People v. Isaac CA2/6

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 19, 2014
DocketB245347
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Isaac CA2/6 (People v. Isaac CA2/6) 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. Isaac CA2/6, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 5/19/14 P. v. Isaac CA2/6 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 SIX

THE PEOPLE, 2d Crim. No. B245347 (Super. Ct. No. TA123080-01, -02) Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County)

v.

ALEXANDER QUINN ISAAC et al.,

Defendants and Appellants.

Alexander Quinn Isaac and Jonathan Victor Eason appeal a judgment after convictions by jury of kidnapping to commit robbery (Pen. Code, § 209, subd. (b)(1))1; first degree robbery of a transit passenger (§§ 211, 212.5, subd. (a)); and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(4)). Isaac admitted he served a prior prison term for vehicle theft. (§ 667.5, subd. (a).) Eason admitted he suffered prior convictions for vehicle theft and robbery. (§§ 667.5, subd. (a), 667, subd. (a), 667, subds. (b)-(i); 1170.12, subds. (a)-(d).) The trial court sentenced Isaac to a determinate term of six years in state prison and an indeterminate term of life in prison with the possibility of parole. The trial court sentenced Eason to a determinate term of 19 years in prison and an indeterminate term of life in prison with the possibility of parole. The court imposed consecutive terms for all counts. It imposed a $240 "court security

1 All statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated. fee" upon each appellant as to each count, and an additional $30 "court security fee" upon each appellant. Appellants pulled a passenger from a train and robbed him. Among other things, they that contend there was insufficient evidence of asportation to support a kidnapping conviction, the crime was not “perpetrated on” a train for purposes of the first degree robbery finding, and that the trial court erred when it did not allow Eason to explain the basis for his request for substitute counsel. (People v. Marsden (1970) 2 Cal.3d 118 (Marsden).) We stay sentence for robbery and correct fee assessment errors and otherwise affirm the judgment as to Isaac. We provisionally reverse the judgment as to Eason and remand with directions to conduct a Marsden hearing. FACTUAL AND PRODCUDURAL BACKGROUND On an April night in 2012, Kam Yang boarded the Metro "Blue Line" train2 in Long Beach to travel home to Westchester. He had spent the evening drinking with friends. He was carrying about $300 in cash and he was drunk. At the Metro station, Yang took "a lot of cash" out of his pocket while he struggled to use the ticket machine. Appellants volunteered to help him. Yang had never met them. The three men boarded the train together. At trial, Yang did not remember much of the ride. A surveillance video from inside the train shows Yang sitting with appellants on the train. The men talk and laugh. Yang and Eason appear to play dice. Yang and Eason display Bloods gang hand signs. Yang hands money to Eason. Yang viewed the video at trial, but testified that he could not remember whether they were gambling because he was drunk. Yang testified that while they were still on the train, appellants told him they were going to rob him. He walked away from them and said, "You're not going to

2 Neither party disputes that the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro Blue Line train is a "vehicle operated on stationary rails" for purposes of section 212.5, subdivision (a).

2 rob me." A surveillance video shows him walking away, speaking, gesturing, and then using his cell phone. Yang testified that he pretended to call the police. When the train stopped, Isaac grabbed Yang and pulled him out the door onto the platform, a distance of six to nine feet. It was the last train of the night and not Yang's stop. The surveillance video shows Yang trying to climb back onto the train and Isaac pulling him back to the platform. Yang testified that he tried to get back on the train because he "didn't want to get robbed." A surveillance video from the station shows Isaac beating Yang. Eason initially walks away, but returns to Isaac and Yang. Appellants bend over Yang and both appear to go through his pockets. Isaac grabs Yang's legs, Eason grabs his shoulders and neck, and together they throw Yang onto the tracks and run away. Yang testified that both appellants went through his pockets before they threw him onto the tracks. Yang's face, shoulder, elbow and chin were injured. Yang said he was missing "about $300" in cash. He still had his cell phone and "a few dollars left" in his wallet. Evidence of Prior Robbery The trial court granted the prosecution's motion to present evidence that in 2008 appellants stole a cell phone from a boy on a bus. The prosecutor argued that the prior robbery tended to prove intent. The victim testified that when he was 15 years old, appellants boarded a bus and sat near him. Eason told him he was going to take his phone and said, “[I]f you do anything about it, I'm going to shoot you." Eason took the phone, and appellants got off the bus at the next stop. The victim reported the crime. He identified appellants that evening, and the police returned his phone. Eason's Request to Replace Counsel At a pretrial conference, Eason rejected a plea offer and the trial court denied his motion to dismiss pursuant to section 995. After the ruling, Eason told the trial judge, "My lawyer, he's not working--He ain't been working with me, and I would like to have some type of different lawyer, because he's not working." Eason said, "I

3 asked for my transcripts last week. . . . He said he was going to give them to me, and he didn't give it to me because I didn't want to waive time. I asked him, once again, and he said yes. And I guess he's upset now, and he's saying no. All I did was ask for my transcripts, so it seems he's not working with me." The trial court said, "I don't know if he's making a Marsden motion. He's got a complaint, but if it's a Marsden, I do have to handle that, for the record, so--" Eason's attorney said, "It's about [him] receiving some paperwork, and I'm making copies for him. I need to look at some redactions . . . there is some victims in this case." Eason interjected, "I don't want him representing me for my life, sir. That's basically it." The trial court said, "Excuse me. I'm not asking you to speak right now. Don't disrespect me in this courtroom." Eason responded, "I'm not trying to disrespect you." The court said, "Well you just did because you opened your mouth and started arguing with your lawyer." Eason said nothing further. Eason's attorney said, "I'll make the redactions and give him discovery, Your Honor." The trial court responded, "So noted. Thank you." The issue was not raised again. DISCUSSION Sufficiency of Evidence of Asportation to Support the Kidnapping Conviction Appellants contend the movement of Yang was merely incidental to the commission of the robbery and therefore could not support the kidnapping convictions. (§ 209, subd. (b)(2); People v. Martinez (1999) 20 Cal.4th 225, 232 [aggravated kidnapping requires movement of the victim (1) that is not merely incidental to the commission of the underlying crime and (2) that increases the risk of harm to the victim over and above that necessarily present in the underlying crime].) Sufficient evidence supports the jury's conclusion. To determine whether movement is merely incidental, a jury must consider the "scope and nature" of the movement, including the actual distance. (People v.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Isaac CA2/6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-isaac-ca26-calctapp-2014.