People v. Gueye CA2/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 21, 2014
DocketB245437
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Gueye CA2/5 (People v. Gueye CA2/5) 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. Gueye CA2/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 2/21/14 P. v. Gueye CA2/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

THE PEOPLE, B245437

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. BA396964) v.

OGO GUEYE,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Clifford L. Klein, Judge. Affirmed with directions. Juliana Drous, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey and Shawn McGahey Webb, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. I. INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted defendant, Ogo Gueye, of first degree burglary (Pen. Code, § 459)1 and two counts of second degree robbery (§ 211). Defendant was sentenced to six years in state prison. We affirm the judgment but we direct the trial court, upon remittitur issuance, to amend the abstract of judgment.

II. THE EVIDENCE

Two victims, Christopher McLean and Quinlin Messenger, encountered defendant burglarizing their apartment. Mr. McLean got a good look at defendant’s face. Defendant was wearing: a white T-shirt; white or light-colored pants; a belt; gold chains; and a large “very flashy” gold watch. He spoke with a thick Jamaican or African accent. Defendant fled. Mr. McLean and Mr. Messenger chased defendant. They repeatedly caught up to him. Defendant said he had a gun. Defendant also threatened to stab Mr. McLean and Mr. Messenger. Eventually, defendant escaped. At the scene of the chase, police officers found a jacket. The jacket contained property belonging to defendant. Based on Mr. Messenger’s description of the perpetrator, police officers detained defendant. Defendant was wearing: two pairs of sweatpants—gray and blue; a large gold watch; a white metal chain with an “E” on it; and “bedazzled” black shoes. The officers recovered clothing they had seen defendant discard: “True Religion” pants; a black watch; a belt; and a black head covering. Mr. Messenger identified defendant. At trial, both victims identified defendant as the perpetrator. Defendant testified in his own defense. Defendant said he was from Senegal and English was his third language. Defendant denied committing the burglary. Rather, according to defendant, the burglary and robberies were committed by a person named

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise noted.

2 “Buzz.” The person identified only as Buzz was an acquaintance of defendant. Extraordinarily, the person identified only as Buzz looked and sounded like defendant. And, to complicate matters, defendant only knew the apparent burglar and robber by the name Buzz. Defendant did not know Buzz by any other name. On the night of the burglary, defendant and Buzz planned to go to a club for Reggae night. Club patrons wore black and white clothing for Reggae night. Defendant lent Buzz: a white T-shirt; white “True Religion” jeans; a Louis Vuitton belt; and a pair of gray sweatpants. Defendant wore: black jeans; piano key suspenders; a white T-shirt; a black jacket; black rhinestone-encrusted shoes; a white metal chain with an “E” emblem; an earring; and a bracelet. Defendant wore blue sweatpants under his jeans. When they later met to attend the club, Buzz wore: the white “True Religion” jeans; a white T-shirt; the Louis Vuitton belt, white sneakers; an earring; a gold chain; and a gold watch. He put the sweatpants he had been wearing into a backpack. During the evening, defendant left the club without his jacket. Buzz later left the club with defendant’s jacket. But Buzz did not return the jacket to defendant. Defendant went to a hotel with a woman he had met at the club. When he left the hotel, he was wearing: his blue sweatpants; piano-key suspenders; white T-shirt; black jeweled shoes; and his jewelry. Defendant testified he left his jeans in the hotel. Defendant met up with Buzz at a bus depot. An altercation followed during which defendant knocked Buzz to the ground. Buzz may have been unconscious. Defendant removed all of Buzz’s clothing and jewelry—the white jeans, T-shirt and the gold and black watches. Defendant also took his sweatpants. They were in Buzz’s backpack. According to defendant, a homeless man saw what was happening. The homeless man accused defendant of robbery and threatened to call the police. In response, defendant put the gray sweatpants on over his blue ones. He carried the white jeans and the black watch. Defendant testified he was thereafter detained by law enforcement officers. Mr. Messenger’s watch was being worn by defendant. As noted, this ironically occurred when defendant took the clothing from Buzz’s backpack.

3 Chris Campbell corroborated defendant’s presence at the club on the night of the burglary. Mr. Campbell saw defendant. At that time, defendant was wearing: black pants; a white shirt; a black jacket; and rhinestone-studded black shoes. Mr. Campbell later heard defendant and another man speaking with a woman. Both defendant and the other man, another black male, had foreign accents—Jamaican or African. Defendant was not wearing his jacket at that time. The other man was wearing white pants, a white shirt, white shoes, and a Louis Vuitton belt. Dr. Robert Shomer testified about eyewitness identifications. Dr. Shomer discussed factors affecting the reliability of such identifications. In rebuttal, the People presented evidence Mr. Campbell and defendant had both been booked at the Hollywood police station on the same day. Arrestees were held in one of two cells. Both defendant and Mr. Campbell were subsequently transferred to the county jail.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Asserted Sixth Amendment Violation

1. Overview

Defendant argues the prosecution deliberately intruded into his attorney-client relationship in violation of his Sixth Amendment rights. The claim arises from the seizure of defendant’s preliminary hearing transcript and notes from his jail cell near the trial’s end. Defendant contends his conviction must therefore be reversed. We find no realistic possibility of prejudice to defendant or benefit to the prosecution, hence no reversible error. 2. Pertinent factual background

The pertinent facts are as follows. Deputy District Attorney Louis Avila presented the prosecution’s case beginning on Monday, October 15, 2012. The prosecution rested

4 on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. Defendant testified in his own defense. On Wednesday, October 17, 2012, prior to testifying, defendant handed his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Natasha Brown, a folder of notes. Defendant had made these notes concerning the events preceding his arrest. Ms. Brown reviewed the notes and handed the folder back to defendant. The folder also contained a copy of the preliminary hearing transcript. There is no evidence Mr. Avila or any other person knew the documents had been shown to Ms. Brown when they were seized. Direct examination commenced Wednesday morning, October 17, 2012, and continued into the afternoon. Mr. Avila’s cross- examination of defendant began at about 3 p.m. and continued to the end of the day. Also on October 17, 2012, Mr. Avila requested defendant’s jail cell be searched. Mr.

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People v. Gueye CA2/5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gueye-ca25-calctapp-2014.