People v. Caesar

62 Cal. Rptr. 3d 214, 153 Cal. App. 4th 114
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 19, 2007
DocketD050387
StatusPublished

This text of 62 Cal. Rptr. 3d 214 (People v. Caesar) 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. Caesar, 62 Cal. Rptr. 3d 214, 153 Cal. App. 4th 114 (Cal. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

62 Cal.Rptr.3d 214 (2007)
153 Cal.App.4th 114

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Marcus Terelle CAESAR et al., Defendants and Appellants.

No. D050387.

Court of Appeal of California, Fourth District, Division One.

June 19, 2007.

*216 Doris M. Frizzell, Salida, CO, John L. Dodd, Tustin, CA, for Defendant and Appellant Marcus Terelle Caesar.

John L. Dodd & Associates and John L. Dodd, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, Tustin, for Defendant and Appellant Steven C. Godbolt.

Edmund G. Brown, Jr., Atty. Gen., Dane R. Gillette and Gary W. Schons, Asst. Attys. Gen., Gil Gonzalez and Randall D. Einhorn, Deputy Attys. Gen., for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Certified for Partial Publication.[*]

*215 IRION, J.

This matter involves convictions arising out of a confrontation between two groups of men in which guns were fired, killing one man and injuring several others.

The evidence at trial showed that Steven C. Godbolt was one of the shooters. A jury convicted Godbolt of one count of second degree murder (Pen.Code, § 187, subd. (a))[1] and four counts of unpremeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)). The jury also found that Godbolt personally and intentionally discharged a firearm with respect to each count, proximately causing great bodily injury or death (§§ 12022.53, subd. (d), 1192.7, subd. (c)(8)).

In the same trial, Marcus Terelle Caesar, who did not fire a gun during the confrontation, was tried on the theory that he aided and abetted an assault and battery, and the natural and probable consequences of that assault and battery were the crimes committed by Godbolt. The jury convicted Caesar of one count of second degree murder (§ 187, subd. (a)), one count of premeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)) and three counts of unpremeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)). As to each of the counts, the jury also found that Caesar was a principal in the commission of the crime while another principal was armed with a firearm (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)). Caesar admitted a prior strike and a prior *217 prison term (§§ 667, subds.(c), (e)(1), 667.5. subd. (b)).

The trial court sentenced Godbolt to 156 years to life in prison and sentenced Caesar to 76 years to life in prison, composed of both determinate and indeterminate terms. As relevant here, the trial court selected count 2 as the principle determinate term for Godbolt and ordered that counts 3, 4 and 5 were to be served consecutive to it, and selected count 3 as the principle determinate term for Caesar and ordered that counts 4 and 5 were to be served consecutive to it.

Both Caesar and Godbolt appeal.

First, Caesar argues that his conviction on count 2 for attempted premeditated murder should be reduced to attempted unpremeditated murder because Godbolt, who was the shooter, was convicted of attempted unpremeditated murder.

Second, Godbolt and Caesar both argue that the trial court impermissibly imposed consecutive sentences on the basis that each count involved separate victims.

Third, Godbolt and Caesar both argue that the trial court violated their federal constitutional right to a jury trial by sentencing them to upper terms (count 2 for Godbolt and count 3 for Caesar) based on circumstances in aggravation found by the trial court instead of the jury.

As we will explain, we conclude (1) that Caesar's conviction on count 2 must be reduced to attempted unpremeditated murder; (2) that the trial court did not err in imposing consecutive sentences on Godbolt and Caesar; and (3) that this case must be remanded for resentencing because the trial court imposed an upper term sentence based on facts not found by a jury.

I

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On September 14, 2004, Caesar was visiting his girlfriend, who lived with her children, including her teenage son, Andre Clayton. During the visit, a friend of Clayton's accidentally backed into Caesar's vehicle. Caesar was upset by the accident and the reaction of Clayton and his friends. He told Clayton that he would return with some other people and they would teach Clayton a lesson.

Approximately two hours later, while Clayton was at home with several friends, Caesar returned with some other men. Four men, including Caesar, got out of Caesar's vehicle. According to a statement that one of the men in the vehicle gave to police, Caesar had asked the men in his vehicle whether they had guns.

The two groups of men assembled in the middle of the street for a fight. One man who had arrived with Caesar pointed a gun at Clayton. Clayton punched the man and knocked the gun out of his hand. Someone else shot Clayton, in the hip. Other shots were fired as Clayton's friends ran away. Caesar did not fire any shots, but two of the men who arrived with him did, including Godbolt. In total, at least 15 bullets were fired from at least two different guns. The men then got back into Caesar's vehicle and drove away.

Four of Clayton's friends were shot or injured as they ran away from the gunfire. Clayton and three other victims—Joe Harris, Dewayne Taylor, and Jesse McDowell—survived their injuries. Yuseff Brown died after being shot in the back.

Godbolt and Caesar were tried together. Godbolt was convicted of one count of second degree murder (§ 187, subd. (a)), and four counts of unpremeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)). Godbolt *218 was also found to have personally and intentionally discharged a firearm with respect to each count, proximately causing great bodily injury or death (§§ 12022.53, subd. (d), 1192.7, subd. (c)(8)).

Caesar, who was not one of the shooters, was prosecuted on the theory that he aided and abetted an assault and battery by instigating the confrontation between the two groups of men, and that he was guilty of murder and attempted murder because those crimes were a natural and probable consequence of the assault and battery. The jury convicted Caesar of one count of second degree murder (§ 187, subd. (a)), one count of premeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)) and three counts of unpremeditated attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)). As to each of the counts, the jury also found that Caesar was a principal in the commission of the crime while another principal was armed with a firearm (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)).

The trial court sentenced Godbolt to 156 years to life in prison, consisting of (i) an indeterminate term of 140 years to life, composed of a term of 15 years to life for the murder conviction (count 1), plus 25-year terms for each of the five firearm enhancements, to be served consecutive to (ii) a determinate term of 16 years, based on an upper term of nine years for count 2, plus three consecutive terms of 2 years 4 months (one-third the midterm) for each of counts 3, 4 and 5.

The trial court sentenced Caesar to 76 years to life in prison, consisting of (i) an indeterminate term of 44 years to life, based on a term of 30 years to life for the murder conviction (count 1) plus 14 years to life for the conviction for attempted premeditated murder (count 2), to be served consecutive to (ii) a 32-year determinate term, based on an upper term of 18 years for count 3, plus consecutive terms of 4 years 8 months (one-third the midterm) for each of counts 4 and 5, and additional time for the firearm enhancements and the prior prison term.

Godbolt and Caesar both appeal.

II

DISCUSSION

A.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
62 Cal. Rptr. 3d 214, 153 Cal. App. 4th 114, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-caesar-calctapp-2007.