People v. Mayfield

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 23, 2020
DocketG057970
StatusPublished

This text of People v. Mayfield (People v. Mayfield) 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. Mayfield, (Cal. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

Filed 6/23/20

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Appellant, G057970

v. (Super. Ct. No. 18NF2623)

TYSON THEODORE MAYFIELD, OPINION

Defendant and Respondent.

Appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Orange County, Roger B. Robbins, Judge. Reversed and remanded. Todd Spitzer, District Attorney, and Elizabeth Molfetta, Deputy District Attorney, for Plaintiff and Appellant. Gerald J. Miller, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Respondent. The members of this panel have enjoyed long careers in the practice of law. We’ve seen enough to make it difficult to shock us. But not, as it turns out, impossible. Respondent Tyson Theodore Mayfield has an extensive criminal record that includes multiple acts of violence against racial minorities. In this case, he threatened to make a pregnant African-American woman “drop” her unborn baby while she was waiting at a bus station. As a third-strike defendant, respondent was facing a mandatory prison sentence of 25 years to life. However, the trial court dismissed one of his prior strike convictions in the interest of justice under Penal Code section 1385 and sentenced him to five years in prison. The district attorney contends the dismissal constitutes an abuse of discretion, and we agree. Completely. Everything about respondent’s crime and his record shouts for application of the Three Strikes law. There is nothing about his criminal history or personal character that suggests he somehow falls outside the spirit of the Three Strikes law. We therefore reverse the judgment and remand the matter for further proceedings. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Jasmine C. is an African-American woman who was eight months pregnant in September of 2018. That day, she was waiting at the Fullerton bus station for her boyfriend to pick her up when she heard respondent talking nearby. He was telling his two male companions how he hates “niggers” like Jasmine and “gets his kicks” by hurting pregnant black women. He also asked his cohorts if they wanted to see him go over to Jasmine and make her “drop her baby.” Jasmine became frightened. Her anxiety increased even more when respondent walked over to her and said, “I don’t like pregnant niggers like you,” “I’m going to make sure you drop your baby.” Jasmine told respondent to stay away from her, but he continued to hurl racial epithets at her. Fearing for her safety, and the safety of her unborn baby, Jasmine took out her pepper spray and sprayed respondent with it.

2 In response, respondent grabbed Jasmine’s backpack and left the scene momentarily. He then came running back toward her with his fists balled up and told her, “You’re going to pay now, you nigger, I’m going to make sure you really drop this baby.” By now, Jasmine was so terrified her body was shaking uncontrollably. She somehow managed to run to a nearby café and call the police before respondent was able to carry out his threat. Officers arrived a short time later and took him into custody. He was charged with committing a hate crime by threatening Jasmine for the purpose of violating her constitutional rights and with the present ability to commit a 1 violent injury or cause actual physical injury. (Pen. Code, § 422.7, subd. (a).) The complaint also alleged one count each of making a criminal threat and petty theft. (§§ 422, 484/488.) And it included a sentence enhancement allegation that the criminal threat constituted a hate crime. (§ 422.75, subd. (a).) In addition, the complaint alleged two prior strike convictions (§§ 667, subd. (e)(2)(C), 1170.12, subd. (c)(2)(C)), two prior serious felony convictions (§ 667, subd. (a)) and two prior prison terms (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). Those six recidivist enhancements were based on respondent’s convictions for assault with a deadly weapon in 2005 and mayhem in 2008. All told, respondent was facing a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison under the Three Strikes law, plus 13 years for the remaining enhancements. At his arraignment he pleaded not guilty, and over the course of the next several months, his preliminary hearing was continued several times to facilitate a plea bargain. During that period, respondent was unable to reach a plea agreement with the district attorney. However, the trial judge indicated he would be willing to strike one of respondent’s prior strike convictions and sentence him as a second-strike offender to five years in prison if he pleaded guilty to the charges.

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code.

3 The prosecution vehemently opposed this proposed disposition. On March 15, 2019, it filed a lengthy sentencing brief arguing the interests of justice did not support the trial judge’s indicated sentence. According to the brief, respondent was convicted of 2 18 offenses during the 20-year period leading up his current crimes in 2018. Eighteen – a remarkable number considering how much of those 20 years he spent in custody. Most of these earlier convictions were for misdemeanors. However, in 2003, respondent was convicted of felony battery on a police officer, and in 2005, he suffered his first strike conviction for stabbing a man outside a liquor store. Respondent had no prior relationship with the man he stabbed. He just walked up to him, accused him of being a child rapist/murderer and slashed his face with a knife. Respondent received a two-year prison sentence for the attack. However, following his release from prison, he soon reoffended. In 2006, respondent and a companion contacted a nonwhite couple at a gas station and asked them if they had any spare change. When the woman said no, respondent began making racist statements to her. Then he began punching the man in the face and did not relent until a bystander intervened. In the end, the man suffered a lacerated lip that required eight stitches and for a time hindered his ability to speak and eat. Respondent was convicted of battery with serious bodily injury and mayhem – his second strike conviction – and sentenced to nine years in prison.

2 Here is a list of those convictions by date: 1997: Driving under the influence; 2000: Driving with a suspended license; 2003: Battering a police office, resisting arrest and using illegal drugs; 2004: Petty theft and disorderly conduct; 2005: Assault with a deadly weapon; 2006: Failure to appear in court; 2007: Assault and battery; 2008: Mayhem and battery with serious bodily injury; 2016: Driving under the influence; 2017: Hate crime, assault, battery, and driving under the influence.

4 That was in 2008. Following his release from prison, respondent was quickly convicted for drunk driving. And in 2017, one year before the instant case arose, he reoffended yet again. The victim in that case was a Turkish man with dark skin and dreadlocks. Respondent approached him outside a liquor store and asked for a light. When the man said he didn’t smoke, respondent called him a “fucking nigger” and began pounding him with his fists. The incident led to respondent being convicted of a felony hate crime, but the trial court inexplicably reduced the conviction to a misdemeanor pursuant to section 17, subdivision (b) and sentenced him to a year in jail. In addition to providing this information about respondent’s prior cases, the prosecution’s sentencing brief noted respondent has consistently violated the terms of his probation and parole throughout the years. The brief also reminded the court respondent presently had four misdemeanor cases pending against him that were unrelated to the present case. One of those cases was for punching a fellow inmate at the Orange County jail without provocation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
People v. Mayfield, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mayfield-calctapp-2020.