People v. Cortez

234 Cal. Rptr. 3d 609, 24 Cal. App. 5th 807
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedJune 20, 2018
DocketE064915
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 234 Cal. Rptr. 3d 609 (People v. Cortez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Cortez, 234 Cal. Rptr. 3d 609, 24 Cal. App. 5th 807 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

CODRINGTON J.

*612*810I

INTRODUCTION

Defendant and appellant, Anthony Esparza Cortez, Jr., a convicted felon, and his friend, Michael Saavedra, conspired to commit murder against Rene Perez, and his son-in-law, Alvino Barrera. While defendant drove, Saavedra fired a gun at Perez and Barrera in another car. Defendant and Saavedra then drove to the home of Guadalupe Valle, Perez's relative by marriage. Armed with a rifle and a handgun, defendant and Saavedra fired more than 30 bullets into the house, which was occupied by 10 people. Defendant admitted having possession of the rifle used in the shooting, and of an assault rifle which is banned in California, as well as several rounds of ammunition.

A jury convicted defendant of five charges: conspiracy to commit murder; being a felon in possession of a firearm; possessing firearms ammunition while prohibited from possessing a firearm; assault with a firearm; and possessing an assault weapon. ( Pen. Code, §§ 182, 187, 245, subd. (a)(2), 1192.7, subd. (c)(8), 12022, subd. (a)(1), 12022.53, subd. (c), 29800, subd. (a)(1), 30305, subd. (a), 30605, subd. (a).)1 The court sentenced defendant to an aggregate, determinate term of 29 years four months, followed by an indeterminate term of 25 years to life.

On appeal, defendant claims the trial court erred in not instructing the jury sua sponte on conspiracy to commit assault with a firearm and conspiracy to shoot at an inhabited dwelling as lesser included offenses of conspiracy to commit murder as charged. Defendant also claims the trial court erred in *811denying his requested self-defense instruction. Additionally, he asserts substantial evidence did not support the jury's finding that defendant personally and intentionally discharged a firearm in the commission of conspiracy to commit murder.

Finally, defendant asserts four claims of sentencing error, which the People concede. The parties agree the trial court should strike the one-year section 12022, subdivision (a)(1), enhancement as to the assault with a firearm count (count 4). The trial court should also stay under section 654 the one-year section 12022, subdivision (a)(1), enhancement as to the conspiracy count. In addition, under section 654, the trial court should also stay the separate punishment either for count 2 or count 5. Defendant further asserts in supplemental briefing that this court should remand this matter for resentencing on his firearm enhancement ( § 12022.53, subd. (c) ) under recently enacted Senate Bill No. 620 ( (2017-2018 Reg. Sess.) § 2), which amended section 12022.53, subdivision (h). The parties agree in their supplemental briefs that the recent amendment applies in this case retroactively, because the amendment took effect before final judgment.

We accordingly order this matter remanded to the trial court for the purpose *613of permitting the trial court to exercise its discretion as to whether to strike defendant's firearm enhancement, and to make the other corrections to defendant's sentence, as noted above. In all other regards, we affirm the judgment.

II

STATEMENT OF FACTS

In reviewing instructional error, we consider the evidence in the light most favorable to defendant. ( People v. Millbrook (2014) 222 Cal.App.4th 1122, 1137, 166 Cal.Rptr.3d 217.)

A. Prosecution Evidence

Defendant first became friends with Valle at a classic car show. Both men are fans of 1950's automobiles. Perez is married to Valle's wife's cousin. In June 2013, there was a fight among the guests at a party at Perez's house. The combatants included defendant, Saavedra, and Barrera.

Perez and Valle helped break up the fight. Perez and Valle discussed what had happened and agreed there was no ongoing problem. Defendant seemed pleased to leave the party. Perez did not see any punches thrown and he thought the dispute had ended.

*812After the June party, defendant sent several text messages to Valle, asking for photographs from a car show. Eventually, Perez sent defendant the photographs.

B. The Offenses

The basis for the conspiracy to commit murder in count 1 involved two separate shooting episodes-assault with a firearm on Perez's vehicle and the shooting of the Valle residence.

On August 17, 2013, Perez and Barrera were on a liquor run when a car stopped in front of them at an intersection. Perez saw a hand outside the car but did not see anything else because it was dark. As Perez drove away, he heard a loud pop that could have been a gunshot or a car backfiring. Perez did not see any of the car's occupants or whether they threw beer cans out of the car.

At trial, Perez testified he did not remember telling law enforcement about the car and the incident. However, Perez had stated in his police interview that both he and Barrera were in Perez's car at an intersection when a silver 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with 20-inch chrome rims pulled up to their car, and a single shot was fired from the passenger side towards Perez's car. Perez described the passenger as a bald very thin Hispanic man and said that, as the Monte Carlo drove away, both the driver and the passenger tossed out Modelo beer cans.

The parties stipulated that a witness would testify that, at the intersection where the Perez shooting took place, a silver two-door Chevrolet Impala pulled up with two Hispanic men inside. The driver was a heavyset man, with a mustache; the passenger was a thin man, with a mustache and a goatee.2 The passenger, holding a black handgun, yelled that they were from Carson and Fontana. Defendant is from Fontana and Saavedra is from Carson. Defendant was the driver of their car. The parties stipulated that one of the beer cans collected at the scene had Saavedra's fingerprints on it.

C. The Valle Residence Shooting

Later on the evening of August 17, 2013, Valle was at home with his wife and other *614family members. The rooms were illuminated. One of Valle's sons and a grandson were in the living room in the front of the house with the blinds closed. Valle's daughter was taking a shower in a bathroom adjacent to *813a bedroom near the front door. Two of her friends were waiting for her in the room. Valle's daughter heard a loud noise and the sound of breaking glass. Valle estimated 30 shots were fired through the front door and three walls.

Valle's neighbors across the street heard the shots. The father described two Hispanic men, one big and the other "a little bit smaller." The larger man was shooting a rifle. The thinner man may have fired several shots as well.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
234 Cal. Rptr. 3d 609, 24 Cal. App. 5th 807, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cortez-calctapp5d-2018.