People v. Jones

237 Cal. Rptr. 3d 224, 26 Cal. App. 5th 420
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedAugust 21, 2018
DocketB279694
StatusPublished
Cited by49 cases

This text of 237 Cal. Rptr. 3d 224 (People v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Jones, 237 Cal. Rptr. 3d 224, 26 Cal. App. 5th 420 (Cal. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

FEUER, J.

*229Ashley Debra Jones appeals from a judgment entered after her conviction following a court trial for second degree murder and child abuse arising from the death of her four-month-old daughter, Savannah.1 The trial court found true as to the murder count the allegation that Jones personally inflicted great bodily injury on Savannah. Jones was tried with codefendant Johnathan Lucero, Jones's boyfriend and Savannah's father. The trial court found Lucero not guilty of murder but guilty of child abuse.2 The trial court found as to the child abuse count that both Jones and Lucero willfully caused and permitted Savannah to suffer physical pain and injury under circumstances likely to produce great bodily injury or death.

On appeal, Jones contends her waiver of her right to a jury trial was not knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. We agree. The trial court's two-question inquiry of Jones, as to whether she "underst[ood] [her] right to a jury trial" and whether she agreed to waive that right and have the trial judge "sitting alone, decide the case" does not affirmatively show that Jones understood the nature of the right to a jury trial she was relinquishing. Although there is no rigid formula for what a jury advisement must include, the record does not show whether Jones understood that a jury is comprised of individuals from the community instead of, for example, a collection of judges. We reverse on this basis.

We also review the sufficiency of the evidence to determine whether Jones may be tried again for the offenses. We conclude there was sufficient corroboration of Lucero's accomplice testimony and that substantial evidence supports the convictions. We remand for a new trial.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. The Information and Jury Waiver

The information alleged that on December 31, 2013 Jones committed the crimes of murder ( Pen. Code, 3 § 187, subd. (a); count 1) and child abuse (§ 273a, subd. (a); count 2). The information charged Lucero with the same offenses. The information alleged as to count 1 that in the commission of the offense Jones personally inflicted great bodily injury on Savannah (§ 1203.075, subd. (a) ). The information alleged as to count 2 that Jones and Lucero willfully caused and permitted Savannah to suffer physical pain and injury under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily injury or death (§ 12022.95).

*230Jones entered a plea of not guilty and denied the special allegations. On October 13, 2015 Jones and Lucero waived their right to a jury trial. A court trial commenced as to Jones and Lucero on September 26, 2016.

B. The Evidence at Trial

In December 2013 Jones, Lucero, and their three daughters, four-year-old Amiah, two-year-old Janelle, and four-month-old Savannah, shared a bedroom in an apartment in Downey. Lucero's sister Lourdes Cazares and other members of Cazares's family also lived in the apartment.4 Jones stayed home to care for Savannah. Lucero typically left for work between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. and returned between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m.

Between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. on December 31, 2013 Amiah ran into Cazares's room screaming. She looked scared and said her little sister had blood in her eyes. About a minute later, Cazares heard Gloria Aguirre, Jones's grandmother, screaming. Cazares came out of her room and saw Aguirre in the hallway, holding Savannah. Aguirre then sat on the living room couch and rubbed Savannah's chest in a circular motion. Jones was standing in the dining room; Lucero was there, but Cazares could not recall where.

Cazares called 911. The 911 operator told her to place Savannah on the floor and check for a pulse. Cazares did this, but was unable to find a pulse. Savannah was cold to the touch. Cazares saw bruises "just popping up on her."

Downey Police Officer Blanca Reyes arrived at Cazares's apartment at 10:25 a.m. Downey Police Officer Angel Villegas arrived a few minutes later. Officer Reyes found Savannah lying on the living room floor, wrapped in a blanket. Savannah had two circular bruises on her forehead. Her skin was pale; her eyes were open and had a glossy film over them. She was not breathing. Officers Reyes and Villegas performed CPR on Savannah. Jones then walked into the living room from the hallway and said that she had just woken up. Officer Villegas yelled at her, "Who was watching the baby?" Jones did not respond.

The paramedics took Savannah to the hospital. Officer Reyes followed, and spoke to Jones and Aguirre at the hospital. Jones told Officer Reyes that Savannah had been constipated. Savannah had a bowel movement about midnight; Jones changed her diaper and put her back to sleep. Savannah awoke later and was crying. Jones gave her a pacifier, and Savannah went back to sleep. Jones woke up about 10:00 a.m. She took Savannah from the co-sleeper on the floor and put her on the bed. Jones noticed that Savannah's eyes were open and she was nonresponsive. Jones called Aguirre because she believed something was wrong with Savannah. Officer Reyes asked Jones about her feeding of Savannah. Jones said she did not breastfeed Savannah, and instead gave her a soy milk formula with iron.

Denise Bertone, coroner investigator with the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, examined Savannah at the hospital. Bertone observed multiple injuries, including a small bruise under Savannah's jaw, bruises on her head, chest, hip, legs, and ribs, and discoloration of her abdomen. Savannah was also underweight. Bertone observed and was able to feel a "callous formation" bump on Savannah's rib, indicating that Savannah had a fractured rib that was healing.

In response to Bertone's questions, Jones stated that Savannah had no known *231history of any medical problems. Jones "volunteered that ... she is careful, she is always with the baby and keeps the siblings away from the child." Jones admitted Savannah had some bruises, but added that "they quickly went away." Because Savannah was underweight, Bertone also inquired about her feeding schedule. Jones responded that she fed Savannah every three hours with a soy-based formula. Jones last fed her on December 30 between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Savannah did not have difficulty feeding.

Dr. James Ribe, a senior deputy medical examiner with the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, supervised Savannah's autopsy. He concluded Savannah's death was caused by blunt force trauma from blows to Savannah's abdomen and body, which caused fatal internal injuries, with a contributing cause of malnutrition. He noted that Savannah was emaciated and had, among other injuries, bruises on her forehead, face, chin, chest, abdomen, back, and knees. The autopsy revealed multiple contusions caused by blows to the head, two skull fractures, and contusions on her pancreas, lungs, and diaphragm. There was "advanced healing" of a fracture to the left side of Savannah's skull, consistent with the injury having healed for a period of weeks. Dr. Ribe found "early healing" of a fracture to the right side of the skull, meaning the fracture had healed for a period of days before Savannah's death.

Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
237 Cal. Rptr. 3d 224, 26 Cal. App. 5th 420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jones-calctapp5d-2018.