People v. Garcia

241 Cal. Rptr. 3d 349, 30 Cal. App. 5th 316
California Court of Appeal, 5th District·Decided December 17, 2018·No. 2d Crim. B269836·Published·Cited by 36 cases

Opinion

PERREN, J.

*319In 1996, appellant Izick David Garcia was convicted of multiple violent sex offenses and sentenced to a prison term of 94 years to life. Appellant was 17 at the time he committed the crimes. We affirmed the judgment. (People v. Garcia (July 29, 1997, B104833) [nonpub. opn.] (Garcia I ).)

*320In 2012, appellant filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging the constitutionality of his sentence. He claimed he was entitled to resentencing under a new line of cases holding that a juvenile's sentence for a nonhomicide offense violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment if it amounts to a de facto life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) sentence. (See Miller v. Alabama (2012) 567 U.S. 460, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407 ( Miller ); Graham v. Florida (2010) 560 U.S. 48, 130 S.Ct. 2011, 176 L.Ed.2d 825 ( Graham ); People v. Caballero (2012) 55 Cal.4th 262, 145 Cal.Rptr.3d 286, 282 P.3d 291 ( Caballero ).) The trial court granted appellant's petition and resentenced him to 50 years to life in state prison. It determined the revised sentence is constitutional in that it affords appellant a meaningful opportunity for a parole hearing within his natural life expectancy. (See Caballero , at pp. 268-269, 145 Cal.Rptr.3d 286, 282 P.3d 291.)

Appellant contends, and the Attorney General concedes, that Proposition 57 requires that we vacate the sentence, conditionally reverse the convictions, and remand to the trial court with directions to refer the case to the juvenile court for a transfer hearing to determine the propriety of prosecution of the case in adult criminal court. (See Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707, subd. (a) ; People v. Superior Court (Lara) (2018) 4 Cal.5th 299, 310, 228 Cal.Rptr.3d 394, 410 P.3d 22 ( Lara ).)

If the juvenile court determines it would not have transferred appellant to criminal court under current law, the juvenile court shall treat appellant's convictions as juvenile adjudications and impose an appropriate disposition. ( Lara , supra , 4 Cal.5th at p. 310, 228 Cal.Rptr.3d 394, 410 P.3d 22.)

If the juvenile court decides it would have transferred appellant to criminal court, the case shall be transferred to criminal court, which shall reinstate appellant's convictions but conduct a resentencing hearing in accordance with *351People v. Contreras (2018) 4 Cal.5th 349, 383, 229 Cal.Rptr.3d 249, 411 P.3d 445 ( Contreras ). The Supreme Court in that case held that a sentence of 50 years to life constitutes a de facto LWOP sentence in violation of the Eighth Amendment. ( Id. at p. 379, 229 Cal.Rptr.3d 249, 411 P.3d 445.)

Finally, appellant argues that Penal Code section 30511 violates the equal protection clause and the Eighth Amendment because it excludes him and other juveniles sentenced under the One Strike law from a youth offender parole hearing after 25 years in prison. Contreras considered this argument but declined to decide the issue, stating "[i]t suffices to note ... that the *321current penal scheme for juveniles may warrant additional legislative action." ( Contreras , supra , 4 Cal.5th at p. 382, 229 Cal.Rptr.3d 249, 411 P.3d 445.) Because the matter must be remanded to the trial court for further proceedings, we conclude the issue is not ripe for review.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The facts of the underlying crimes are minimally relevant to the issues raised on appeal. Briefly, on January 8 or 9, 1995, appellant, who was 17 years old, approached Jill N., threw her to the ground and choked her. Appellant forced Jill N. at knifepoint to orally copulate him. He also raped her. Appellant choked her into unconsciousness and when she awoke, appellant was gone, along with her belongings. (Garcia I , supra , B104833.)

On January 28, 1995, appellant raped Jane Doe in her hotel room.

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People v. Garcia, 241 Cal. Rptr. 3d 349, 30 Cal. App. 5th 316 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018).

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