People v. Novela CA5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 21, 2023
DocketF085118
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Novela CA5 (People v. Novela CA5) 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. Novela CA5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

Filed 11/21/23 P. v. Novela CA5

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, F085118 Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. MCR046874) v.

SERGIO NOVELA, OPINION Defendant and Appellant.

THE COURT* APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Madera County. Ernest J. LiCalsi, Judge. Sharon G. Wrubel, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Michael P. Farrell, Assistant Attorney General, Eric L. Christoffersen and Christina Hitomi Simpson, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. -ooOoo-

* Before Detjen, Acting P. J., Peña, J. and Snauffer, J. INTRODUCTION Following consolidation of five separate cases arising out of events on five different dates, a jury convicted defendant Sergio Novela as follows: “Count 1: First degree murder, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang, during the commission of which a principal personally used and discharged a firearm, proximately causing great bodily injury or death. (Pen. Code,1 §§ 186.22, subd. (b)(5), 187, subd. (a), 12022.53, subds. (b)-(e)(1).) “Count 2: Discharge of a firearm from a motor vehicle at another person, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. (§§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(B), 26100, subd. (c).) “Count 3: Premeditated attempted murder, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang, during the commission of which a principal personally used and discharged a firearm. (§§ 186.22, subd. (b)(5), 187, subd. (a), 664, 12022.53, subds. (b), (c) & (e)(1).) “Count 4: Assault with a firearm, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. (§§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(B), 245, subd. (a)(2).) “Count 5: Active participation in a criminal street gang. (§ 186.22, subd. (a).) “Counts 6 through 9: Unlawful possession of a firearm, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. (§§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(A), 29800, subd. (a)(1).) “Counts 10 through 13: Unlawful possession of ammunition, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. (§§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(A), 30305, subd. (a)(1).) “Count 14: Active participation in a criminal street gang. (§ 186.22, subd. (a).) “Count 15: Assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. (§§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(A), 245, subd. (a)(4).)

1 “All statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated. . . .”

2. “Count 16: Active participation in a criminal street gang. (§ 186.22, subd. (a).) “Counts 17 through 19: Resisting and attempting to deter an executive officer in the performance of his duty. (§ 69.) “Following a bifurcated court trial, defendant was found to have been released from custody on bail or own recognizance when he committed counts 6 through 14 (§ 12022.1), and he was found to have suffered two prior convictions for serious felonies (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)) that were also strikes (id., subds. (b)-(i)). He was sentenced to a lengthy prison term and ordered to pay various fees, fines, and assessments.” (People v. Novela (May 18, 2022, F073275) [nonpub. opn.], fn. omitted (Novela).) On appeal, we reversed the convictions on counts 3, 5, 14, and 16; the true findings as to the gang enhancements on counts 1 through 4, 6 through 13, and 15; and the true findings as to the gang-related firearm enhancements on counts 1 and 3. We vacated the sentence in its entirety and remanded the matter for further proceedings and/or resentencing. In all other respects, we affirmed. (Novela, supra, F073275.) On remand, the prosecutor elected not to retry the charges reversed on appeal. On the prosecutor’s motion, the court dismissed counts 3, 5, 14, and 16; the gang enhancements on counts 1 through 4, 6 through 13, and 15; and the gang-related firearm enhancements on counts 1 and 3.2 The court resentenced defendant, declining defendant’s request to strike his prior serious felony enhancements (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)). The court once again sentenced defendant to a lengthy prison term. Relevant here, the sentence included two five-year terms for prior serious felony enhancements to each of counts 1, 2, and 4,3 and a two-year term for the on-bail enhancement to count 6. The

2 The court’s minute order regarding the dismissals does not reflect dismissal of the gang-related firearm enhancements, although these enhancements clearly were dismissed. 3 The prior serious felony enhancement terms were stayed on counts 2 and 4 pursuant to section 654.

3. sentence also included $640 in court operations assessments (§ 1465.8, subd. (a)), and $480 in criminal conviction assessments (Gov. Code, § 70373). Defendant now argues the court abused its discretion in declining to strike the prior serious felony enhancements and the on-bail enhancement pursuant to section 1385. He also argues the court erred in its calculation of assessments, an issue which the People concede. We conclude the court did not abuse its discretion in declining to strike the enhancements. We accept the People’s concession with regard to the assessments and order the judgment corrected. In all other respects, we affirm. FACTUAL BACKGROUND As the issues presented in this appeal relate only to resentencing, we summarize the facts, as presented in our opinion in defendant’s prior appeal, only briefly.4 (Novela, supra, F073275.) We omit facts pertaining only to the dismissed counts and allegations. Evidence Related to Counts 1 and 2 On March 21, 2013, Robert Moreno was shot and killed during a drive-by shooting. During the incident, a bottle also was thrown from the car at Moreno and his companions. Law enforcement subsequently found a beer bottle in the area of the shooting. It bore defendant’s fingerprint. Evidence found in defendant’s cell after his arrest suggested he took credit for the murder. Evidence Related to Count 4 At approximately 3:14 a.m. on March 29, 2013, Jairo I. and G.A., both of whom had no gang affiliation, drove around in G.A.’s car to look for K., who had left Jairo’s house on foot after she and G.A. got into an argument. When Jairo and G.A. found K., G.A. got out of the car to talk to her. Jairo noticed a car pass by them, then come back

4 We grant defendant’s unopposed request for judicial notice of the record on appeal in Novela, supra, F073275.

4. toward them and park behind them, blocking G.A.’s car. A person wearing a blue flannel shirt jumped out of the driver’s side backseat, pointed a gun at G.A., and asked, “Do you bang?” When G.A. said no, the person got back into the car behind the driver and the car left. Jairo told G.A. and K. to get in G.A.’s car. They drove around the corner to Jairo’s home, parked the car, and started walking toward the house. As they were crossing the street, the other car came around. Jairo, G.A., and K. ran for the house. The car passed them, then the person wearing the flannel shirt got out of the driver’s side backseat and fired a shot. The bullet shattered the windshield and back window of the pickup truck behind which Jairo had taken cover. It then lodged in K.’s car. A vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle was stopped by law enforcement shortly thereafter, about a mile and a half from the scene of the shooting, with three occupants. Defendant was the driver. Jairo identified one of the other occupants of the vehicle as the shooter.

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People v. Novela CA5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-novela-ca5-calctapp-2023.