People v. Lee CA3

California Court of Appeal·Decided August 24, 2023·No. C096700·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 8/24/23 P. v. Lee CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT (Nevada) ----

THE PEOPLE, C096700

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. Nos. F20-000004, F21-000054) v.

DAWN THERESA LEE,

Defendant and Appellant.

In separate criminal matters (case Nos. F20-000004 & F21-000054), defendant Dawn Theresa Lee pled guilty to one count of transportation or sale of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance for sale (Health & Saf. Code, §§ 11378, 11379, subd. (a)); she also admitted an out-on-bail enhancement allegation that was attached to the latter count (Pen. Code, § 12022.1).1 In accordance

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

1 with the plea agreements in the two cases, additional charges were dismissed and defendant was sentenced to a stipulated state prison term of six years eight months (including an upper term sentence of four years for violation of section 11379, subdivision (a)), execution of which was suspended and defendant was placed on formal probation for a period of two years, subject to various terms and conditions, including participation in the adult drug court program. Defendant’s grant of probation was ultimately revoked following two admitted probation violations. The trial court executed the suspended stipulated term of imprisonment, ordering five years six months to be served in local confinement and the concluding 14 months to be served on mandatory supervision. On appeal, defendant contends the matter must be remanded for a new sentencing hearing because: (1) the changes to section 1170 made by Senate Bill No. 567 (2021- 2022 Reg. Sess.) (Senate Bill 567), limiting the trial court’s ability to impose an upper term sentence, apply to her case notwithstanding the fact that the upper term sentence she challenges on appeal was part of a stipulated sentence; (2) the changes to section 1385 made by Senate Bill No. 81 (2021-2022 Reg. Sess.) (Senate Bill 81), requiring the trial court to consider and afford great weight to certain factors when deciding whether to strike an enhancement in the interest of justice, also apply to her case notwithstanding the stipulated sentence; and (3) the trial court abused its discretion and deprived her of a benefit of her plea bargain when it sentenced her to local confinement under section 1170, subdivision (h), rather than state prison, where she would be entitled to early parole eligibility as a nonviolent offender under Proposition 57, the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016. We affirm. As we explain, although the ameliorative changes to sections 1170 and 1385 made by Senate Bill 567 and Senate Bill 81, respectively, apply retroactively in this appeal, they do not apply to defendant’s stipulated sentence. In so concluding, we agree with People v. Mitchell (2022) 83 Cal.App.5th 1051, review granted December 14,

2 2022, S277314, and disagree with People v. Todd (2023) 88 Cal.App.5th 373, review granted April 26, 2023, S279154 (Todd). We also conclude defendant has forfeited the contention that the trial court abused its discretion and deprived her of a benefit of her bargain when it sentenced her to a split sentence under section 1170, subdivision (h) because defendant consistently asked the trial court for such a sentence and never asked to be sentenced to state prison. BACKGROUND Due to the nature of the contentions raised in this appeal, we need not recite the facts underlying defendant’s convictions or her violations of probation. The following summary of the procedural background will suffice. In January 2020, the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office charged defendant, in case No. F20-000004 (first case), with three narcotics-related offenses, including one count of transportation or sale of a controlled substance. Defendant was arraigned on these charges and was thereafter released from custody after posting a bail bond. In February 2021, defendant was charged, in case No. F21-000054 (second case), with one count of possession of a controlled substance for sale. The complaint further alleged that defendant committed this offense while released from custody on bail/own recognizance in the first case. In August 2021, defendant entered negotiated pleas in both cases. The plea agreement in the first case indicated that defendant would plead guilty to one count of transportation or sale of a controlled substance, the remaining counts would be dismissed, and defendant would be sentenced to a stipulated upper term sentence of four years in state prison, execution of which would be suspended and defendant would be provided with the opportunity to participate in the adult drug court program. The plea agreement in the second case indicated that defendant would plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance for sale, admit the out-on-bail enhancement, and would be sentenced to a stipulated sentence of two years eight months (eight months—one-third the middle

3 term—for that offense plus two years for the enhancement), execution of which would also be suspended so that defendant could participate in the adult drug court program. Defendant was specifically notified that if she “fail[ed] to satisfactorily complete drug court,” both the four-year term in the first case and the two-year, eight-month term in the second case “will be imposed . . . for a total of [six years eight months].” At the plea hearing, the trial court specifically advised defendant that she “would be sentenced to a total of six years eight months for both cases . . . execution of that sentence would be suspended and [she] would be admitted to the adult drug court subject to a grant of probation.” Defendant stated she understood. The trial court further advised defendant: “Now, it would be the sincere hope of the Court as well as the parties that you successfully complete adult drug court. Do you understand, though, that if you did not successfully complete adult drug court that you would be sentenced to state prison for a sentence of six years and eight months?” Defendant answered, “Yes.” After receiving additional required advisements and waiving her constitutional rights, defendant pled guilty and admitted the enhancement allegation as contemplated by the plea agreements. As promised, the trial court sentenced defendant to the agreed upon state prison term of six years eight months, execution of which was suspended and defendant was placed on formal probation for a period of two years, subject to various terms and conditions, including participation in the adult drug court program. In March 2022, the Nevada County probation department submitted a report in both of defendant’s cases, informing the trial court that defendant committed two alleged probation violations. The following month, defendant admitted each violation. Based on the admissions, the trial court found defendant to be in violation of probation in both cases. In July 2022, the trial court executed the suspended stipulated sentence of six years eight months, but ordered five years six months to be served in local confinement

4 with the concluding 14 months to be served on mandatory supervision. This appeal followed. DISCUSSION I Senate Bill 567 Defendant contends the matter must be remanded for a new sentencing hearing because the changes to section 1170 made by Senate Bill 567 apply retroactively to her case notwithstanding the fact that the upper term sentence she challenges on appeal was part of a stipulated sentence.

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