People v. Ainsworth CA6

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 11, 2015
DocketH039571
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Ainsworth CA6 (People v. Ainsworth CA6) 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. Ainsworth CA6, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 9/11/15 P. v. Ainsworth CA6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, H039571 (Santa Cruz County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. F20150)

v.

MAURICE LAMONT AINSWORTH,

Defendant and Appellant.

Appellant Maurice Lamont Ainsworth appeals his convictions on 39 counts arising from two different incidents. In a third amended information filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, the district attorney charged appellant with 57 counts in two different cases.1 On appeal, appellant challenges his convictions on numerous counts as being unsupported by sufficient evidence. Further, he argues that the erroneous admission of gang evidence and other evidence of violence denied him a fair trial. Finally, he asserts that several sentencing errors require that this matter be remanded for resentencing. As we shall explain, we agree that this matter has to be returned to the superior court for resentencing.

1 Originally, in case No. F17760, the district attorney charged appellant with nine different counts and in case No. F20150 with 51 different counts. The two cases were consolidated under case No. F20150 and in the third amended information the district attorney charged appellant with 57 different counts. Background The first 12 counts of the third amended information arose out of a home invasion robbery that occurred on March 27, 2009. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney charged appellant with three counts of kidnapping for extortion (Pen. Code, §209, subd. (a);2 count 1, victim Teodros Anley; count 2, victim Patricia Anley; and count 3, victim Ezana Anley); robbery (§211, count 4); first degree residential burglary (§459, count 5); two counts of unlawfully taking a vehicle (Veh. Code, §10851, subd. (a), counts 6 & 8); grand theft of an access card (§484g, subd. (a), count 7); receiving stolen property (§496, subd. (a), count 9); dissuading a witness by force or threat (§136.1, subd. (c)(1), count 10); witness intimidation (§137, subd. (b), count 11); and criminal threats (§422, count 12). As to counts 1 through 4, the district attorney alleged that appellant personally used a firearm—a rifle—within the meaning of sections 12022.5, subdivision (a) and 12022.53, subdivision (b), and that appellant personally used an assault weapon within the meaning of section 12022.5, subdivision (b). As to counts 1 through 9, the district attorney alleged an on-bail enhancement (§12022.1) and alleged that appellant had suffered a prior conviction for which he had served a prison term within the meaning of section 667.5, subdivision (b). Counts 13 through 57 concerned appellant’s escape from custody and crimes he committed in an attempt to evade law enforcement, which occurred after appellant was transported from county jail to an outside hospital on November 29, 2010. The district attorney charged appellant with battery with injury on a peace officer (§243, subd. (c)(2), count 13); assault on a peace officer (§245, subd. (c), count 14); attempted obstruction of a peace officer with firearm removal (§§664/148, subd. (c), count 15); battery with injury on a peace officer (§243, subd. (c)(2), count 16); battery with serious bodily injury (§243, subd. (d), count 17); resisting an officer (§69, count 18); battery with injury on a peace

2 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise indicated.

2 officer (§243, subd.(c)(2), count 19); assault with a taser on a peace officer (§244.5, subd. (c), count 20); resisting a peace officer causing serious bodily injury (§148.10, count 21); firearm removal (§148, subd. (c), count 22); escape by force or violence (§4532, subd. (b)(2), count 23); false imprisonment of a hostage (§210.5, count 24, victim Chelsea McHone); attempted first degree premeditated murder (§§664/187, subd.(a)), count 25, victim Chelsea McHone); second degree commercial burglary (§459, count 26); kidnapping for ransom (§209, subd. (a), count 27, victim Tiffany Chapman); assault with a semiautomatic firearm (245, subd. (b), count 28, victim Tiffany Chapman); attempted carjacking (§§664/215, subd. (a), count 29, Tiffany Chapman’s car); first degree robbery of an inhabited dwelling (§211, count 30); criminal threats (§422, count 31); eight counts of false imprisonment of a hostage (§210.5, count 32, victim Tiffany Chapman; count 33, Monica Rocha; count 34, victim Kristin Van Kley; count 35, victim Hayden; count 36, victim Anahi; count 37, victim Feyana; count 38, victim Dean; and count 39, victim C.J.);3 first degree residential burglary person present (§459, count 40, the Langouev home), two counts of kidnapping for robbery (§209, subd. (b)(1), count 41, victim Vladimir Langouev; count 47, victim Tamara Langouev); two counts of kidnapping for ransom (§209, subd. (a), count 42 victim Vladimir Langouev; count 48 victim, Tamara Langouev); two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm (§245, subd. (b), count 43 victim Vladimir Langouev; count 49, victim Tamara Langouev); two more counts of false imprisonment of a hostage (§210.5, count 44, victim Vladimir Langouev; count 50, victim Tamara Langouev); two counts of criminal threats (§422, count 45, victim Vladimir Langouev; count 46, victim Tamara Langouev); first degree residential burglary (§459, count 51, the Bishop home); street terrorism (§186.22,

3 Hayden, Anahi, Feyana, Dean, and C.J. are all minor victims ranging in age from four and a half months to nine months in age. Accordingly, we refer to them by only their first names to protect their anonymity.

3 subd. (a), count 52); possession of a firearm by a felon (former §12021, subd. (a), count 53); carrying a loaded firearm having been previously convicted of a felony (former §12031, subd. (a)(2)(A), count 54); carrying a loaded firearm defendant knew or should have known was stolen (former §12031. subd. (a)(2)(B), count 55); carrying a loaded firearm while being an active participant in a criminal street gang (former §12031, subd. (a)(2)(C), count 56); and carrying a loaded firearm while not the registered owner (former §12031, subd. (a)(2)(F), count 57). As to counts 20 though 52, the district attorney alleged firearm enhancements (§12022, subd. (b)(1), or §12022.5, subds. (a)/(d), or §12022.53, subds. (b) or (c)). Counts 14, 20, and 23 contained a great bodily injury enhancement (§12022.7, subd. (a)). The district attorney alleged various aggravating sentencing factors, such as victim vulnerability (§1170.85, subd. (b), counts 35-50) and binding and tying (§1170.84, counts 40-50). Further, as to counts 10 through 57, the district attorney alleged that appellant had suffered two prior convictions and had not remained free of prison custody for five years subsequent to those convictions, within the meaning of section 667.5, subdivision (b). Before trial, the court granted a defense motion to sever the gang charges—counts 52 and 56; and granted a defense motion to bifurcate the bail enhancements, the prior conviction allegations, the binding/tying allegations, and the victim vulnerability allegations. Appellant waived his right to a jury trial on these allegations, in the event he was found guilty of the substantive offenses. In the interests of justice, the prosecutor moved to dismiss 15 counts before the matter was submitted to the jury—counts 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 31, 45, 46, 52, 54, 55, 56, and 57. The court granted a defense motion for judgment of acquittal (§1118.1) on counts 33, 34 and 35.

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People v. Ainsworth CA6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ainsworth-ca6-calctapp-2015.