People v. Cooks

141 Cal. App. 3d 224, 190 Cal. Rptr. 211, 1983 Cal. App. LEXIS 1528
California Court of Appeal·Decided March 25, 1983·No. Crim. 15402·Published·Cited by 107 cases

Opinion

Opinion

ROUSE, Acting P. J.

In May 1974, the Grand Jury for the City and County of San Francisco returned an indictment that accused Jessie Lee Cooks, Larry Craig Green, Manuel Moore, and J.C.X. Simon of conspiracy to commit murder between October 20, 1973, and April 30, 1974 (Pen. Code, §§ 182, 187). The indictment alleged four overt acts (Pen. Code, §§ 184, 1104). Cooks and Green were also accused of the following crimes in which Quita Hague was the victim: kidnaping (Pen. Code, § 207), robbery (Pen. Code, § 211), and *243 murder (Pen. Code, § 187). Cooks and Green were also accused of the following crimes in which Quita’s husband, Richard Hague, was the victim: kidnaping (Pen. Code, § 207), robbery (Pen. Code, § 211), and assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)). These crimes against Mr. and Mrs. Hague were committed on the night of October 20, 1973. The indictment further alleged that in robbing Quita Hague defendant Green inflicted great bodily injury on her (former Pen. Code, § 213), that in robbing Richard Hague defendant Cooks inflicted great bodily injury on him (former Pen. Code, § 213), and that Cooks used a firearm in committing each offense against Richard and Quita Hague (Pen. Code, § 12022.5).

Defendants Moore and Simon were both accused of the murders of Tana Smith and Jane Holly on January 28, 1974 (Pen. Code, § 187). The indictment alleged that Simon used a firearm in killing Tana Smith (Pen. Code, § 12022.5), and that Moore used a firearm in killing Jane Holly (Pen. Code, § 12022.5). Moore and Simon were also accused of assault with a deadly weapon on Roxanne McMillian January 28, 1974 (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)); the indictment alleged that Simon used a firearm in committing that offense (Pen. Code, § 12022.5). Moore was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon against Ward Anderson and Terry White on April 14, 1974 (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)); the indictment alleged that Moore used a firearm in committing those two offenses (Pen. Code, § 12022.5).

The indictment alleged two prior felony convictions against Cooks (1965 robbery and 1966 federal bank robbery), and one prior felony conviction (1969 burglary) against Moore.

The defendants pleaded not guilty and denied the special allegations. Trial by jury commenced in March 1975, and a year later, in March 1976, the jury, after 18 hours of deliberations, found the defendants guilty of all charges, including first degree murder. The jury also found all the special allegations to be true, other than the alleged prior convictions which Cooks and Moore had admitted before trial. The court sentenced the defendants to state prison for terms provided by law (life imprisonment) under the then existing Indeterminate Sentence Law. Each defendant appeals from his judgment of conviction. We affirm each judgment except for a minor modification of the judgment against Simon.

I. “Operation Zebra”

In December 1973, and January 1974, a number of persons were randomly shot and killed or injured on the streets of San Francisco. Random shootings occurred again in April 1974. In each instance the victim was a Caucasian and the gunman a Negro male. Witnesses gave police various descriptions of the gun *244 man’s height, weight, and appearance. In most instances, the gunman was described as 25 to 30 years old, about 6 feet tall, 160 to 180 pounds. The San Francisco Police Department took extraordinary measures to identify the person or persons responsible for the shootings. The police investigation of these crimes became known as “Operation Zebra,” based on the police radio code letters for that particular investigation. This case has become known as the “Zebra” case. 1

In April 1974, the City of San Francisco offered a reward of $30,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the “Zebra” crimes. Police released to the news media two composite drawings of a suspect, and on April 18, 1974, those sketches appeared in local newspapers. On April 22, 1974, Anthony Cornelius Harris telephoned the San Francisco Police Department and, during a number of interviews on successive days, Harris provided the police with information which led to the arrest (on May 1, 1974) and indictment of the defendants in this case. 2 Although the defendants argued that Harris’ main motive was revenge against the Black Muslims and collection of the reward, Harris said he telephoned the police primarily “to stop a lot of senseless killing, that’s all.”

Anthony Harris became a principal prosecution witness before the grand jury and at trial. Because of his involvement in some of the crimes, he invoked (on advice of counsel at trial) his constitutional privilege against self-incrimination. The court, on petition by the People, granted Harris immunity from prosecution and ordered him to testify (Pen. Code, § 1324). When the case was submitted to the jury the court instructed that Anthony Harris was an accomplice as a matter of law, and therefore his testimony had to be corroborated (Pen. Code, § HI 1).

*245 n. Background of Anthony Harris, the Defendants, and the Alleged Conspiracy

At the time of trial, Anthony Harris was 29 years old, a slender, well-groomed, good-looting black man about 5 feet 11 inches tall. He grew up in southern California (Santa Ana and Long Beach) with five brothers and two sisters. He dropped out of school after the ninth grade. Since he was about 14 years old he learned, practiced, and taught the martial art of Kung Fu. Certain defense witnesses revealed that Harris was once married to a white girl and had two children in southern California. A couple of Harris’ brothers were also married to white girls. In 1966, Harris was convicted of second degree burglary. In July 1971, he was again convicted of second degree burglary and sentenced to state prison.

In early 1973, Harris became acquainted with defendant Cooks and defendant Moore in San Quentin prison where the three men were inmates. Cooks was about 29 years old, black, muscular, about 6 feet tall, and a boxer or fighter. Moore was also about 29 years old, black, 6 feet 1 inch tall, muscular, and weighed 200 to 210 pounds. Moore was in prison for violation of parole on his 1969 conviction of burglary of a San Bernardino television store. Moore grew up in San Bernardino with six brothers and seven sisters, including Caucasian stepbrothers and stepsisters who were children of his Caucasian stepmother. Although Moore testified that he attended school through the ninth grade, he could not read or write.

Harris testified that while in prison he taught other prisoners the martial art of Kung Fu. Cooks, and later Moore, asked him to teach them Kung Fu. Cooks said he wanted to learn Kung Fu because he wanted to learn how to till white people.

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People v. Cooks, 141 Cal. App. 3d 224, 190 Cal. Rptr. 211, 1983 Cal. App. LEXIS 1528 (Cal. Ct. App. 1983).

141 Cal. App. 3d 224 (People v. Cooks) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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