People v. Hunt

196 Cal. App. 4th 811, 127 Cal. Rptr. 3d 89, 2011 Cal. App. LEXIS 757
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 20, 2011
DocketNo. E050775
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 196 Cal. App. 4th 811 (People v. Hunt) 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. Hunt, 196 Cal. App. 4th 811, 127 Cal. Rptr. 3d 89, 2011 Cal. App. LEXIS 757 (Cal. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

Opinion

RAMIREZ, P. J.

A jury convicted defendant, Melvin Lee Hunt, of three counts of second degree robbery, during which defendant acted as a principal and the crime benefited a street gang (Pen. Code, § 12022.53, subd. (e)),1 and which benefitted a street gang (§ 186.22, subd. (b)). The jury also convicted defendant of active participation in a street gang (§ 186.22, [814]*814subd. (a)). He was sentenced to prison for 13 years eight months and appeals, claiming admission of gang evidence violated his due process right to a fair trial, there was insufficient proper evidence to support the gang enhancements and sentencing error occurred. We reject defendant’s contention, save his assertion that the sentencing court erred in not staying his sentence for active participation in a street gang. We therefore order the trial court to stay this sentence, thereby reducing his total sentence, reflect these facts in the abstract of judgment and minutes of the sentencing hearing, and correct other errors in those documents. Otherwise, we affirm.

Facts

On May 17, 2009, defendant drove his companion, a fellow gang member, to a fast-food restaurant where the latter held up, at gunpoint, three of its employees. Other facts will be discussed as they are relevant to the issues raised.

Issues and Discussion

1. Evidence Supporting the Gang Enhancement Findings

a. Testimony by the Prosecution’s Gang Expert

The prosecution’s gang expert testified that fear, intimidation and respect are “everything” in the gang culture and gangs want to be perceived as the meanest and toughest and want others to fear them, so they will be respected. Gang members or potential gang members have to do something to prove themselves to the gang and this can range from selling drugs to committing a robbery to shooting someone. Increasing the level of violence and committing crimes can benefit a gang in that more violent acts get more attention in the public and gamer more respect.

The expert testified that he became familiar with the Gateway Posse Crips (hereinafter, Gateway) in 1993 and he gave a history of the gang. He described the boundaries of their turf. He said that Gateway uses guns to conduct business and protect themselves to the same extent that police officers do. He went on, “They want to be out there, that their name wants to be known, they’re out there doing robberies, doing shootings, running around with guns, all that violence plays into who they are.” He said that selling marijuana and rock cocaine are the most common crimes committed by Gateway members but “street robbery is very, very common.” He said that robberies and being a felon in possession of a firearm are among their primary activities, but conceded that he could recall only one gang member being convicted of robbery around the time of these crimes. He said that [815]*815people who go to Gateway’s turf to buy drugs when the gang does not have drugs to sell or does not want to sell will be robbed and beaten with rocks. He said Gateway members also commit armed robberies and gas station, liquor store and fast-food-restaurant robberies. He added that even if a member keeps the proceeds from a robbery for himself, the gang can be benefitted because the public will become aware of the crime, which will cause fear and intimidation, as the information that the robber is a member of the gang will also become public. However, he conceded that if the robber does not tell the victim that he is a gang member or wear distinctive gang clothing, it is possible the victim will not know the robber is a gang member. He said that Gateway members wore blue clothes and there were over 100 members on the day of the crimes. He opined that on that day, defendant was an active member of the gang, having knowledge of the gang’s criminal activities, and he explained why. He reported that defendant’s companion had admitted membership in the gang on October 30, 2007, and on May 20, 2009.2 He said that the companion had “a history of getting caught with guns[,] ... of [committing] robberies [and] . . . assault with deadly weapons .... With that kind of criminal background, that kind of criminal experience, he’s looked upon with an elevated status in that gang.”

The expert was given a hypothetical in which self-admitted Gateway members are stopped in a car after a masked man robs three employees at a Del Taco and a dark blue ski mask, dark beanie and long-sleeved shirt, matching the description of that worn by the robber, and a gun are found in the car and one of the men admits that the proceeds of the robbery would be used to pay for parking tickets. He opined that the robbery would be for the benefit of the gang in that, “[I]f someone . . . does a crime . . . and they’re doing it for . . . themselves because they want money to go get high or drink, or buy themselves a gun for protection, once they get into that gangster lifestyle, . . . everything they do is synonymous with the gang at that point. Whether they’re going out there with a specific reason of doing the robbery for their personal gain, as long as people know that the individual is a gang member from this specific gang, they’re going to talk about how so and so from whatever gang it may be, did a robbery.[3] That gang is going to . . . reap the benefits of that robbery in the gang community. They’re going to get more respect and more fear.”

He opined that in the hypothetical, the robbery would be at the direction of the gang because “The person who’s gone in and done the robbery . . . may have more experience. Maybe more well versed in how to pull the robbery [816]*816off. The guy that’s the driver, is like, . . . [‘]I want to go and help you. I want to get money out of this but, . . . I’m afraid of guns. I don’t want to point no gun at somebody. I may kill somebody. I’ll drive the car.[’] So the other guy says, [‘A]ll right, get in the car. Let’s go.[’] . . . The more experienced veteran member of the gang . . . is . . . calling the play .... [‘]You’re going to park right here. I’m going to go in this door. I’ll be in there for two minutes. If I’m not out in two minutes, come looking for me[’] or whatever direction he may give him because he may be the more experienced one. So he’s directing the operation.”

He opined that in the hypothetical, the robbery would be in association with a gang in that, “You’ve got two gang members from the same gang going to do a crime. . . . [T]hey’re associated with each other. It’s going to benefit the gang."

He opined that in the hypothetical, the robbery was done to promote, further or assist criminal conduct by Gateway members because “[G]ateway is notorious for dope sales and robberies.[4] . . . [I]t’s promoting what their gang is all about. Everyone knows, you go to [G]ateway to buy dope. If you don’t get dope, chances are you can get robbed. It’s common knowledge on the street, you’re going to get beat with rocks . . . .”

He conceded that if defendant committed these crimes just to get money to pay tickets “with no mitigating factors,”5 the robberies would not be gang crimes. He said if two gang members rob a fast-food restaurant, it would benefit and be at the direction of the gang. However, at the preliminary hearing, he testified that this would “depend ... on the dynamics” and a case-by-case determination would have to be made.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
196 Cal. App. 4th 811, 127 Cal. Rptr. 3d 89, 2011 Cal. App. LEXIS 757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-hunt-calctapp-2011.