People v. Davis CA4/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 24, 2025
DocketD085945
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Davis CA4/1 (People v. Davis CA4/1) 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. Davis CA4/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 6/24/25 P. v. Davis CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D085945

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v. (Super. Ct. No. FSB19000830)

DEONTAY MARQUIS DAVIS,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, Cheryl C. Kersey, Judge. Affirmed. Gerald J. Miller, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Charles C. Ragland, Assistant Attorney General, A. Natasha Cortina and Alan L. Amann, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. A jury convicted Deontay Marquis Davis of committing four armed robberies and one assault with a deadly weapon. The jury found true firearm enhancement allegations as to each robbery count, and the court found true gang enhancement allegations as to each count and two prior strike allegations. The same jury also convicted another defendant, Christopher Jacks, of committing one of the armed robberies with Davis, but the jury did not reach a verdict on two separate counts of robbery alleged only against Jacks. The trial court denied Davis’s motion to dismiss prior strike allegations and sentenced Davis under the “Three Strikes” law to a total term of 170 years to life. On appeal, Davis contends: (1) the trial court erred by denying his motion to sever his trial from that of other defendants; (2) the court abused its discretion by declining to dismiss either of Davis’s prior strikes; and (3) his sentence violates the federal and state constitutions’ prohibition against cruel and/or unusual punishment. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND On February 7, 2019, A.P. withdrew $2,000 from a bank. When she reached her next destination, Davis, armed with a gun, and Jacks approached her, blocking her passage. Jacks said, “Give me the envelope, Bitch,” and Davis threatened to shoot A.P. They forcefully took A.P.’s purse with the money inside and left the scene. On February 13, 2019, Davis, holding a gun, approached Y.R. in a swap meet parking lot, took her purse, told her to get onto the ground, and threatened to shoot her if she got up. Davis’s companion approached Y.R.’s husband, M.S., and attempted to take his money. M.S. fought back until Davis came over with the gun and told M.S. to get on the ground. Davis and his companion took M.S.’s money and car keys.

2 Also on February 13, 2019, D.B. withdrew money at the counter of a Bank of America. A security camera at the bank showed Davis in line behind D.B. while he withdrew the money. After D.B. left the counter and Davis had a brief exchange with the bank teller, Davis followed D.B. out of the bank. At approximately 11:44 a.m., D.B. and his companion, P.M., left the bank parking lot and drove to a supermarket. D.B. parked his vehicle in the supermarket parking lot at approximately 11:58 a.m. Davis’s vehicle appeared in the parking lot shortly thereafter. As D.B. and P.M. exited their vehicle, Davis, armed with a gun, and another individual approached. Davis took a bag of money from D.B. while the other individual took P.M.’s purse. The perpetrators then returned to Davis’s vehicle to leave the parking lot. R.S. witnessed the robbery of D.B. and P.M. and tried to get the license plate number of Davis’s vehicle as it tried to leave the scene. The vehicle hit R.S., who sustained a concussion and a broken rib. Based on these incidents, the prosecution charged Davis with four

counts of robbery (Pen. Code,1 § 211) and one count of assault with a deadly weapon (§ 245, subd. (a)(1)), initially in three separate complaints. The prosecution further alleged: gang enhancements (§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(B), (C)) as to all counts; personal use of a firearm enhancements (§ 12022.53, subd. (b)) as to each robbery count; two prior serious felony convictions (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)); and two prior strike convictions (§§ 667, subds. (b)–(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)–(d)). His prior strikes arose from: (1) a November 2015 guilty plea of accessory after the fact (§ 32 with a § 186.22, subd. (b)(1) gang enhancement) and possession of a stolen firearm (§ 25400, subd. (c)(2)), and (2) a June 2016 guilty plea to first degree residential burglary (§ 459).

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code. 3 The prosecution charged Jacks for the February 7, 2019, robbery in the same complaint as Davis and separately charged Jacks with committing two other armed robberies on February 11, 2019. A third defendant was also charged with committing the February 7, 2019 robbery in the same complaint as Davis and Jacks. The prosecution moved to consolidate the charges against Davis, Jacks, and the third defendant for trial, contending consolidation was proper under section 954 because: (1) the crimes were of the same class, as robberies and attempted robberies using handguns; (2) the same gang evidence applied, including that the defendants were members of the same criminal street gang, the California Gardens Crips, and committed a series of robberies to fund a gang war; (3) no prejudice would result because the cases were equally strong and the defendants were gang members; and (4) judicial economy supported consolidation. The defense opposed the prosecution’s motion and moved to sever Davis’s trial from the other defendants. Because of the multiple charges not involving Davis, counsel argued, he would suffer prejudice and the jury would be confused. The trial court granted the prosecution’s motion to consolidate and denied Davis’s motion to sever his trial. The court reasoned: (1) each of the crimes involved the same gang, the same purpose to fund a gang war, and the same robbery scheme; (2) the same section 1101, subdivision (b) evidence would be involved; (3) the crimes were of the same class; (4) there would be no undue prejudice; and (5) the jury would not be confused, but instead well- informed from considering the entire spectrum of evidence. The resulting consolidated information alleged eight counts: one robbery count against all three defendants, three additional robbery counts and one assault with a

4 deadly weapon count against only Davis, two additional robbery counts against only Jacks, and one additional robbery count against only the third defendant. Prior to trial, the third defendant pled guilty and agreed to testify at trial. At trial, that defendant and another witness, both former members of the California Gardens Crips criminal street gang, testified. They provided evidence that: Davis and Jacks were members of the California Gardens Crips; the gang obtained money through robbery to purchase weapons to fight with rival gangs; and Davis, Jacks, and others met together to plan such robberies. In the robbery scheme, one witness explained that he would enter a bank to look for customers who withdrew a lot of money. He would then join Davis and Jacks, who were waiting in a car outside the bank, to follow and rob the target. After hearing evidence regarding the incidents and the gang evidence, the jury convicted Davis on all five counts and found the firearm enhancements true. The court later found true the gang and prior conviction allegations. Additionally, the court found multiple aggravating circumstances in Davis’s commission of the crimes: planning, sophistication, or professionalism; violent conduct indicating a serious danger to society; and numerous prior convictions.

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People v. Davis CA4/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-davis-ca41-calctapp-2025.