People v. Patton CA2/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 8, 2014
DocketB246498
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Patton CA2/5 (People v. Patton 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. Patton CA2/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

Filed 5/8/14 P. v. Patton CA2/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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, B246498

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. YA080505) v.

DAISHJON PATTON et al.,

Defendants and Appellants.

APPEALS from judgments of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, James R. Brandlin, Judge. Modified in part and affirmed as modified with directions. Edward J. Haggerty, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Daishjon Patton. David M. Thompson, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant Burke Robinson. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Assistant Attorney General, Victoria B. Wilson and Viet H. Nguyen, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. I. INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted defendant, Daishjon Patton, of first degree murder as charged in count 1. (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a).)1 The same jury also convicted Mr. Patton and a co-defendant, Burke Robinson, of two counts of attempted willful, deliberate and premeditated murder as alleged in counts 2 and 3. (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a).) The jury further found true gang benefit and firearm use allegations. (§§186.22, subd. (b)(1)(C); 12022.53, subds. (b), (c), (d) & (e)(1).) Mr. Patton was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison. The trial court found Mr. Robinson had a prior conviction within the meaning of sections 667, subdivisions (b) through (i) and 1170.12. Mr. Robinson was sentenced to: two consecutive life terms on counts 2 and 3; plus a consecutive indeterminate term of 25 years to life on count 2 (§ 12022.53, subd. (d)); and a consecutive determinate 20-year term on count 3 (§ 12022.53, subd. (c)). We modify the judgments and affirm as modified.

II. THE EVIDENCE

A. Overview

We view the evidence in the light most favorable to the judgment. (Jackson v. Virginia (1979) 443 U.S. 307, 319; People v. Osband (1996) 13 Cal.4th 622, 690.) Mr. Patton and Mr. Robinson were members of a predominantly African-American gang. The gang’s primary activities included murder, attempted murder, assault with great bodily injury, robbery, weapons possession and narcotics sales. In his cellular telephone, Mr. Patton had a photograph of himself displaying a gang sign. Mr. Patton also had photographs of Mr. Robinson displaying gang signs.

1 Further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise noted.

2 On January 29, 2011, Mr. Patton went into a neighborhood claimed by a rival Hispanic gang. Mr. Patton shot and killed Edwin Perla, a member of the rival Hispanic gang. This is the murder charged in count 1. On March 7, 2011, Mr. Patton and Mr. Robinson went into a neighborhood claimed by a rival African-American gang. Mr. Robinson shot and attempted to kill two individuals perceived to be rival gang members, Steven Abner and Okeem Ross. These are the attempted murders charged in counts 2 (Mr. Abner) and 3 (Mr. Ross). At the time of the murder and attempted murders, Mr. Patton was 16 years old.

B. January 29, 2011

1. The murder

On January 29, 2011, between 6:15 and 6:27 p.m., Juan Garcia was walking south on New Hampshire Avenue toward 112th Street. The area was claimed by a Hispanic gang. Mr. Garcia saw a friend, Edwin Perla. Mr. Perla was walking towards Mr. Garcia on the opposite side of the street. Mr. Perla was a member of the Hispanic gang. Mr. Perla spoke to Mr. Garcia. Mr. Perla said he was going to the “weed house,” a residence on the block where marijuana was sold. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Garcia encountered Mr. Patton and an unidentified African- American companion. Mr. Garcia recognized Mr. Patton. Mr. Garcia regularly saw Mr. Patton in the neighborhood. Mr. Garcia knew Mr. Patton was a gang member. Mr. Patton was wearing glasses. Mr. Garcia had seen Mr. Patton wearing glasses in the past. Mr. Patton issued a gang challenge to Mr. Garcia. Mr. Patton asked, “Where you from . . . ?” Mr. Garcia said, “I don’t bang,” and “I ain’t from nowhere.” Mr. Garcia was asked if he knew where the “weed house” was located. Mr. Garcia pointed Mr. Patton in the direction of the residence where the marijuana was available. Mr. Garcia continued walking south toward 112th Street. But then Mr. Garcia realized Mr. Perla and

3 Mr. Patton were rival gang members. Mr. Garcia became concerned for Mr. Perla’s safety. Mr. Garcia turned and ran back toward the house where marijuana was sold. Mr. Patton and the unidentified African-American man confronted Mr. Perla, a rival gang member, near the house. Mr. Garcia witnessed the encounter. Mr. Patton asked Mr. Perla, “Where you from . . . ?” Mr. Perla began to answer. Then Mr. Patton shot Mr. Perla in the head who then fell to the ground. Mr. Patton shot Mr. Perla three more times. Mr. Garcia saw Mr. Patton and the unidentified African-American man run north toward an alley. Mr. Perla died as a result of multiple .44-caliber gunshot wounds. Anaberta Renteria was in her apartment near 112th Street and New Hampshire Avenue at the time. She heard two or three gunshots. She looked outside. Ms. Renteria saw two African-American men running fast towards an alley. Terrell White was standing on his front porch that evening. Mr. White saw a Latino walk by. Two or three minutes later, Mr. White saw two young African-American men, about 18 or 19 years old. One wore a black jacket and glasses. The other was wearing a dark blue or black “hoodie” with a T-shirt hanging down below his sweatshirt. The young man wearing the glasses spoke to Mr. White. Mr. White was asked whether he knew where they could get some weed. Mr. White said he did not. The individual responded, “Okay, Blood.” That comment was followed by a gang slur. Mr. White “felt something . . . wasn’t right” and went inside his house to get a gun. Two minutes later, he heard a gunshot.

2. The investigation

At 6:35 p.m. on January 29, 2011, someone made an outgoing call from Mr. Patton’s cellular telephone. The call was routed through a cellular tower at 9900 South Vermont Avenue. The cellular tower was just under a mile by car from the shooting location. Mr. Patton’s cellular telephone had to have been within a mile and one-half of the tower.

4 On February 22, 2011, Mr. Garcia told Detective Q. Rodriguez it was Mr. Patton who shot Mr. Perla. Mr. Garcia used Mr. Patton’s gang moniker in making the identification. On February 28, 2011, Mr. Garcia viewed a photographic lineup. Mr. Garcia identified Mr. Patton as the gunman. Mr. Garcia was certain of his identification. According to Detective Rodriguez, Mr. Garcia identified Mr. Patton “within seconds” of viewing the lineup. Detective Rodriguez described Mr. Garcia’s identification: “He just sounded sure of himself. He said, ‘Right there.’” Mr. Garcia testified: “[I]t didn’t even [take] me not even a second, the moment I saw the pictures I was, like, it was the one, it was the upper one . . . . I was, like, ‘that’s him right there.’” Mr. Garcia also identified Mr. Patton as the gunman at the preliminary hearing and trial. At trial, the parties stipulated that, on June 18, 2012, subsequent to the present crimes, Mr. Garcia was arrested for misdemeanor petty theft. On March 8, 2011, Detective Rodriguez showed Mr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Chapman v. California
386 U.S. 18 (Supreme Court, 1967)
Jackson v. Virginia
443 U.S. 307 (Supreme Court, 1979)
People v. Caballero
282 P.3d 291 (California Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Lightsey
279 P.3d 1072 (California Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Gonzalez
278 P.3d 1242 (California Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Souza
277 P.3d 118 (California Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Vines
251 P.3d 943 (California Supreme Court, 2011)
People v. Rogers
304 P.3d 124 (California Supreme Court, 2013)
The People v. Jones
306 P.3d 1136 (California Supreme Court, 2013)
The People v. Harris
306 P.3d 1195 (California Supreme Court, 2013)
The People v. Edwards
306 P.3d 1049 (California Supreme Court, 2013)
People v. Lee
738 P.2d 752 (California Supreme Court, 1987)
People v. Lasko
999 P.2d 666 (California Supreme Court, 2000)
People v. Prettyman
926 P.2d 1013 (California Supreme Court, 1996)
People v. Aranda
407 P.2d 265 (California Supreme Court, 1965)
People v. Johnson
764 P.2d 1087 (California Supreme Court, 1988)
People v. Williams
940 P.2d 710 (California Supreme Court, 1997)
People v. Turner
690 P.2d 669 (California Supreme Court, 1984)
People v. Bean
760 P.2d 996 (California Supreme Court, 1988)
People v. Pike
372 P.2d 656 (California Supreme Court, 1962)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
People v. Patton CA2/5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-patton-ca25-calctapp-2014.