People v. Jackson CA2/4

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 3, 2014
DocketB242755
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Jackson CA2/4 (People v. Jackson CA2/4) 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. Jackson CA2/4, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 4/3/14 P. v. Jackson CA2/4 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 FOUR

THE PEOPLE, B242755

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. VA122085) v.

ERNEST JOSEPH JACKSON et al.,

Defendants and Appellants.

APPEAL from judgments of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Robert J. Higa, Judge. Affirmed in part, and remanded with instructions. Ava R. Stralla, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Ernest Joseph Jackson. Russell S. Babcock, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Richard Johnson. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Mary Sanchez and David Zarmi, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

________________________________ INTRODUCTION Ernest Joseph Jackson and Richard Johnson each appeal from a judgment and sentence, following their convictions for attempted premeditated murder, assault, mayhem and second degree robbery. Appellants contend there was insufficient evidence to support the convictions for attempted premeditated murder. Johnson separately contends the trial court erred by failing to give a heat- of-passion instruction sua sponte. Jackson separately contends the court erred in instructing the jury that it could draw adverse inferences from his testimony. Finding no prejudicial error, we affirm the convictions. Appellants also contend, and the People concede, that there were sentencing errors. We will, therefore, order the abstract of judgment amended to correct those errors.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY In an amended information, the Los Angeles County district attorney charged appellants and codefendant Onesi Reyes Howard with attempted willful, deliberate and premeditated murder of James Haley (Pen. Code, §§ 187, subd. (a), 1 664, count 1); mayhem (§ 203, count 2); second degree robbery (§ 211, count 3); and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(1), count 4). As to counts 1, 2, and 3, the information alleged that Jackson and Howard personally used a deadly weapon (§ 12022, subd. (b)(1)). As to all counts, the information alleged that appellants and Howard personally inflicted great bodily injury (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)). It was further alleged that appellant Johnson had suffered one prior strike conviction (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)- (d)), one prior serious felony conviction (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)), and had served two prior prison terms (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). It was also alleged that Jackson had served 1 All further statutory citations are to the Penal Code.

2 one prior prison term. (§ 667.5, subd. (b).) Appellants pled not guilty and denied the special allegations. A jury found appellants guilty as charged and found all of the special 2 allegations to be true. In a bifurcated proceeding, appellants admitted all the prior convictions allegations, and the trial court struck the prior prison term allegations as to Johnson. The court sentenced Johnson to 22 years to life in prison on count 1, and to a concurrent term of three years on count 3. It imposed and stayed sentences on counts 2 and 4. Johnson received 268 days of actual custody credit and 0 days of conduct credit, for a total of 268 days of presentence custody credit. The court sentenced Jackson to 12 years to life in prison on count 1, and to a concurrent term of three years on count 3. The court imposed and stayed sentences on counts 2 and 4. Jackson received 266 days of actual custody credit and 0 days of conduct credit, for a total of 266 days of presentence custody credit. 3 Appellants filed timely notices of appeal.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND A. The Prosecution Case James Haley was a friend of appellants and of Howard, who was Johnson’s girlfriend. They would spend time together several days a week. On the afternoon of September 24, 2011, Haley and Jackson were sitting on a bench in Washington Park. Nearby was Haley’s shopping cart, containing some food, clothing, a

2 The jury acquitted Howard on count one, and convicted her on counts two through four. 3 Howard was sentenced to four years in state prison. She filed an appeal, but later abandoned it.

3 boombox stereo and two five-foot broom handles. Johnson and Howard arrived and sat down on a nearby bench. Jackson then shouted to Johnson that Haley “keeps saying he’s sleeping with your girlfriend.” This rumor had started two or three months before, but Haley had never discussed it with Johnson or Howard. After Jackson spoke, Johnson, appearing angry, jumped up from his bench and started toward Haley. As Haley stood and tried to “get around” Johnson, Jackson hit him on the back of the head with one of the broom handles. Johnson then put Haley in a chokehold and told Howard to check Haley’s pockets. Howard took five dollars out of Haley’s front right pants pocket. Johnson let Haley go, and all three then began beating Haley. They kicked Haley in the face, chest, back, side, and throat. Haley began to see flashes of light. Haley estimated that Johnson kicked him about 10 times, Jackson over 20 times, and Howard three or four times. After Howard kicked Haley, she grabbed the other broom handle and began hitting him with it. Haley begged them to stop, but they continued. “I kept asking [Johnson] why is he doing this,” but he did not respond. Instead, “he just continued to kick and beat me.” At one point, Johnson shouted, “Kill him. Kill him.” Haley lost consciousness. When he came to briefly, appellants started beating him again. Before Haley lost consciousness again, he heard voices discussing calling an ambulance. When Haley woke up, he was in the hospital. He could not see or speak. He stayed in the hospital nearly two weeks. The assault left Haley with severe injuries. Before the beating, he did not need glasses, but at the time of trial, he was blind in his right eye and could see only shapes out of his left eye. Likewise, before the beating, Haley had a straight jaw. After the beating, his reconstructed jaw was crooked, he could eat only soft food, and he could not eat anything using

4 the left side of his mouth. Additionally, after the beating, Haley lost hearing in his left ear for a month. Haley thought the attack had been planned because “the day before there wasn’t [any] problem.” On cross-examination, Haley admitted he had smoked PCP the day before the incident, but asserted he was not under the influence when he was beaten. He also admitted he had been convicted of a felony in 1982. Firefighter and paramedic Jeremy Collings testified that when he arrived at the scene at 4:22 p.m., Haley was lying unresponsive on the grass, with blood on his face. Collings treated Haley using general trauma procedures before Haley was taken to the hospital. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy John Schoen arrived while Haley was being treated. Deputy Schoen interviewed Jackson and Howard who were nearby. Jackson told Deputy Schoen that he had found Haley in that condition, and that Haley had asked him to call an ambulance. Howard told Deputy Schoen she did not see or hear anything. Jackson and Howard showed no signs of injuries, and they did not seem concerned about Haley. Deputy Schoen also saw a shopping cart and a broom handle nearby. Detective Jonathan Stambook with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department interviewed Haley at the hospital on October 3, 2011.

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People v. Jackson CA2/4, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jackson-ca24-calctapp-2014.