subdivision (c)(1). In the published portion of this opinion, we modify defendants’ presentence custody credits. Also, we hold that under section 667.61 as amended in 2006, defendants were not entitled to presentence conduct credits. Finally, in the published portion of the opinion, we hold that the indeterminate aggravated kidnapping sentences must be stayed. (§ 209, subd. (d).) Resolution of the aggravated kidnapping sentence issue requires discussion of the jury instructions. In the unpublished portion of the opinion, we issue other orders concerning sex offense fines, penalties and surcharges as well as the abstracts of judgment. We affirm the judgments in all other respects.

1 Further statutory references are to the Penal Code except where otherwise noted.

2 II. THE EVIDENCE

A. The Prosecution’s Case

1. The crimes

Defendants were cousins and fellow members of a violent street gang. May 2 was the gang’s “birthday” or “gang day.” On May 2, 2011, Diane T. was working as a prostitute. Diane and Geoffrey Odhiambo were sitting in his car in an alley. Defendants pulled in behind and blocked Mr. Odhiambo’s car. Defendants were in a four-door white car. Defendants approached Mr. Odhiambo’s car. Mr. Moreland pointed a black gun at Mr. Odhiambo’s head. Mr. Moreland took Mr. Odhiambo’s car keys and money. Mr. Adams asked Diane for money. He forcibly searched inside her pants and bra. Mr. Adams grabbed Diane and dragged her to the white car. Mr. Adams raped Diane in the backseat. Mr. Adams then moved to the driver’s seat. Over the course of an hour or more, while Mr. Adams drove, Mr. Moreland repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted Diane in the backseat. Mr. Moreland was armed with a gun during the assaults. Mr. Moreland forced Diane several times to orally copulate him. He repeatedly raped her. Mr. Moreland attempted to sodomize her. He repeatedly hit her on the head. Mr. Moreland threatened her with the gun. He told Diane repeatedly, “Don’t look at me.” The car stopped several times. Mr. Moreland purchased condoms. He obtained cash. Mr. Adams told Diane to do what Mr. Moreland told her to do and she would not be hurt. Mr. Moreland wanted Diane to help them rob her clients but she refused. At Mr. Moreland’s instruction, Mr. Adams drove to a cul-de-sac and stopped. Mr. Moreland ordered Diane out of the car. He punched her in the face breaking her jaw. Mr. Moreland told Diane to get on her knees. He ordered her to orally copulate him. Diane refused. Mr. Moreland pointed the gun at Diane’s forehead and fired twice. But the gun malfunctioned. Diane heard it click. Diane saw Mr. Moreland “messing with the gun.” He was hitting it against his hand. Diane got up and started to run. Mr.

3 Moreland ran toward the car. She heard him arguing with Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams said, “Stop, bitch.” Diane stopped behind a truck. Mr. Adams pointed the gun at her. She heard a click. Diane ran to a nearby house and summoned help. Defendants left the scene.

2. The investigation

After law enforcement officers arrived at the cul-de-sac, Diane described her assailants. Diane said one suspect was a 25 to 35 year old light skinned male Black, approximately 6 feet tall with a muscular build. The second suspect was a 25 to 30 year old dark skinned Black male, approximately 6 feet tall with a thin build. Mr. Moreland testified at trial that in May 2011, he was 6 feet 3 to 4 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. Mr. Moreland further testified Mr. Adams was 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall. Diane also worked with a forensic artist, Sandra Enslow, to create sketches of the perpetrators. At trial, Diane testified, “[The sketch artist] drew them perfect.” The jury was able to compare the sketches to defendants’ booking photographs as well as to how they appeared in the courtroom. Upon our own review, it is apparent that the sketches bear a striking resemblance to the defendants. On May 12, 2011, 10 days after Diane was assaulted, Mr. Adams was arrested for possessing a black .22-caliber revolver. The weapon was fully loaded with .22-short cartridges. The caliber designation for the firearm was .22-long. The revolver’s cylinder was held in place by a metal screw instead of the usual pin. The metal screw impeded the revolver’s firing pin, potentially causing it to malfunction. The gun discharged only once in 6 test firings using .22-short-caliber ammunition. The gun discharged only 3 times in 6 test firings using .22-long caliber bullets. When the weapon failed to discharge, it made a clicking sound. The parties subsequently stipulated, “[O]n June 24, 2011, in case number BA385835, People v. Kevin Adams, a felony criminal case was filed alleging that defendant Kevin Adams . . . was carrying a concealed firearm on his person, in violation of Penal Code section 12025[, subdivision] (a)(2), and that on November 20, 2012,

4 defendant Kevin Adams . . . pled no contest to that charge[.]” During the investigation and at trial, both victims identified Mr. Adams’s gun as similar to the weapon used against them. On May 15, 2012, law enforcement officers arranged a “bench operation.” Defendants, who were both in custody, were seated together on a bench. They were ostensibly waiting to be interviewed by detectives about another case. Their conversation was recorded. An audiotape of the conversation was played at trial. The conversation was as follows: “Adams: Yeah, at first I thought they was gonna bring up that little rape charge . . . ad[d] charge on that rape . . .

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Adams, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-adams-calctapp-2016.