People v. Fort CA1/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 15, 2024
DocketA169928
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Fort CA1/1 (People v. Fort CA1/1) 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. Fort CA1/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

Filed 11/15/24 P. v. Fort CA1/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, A169928 v. CECIL LAMAR FORT, (Solano County Super. Ct. No. VCR216225) Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant Cecil Lamar Fort was convicted of arson of an inhabited structure and other offenses. He was sentenced under the “Three Strikes” law to 39 years to life in prison. The trial court subsequently recalled Fort’s sentence pursuant to Penal Code1 section 1172.75, conducted a full resentencing, dismissed various sentencing enhancements, refused to strike a prior strike conviction, and resentenced him to 29 years to life. On appeal from the resentencing, Fort’s counsel filed a brief that raised no issues and asked this court to independently review the record pursuant to People v. Delgadillo (2022) 14 Cal.5th 216 (Delgadillo). Fort filed a supplemental letter challenging the court’s refusal to strike a prior strike conviction. We reject Fort’s arguments related to his prior strike convictions but we conclude that the trial court erred in failing to recalculate his custody credits at

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

1 resentencing. Accordingly, we remand to allow the trial court to recalculate Fort’s actual custody credits and, otherwise, we affirm the judgment. I. BACKGROUND The underlying facts are discussed in detail in this court’s prior opinion, People v. Fort (April 18, 2017, A147033) [nonpub. opn.] (Fort I). As recounted in that opinion, in 2012, L.A. lived in a townhouse with her daughter and her mother. Fort was living there temporarily. Fort and L.A. had an argument one evening which resulted in them pushing each other and falling over each other. The police were called, who told Fort to leave. As Fort was taken off the premises, he said, “ ‘I know how to get back at you.’ ” (Ibid.) Shortly after, L.A. heard something on her patio and found a rock on the patio, damage to the railing, and Fort in the driveway. The police were called again and they arrested Fort. L.A. left to spend the night at her brother’s house. The next day, while heavily intoxicated, Fort set a fire inside the living room of L.A.’s townhouse, which included using a bottle of lighter fluid. The carpet around the bottle of lighter fluid had been set on fire as well as a credenza against one of the walls. In 2013, Fort was charged by amended information with three felonies—residential burglary (§ 459), arson of an inhabited structure with an enhancement alleged for use of an accelerating device (§§ 451, subd. (b), 451.1, subd. (a)), and possession of flammable material (§ 453, subd. (a)). The information alleged Fort suffered prior convictions in 1987 and 1992 which constituted both five-year prior enhancements (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)) and prior strikes (§§ 667, subds. (b)–(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)–(d)). The information further alleged two prior prison term enhancements (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). Fort was also charged with six misdemeanor offenses.

2 A jury convicted Fort of arson, possession of flammable material, and four of the misdemeanor charges. As to the arson charge, the jury found true the use of accelerating device allegation. In a bifurcated bench trial, the trial court found true the two prior convictions allegations and one of the prison priors. Prior to sentencing, the court denied Fort’s Romero2 motion to strike his prior strike convictions. In 2015, the trial court sentenced Fort for arson to a third strike prison term of 25 years to life, and a consecutive four-year term for using an accelerating device. It imposed two consecutive five-year terms for the prior serious felony conviction enhancements. The remaining terms were stayed, stricken, or made concurrent. The aggregate term imposed was 39 years to life. In his direct appeal, Fort argued the People’s arson expert should not have been permitted to testify and the prosecutor committed prejudicial misconduct. (Fort I, supra, A147033.) He raised no issues regarding sentencing. (Ibid.) This court affirmed the judgment in 2017. (Ibid.) Subsequently, there were various ameliorative changes in sentencing statutes. Senate Bill No. 483 (2021–2022 Reg. Sess.) (Senate Bill 483) added section 1172.75 to the Penal Code. (People v. Monroe (2022) 85 Cal.App.5th 393, 399.) Section 1172.75, subdivision (a) invalidated, with certain exceptions, any sentence enhancement imposed prior to January 1, 2020 for a prior prison term (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). “Once the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation identifies those persons ‘currently serving a term for a judgment that includes an enhancement described in subdivision (a)’ to the sentencing court, ‘the court shall recall the sentence and resentence the defendant.’ (§ 1172.75, subds. (b) & (c).)” (Monroe, at p. 399.) Here, in

2 People v. Superior Court (Romero) (1996) 13 Cal.4th 497 (Romero).

3 September 2022, the trial court directed the public defender’s office to review Senate Bill 483, and the court scheduled a hearing to consider resentencing. In November 2023, Fort’s counsel filed a “resentencing brief and invitation for the court to strike and/or dismiss enhancements.” (Capitalization and boldface omitted.) Fort asked the court to strike one prior strike conviction and to dismiss the sentencing enhancements for use of an accelerating device, prior serious felony convictions, and a prior prison term. He requested he be sentenced to the low term on the arson conviction, doubled based on one remaining prior strike, for a total of six years. Fort argued various sentencing reforms applied to him. As relevant here, Fort requested that the trial court strike one of his prior strike convictions pursuant to newly added section 1385, subdivision (c). Further, he argued that even without sentencing law changes, the court had the power to strike a prior strike pursuant to Romero, which decision he urged was now guided by the amendments to section 1385. In his resentencing brief, Fort discussed his childhood traumas, his time in prison treating his alcohol addiction, and his future prospects.3 In discussing the present arson offense, Fort asserted that while it was dangerous, it was not the type of random act of violence that demonstrated a threat to the community, was not consistent with the pattern of his prior offenses, and was not likely to repeat itself. He called it “an outlier.” He also contended that arson of an inhabited structure “is at the low end of qualifying offenses for a third strike, and a small section of burned carpet is at the very lowest end to qualify under” the arson statute. As to his prior strike

3 Fort’s resentencing brief attached various documents, including an

assessment discussing his childhood traumas, teenage homelessness, addiction issues, and his stabilization over the prior five years.

4 convictions, he pointed out they were remote in time—1987 and 1992—and he was 26 years old when convicted of the more recent strike. He advised the court that he had a strong support network able to assist him when released from prison. Fort argued it was “clear” that he was “not the person he was in 2012 when he committed a dangerous crime.” The People opposed Fort’s requests, arguing his original sentence of 39 years to life should remain. As relevant here, the People pointed out that the trial court had denied Fort’s Romero motion prior to the original sentencing and argued nothing had changed regarding the relevant factors to consider.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Fort CA1/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-fort-ca11-calctapp-2024.