People v. McLaurin, Lewis and Jordan CA2/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 7, 2015
DocketB250278
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. McLaurin, Lewis and Jordan CA2/5 (People v. McLaurin, Lewis and Jordan CA2/5) 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. McLaurin, Lewis and Jordan CA2/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 4/7/15 P. v. McLaurin, Lewis and Jordan CA2/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 FIVE

THE PEOPLE, B250278

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. TA125019) v.

ANTHONY D. McLAURIN, DEVIN L. LEWIS and PAUL JORDAN,

Defendants and Appellants.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Arthur Lew, Judge. Affirmed as modified. Richard D. Miggins for Defendant and Appellant Anthony D. McLaurin. Marcia C. Levine for Defendant and Appellant Devin L. Lewis. Joanna McKim for Defendant and Appellant Paul Jordan. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Steven D. Matthews and Rama R. Maline, Deputy Attorneys General for Plaintiff and Respondent. _______________ Appellants Anthony McLaurin, Devin Lewis and Paul Jordan were each convicted, following a jury trial, of two counts of murder in violation of Penal Code1 section 187, subdivision (a), one count of attempted murder in violation of sections 664 and 187, five counts of second degree robbery in violation of section 211, and one count of assault with a firearm in violation of section 245, subdivision (a)(2). Appellants Lewis and Jordan were also convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of section 12021, subdivision (a)(2). The jury found true the special circumstance allegation that the murders were committed during the commission of a robbery within the meaning of section 190.2, subdivision (a)(17). The jury also found true the allegation that the attempted murder was willful, deliberate and premeditated and the allegation that a principal was armed in the commission of the robberies within the meaning of section 12022, subdivision (a)(1). McLaurin and Lewis each admitted that he had suffered a prior serious felony conviction within the meaning of section 667, subdivision (a), and the Three Strikes law (sections 667, subdivisions (b) through (i), and 1170.12). Jordan admitted he had suffered two such convictions. The trial court sentenced each appellant to a term of life in prison without the possibility of parole for each of the two murder convictions, plus a one-year term for the principal armed allegation and a five-year term for the section 667, subdivision (a) allegation. The trial court sentenced McLaurin and Jordan to an additional 34 years to life in prison for the attempted murder, robbery and assault convictions pursuant to the Three Strikes law, plus seven five-year terms for the section 667, subdivision (a) allegation, for a total of 69 years to life in prison for those convictions.2 The court sentenced Lewis to an additional term of 175 years to life for the

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise specified. 2 Both men admitted they had served prior prison terms within the meaning of section 667.5, subdivision (b). The trial court struck those terms. The court stayed sentence on Jordan’s firearm possession conviction pursuant to section 654.

2 attempted murder, assault and robbery convictions pursuant to the Three Strikes law, plus seven five-year terms for the section 667, subdivision (a) allegation, for a total of 210 years to life on those convictions.3 Appellants appeal from the judgment of conviction. McLaurin contends there is insufficient evidence to support his convictions, the trial court erred in instructing the jury on factually unsupported overt acts, the prosecutor committed misconduct by repeatedly asking co-defendant Jordan if other witnesses were lying, the trial court erred in telling potential jurors this was not a death penalty case, the trial court abused its discretion in admitting a hearsay statement by a conspirator without evidence that McLaurin was a member of that conspiracy, the admission of the hearsay statement was Aranda-Bruton4 error, the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that it could not speculate about whether McLaurin was the person speaking on the phone registered to McLaurin, the prosecutor committed Griffin5 error during closing argument, and the cumulative effect of the errors was prejudicial. McLaurin also contends he is entitled to one additional day of conduct credit. Jordan contends the prosecutor committed Brady6 error by suppressing a letter concerning an agreement to reduce a witness’s sentence in exchange for testimony in this trial and the trial court erred in refusing to exclude all of that witness’s testimony as a sanction. Jordan also contends the prosecutor committed misconduct by asking him if other witnesses were lying and by highlighting the absence of evidence the prosecutor successfully argued should be excluded. Jordan further contends that the court erred in refusing to allow him to present evidence that female DNA was found on an

3 The court stayed sentence on Lewis’s firearm possession conviction pursuant to section 654. 4 The Aranda-Bruton rule is derived from People v. Aranda (1965) 63 Cal.2d 518 and Bruton v. United States (1968) 391 U.S. 123. 5 Griffin v. California (1965) 380 U.S. 609. 6 Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 U.S. 83. 3 incriminating piece of evidence and in permitting the prosecutor to impeach him with his prior felony convictions for robbery. In addition, Jordan argues that the abstract of judgment incorrectly shows a section 667, subdivision (a) enhancement added to each of his determinate terms. Lewis contends the prosecutor committed Griffin error by commenting on his failure to testify and misconduct by repeatedly asking Jordan if other witnesses were lying, and also contends the trial court violated his right to due process and a fair trial by telling the jury that this was not a death penalty case. We affirm the judgment of conviction.

Facts a. Prosecution’s case The robberies and murders charged in this case took place on April 5, 2010, at Custom City Auto Sales (“Custom City”), located on North Long Beach Boulevard in Compton. The day before the Custom City robberies and murders, Chendareth Meas, Sophorn Kol and Jason Moeum went to appellant Jordan’s house in Long Beach to discuss a residential robbery. The residence was occupied by a Custom City employee. They went to a shed near Jordan’s house. There were five men in the shed: appellants McLaurin, Jordan and Lewis, Jordan’s brother Dontae Jordan (“Dontae”) and John Denkins. Lewis, Jordan and Dontae discussed how the men should enter the residence to be robbed. The occupants were to be tied up. The men remained in the shed for 15 to 30 minutes. Dontae gave Meas and his companions a backpack which contained three guns Meas and his companions left and drove to the home of Melvin Hoard, the employee of Custom City. They were joined there by Dontae and Denkins. The men waited for a period of time, then received a phone call stating that “some plans came up, and he—he’s taking another direction.” The men “made a plan to call it off for the night.” The next day, April 5, McLaurin went to Custom City in the late afternoon. He told those present that Johnny Williams had been released from jail, and said, “We’re 4 going to party.” McLaurin picked up a tequila bottle. Lejon Robins said, “That’s my bottle.” McLaurin put the bottle down and walked out.

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
People v. McLaurin, Lewis and Jordan CA2/5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-mclaurin-lewis-and-jordan-ca25-calctapp-2015.