People v. Schlemmer CA4/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 18, 2025
DocketD084494
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Schlemmer CA4/1 (People v. Schlemmer CA4/1) 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. Schlemmer CA4/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 11/18/25 P. v. Schlemmer CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D084494

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v. (Super. Ct. No. SCE415960)

DEVIN SCHLEMMER,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County, John M. Thompson, Judge. Affirmed as modified. Debbie Yen, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Charles C. Ragland, Assistant Attorney General, A. Natasha Cortina and Alan L. Amann, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. Devin Schlemmer appeals from a judgment after a jury found him

guilty of battery with serious bodily injury (Pen. Code,1 § 243, subd. (d)) and found true an enhancement allegation for personal infliction of great bodily injury (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)). He contends that: (1) his conviction for battery with serious bodily injury must be reversed because the jury also returned not guilty verdicts on lesser included offenses of simple assault and simple battery; (2) the section 12022.7, subdivision (a) enhancement, which was stayed at sentencing, must instead be stricken under subdivision (g) of the statute because infliction of great bodily injury is an element of battery with serious bodily injury; and (3) the trial court improperly limited his presentence conduct credits to 15 percent of actual days served. We disagree with Schlemmer’s first contention but agree with the other two. Accordingly, we modify the judgment by striking the section 12022.7, subdivision (a) enhancement and awarding additional conduct credits and affirm the judgment as so modified. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND A. Trial Evidence On the night of December 3, 2022, Schlemmer got into a physical fight with several other men at the Viejas Casino, including D.W. During the fight, D.W. pushed Schlemmer off one of his friends and pinned him to the ground. After they got up, Schlemmer walked away. As D.W. was searching for his glasses, which had fallen off in the scuffle, Schlemmer returned and sucker-punched D.W. in the mouth so hard that it knocked him to the ground. The punch was caught on surveillance video, which was played for the jury. The punch split D.W.’s bottom lip, requiring four stitches. According to D.W., it “felt like [his] teeth had been shifted.” When he visited

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code. 2 the dentist a few days later, he was suffering extreme pain around his upper front teeth. D.W. had to have one upper tooth extracted and root canals performed on several others. B. Trial and Sentencing Schlemmer was charged with two offenses committed against D.W. Count one charged assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. (§ 245, subd. (a)(4).) Count two charged battery with serious bodily injury. (§ 243, subd. (d).) The information further alleged as to both counts that Schlemmer personally inflicted great bodily injury on D.W. (§ 12022.7, subd. (a).) In a jury trial, the court instructed the jury that counts one and two were “alternative charges” and it could not convict Schlemmer of both. Specifically, this instruction stated: “If you find the defendant guilty of one of these charges, you must find him not guilty of the other. You cannot find

the defendant guilty of both.”2 The prosecutor and defense counsel similarly told the jury in closing arguments that it could only find Schlemmer guilty of one of the two charges and could not find him guilty of both. The court also instructed the jury on (1) simple assault as a lesser included offense of count one, and (2) simple battery as a lesser included

offense of count two.3 The court gave CALCRIM No. 3517 to guide the jury on how to deliberate and complete the verdict forms for the greater and lesser included offenses. This instruction stated in relevant part: “If all of you agree

2 Because the issue has not been raised on appeal, we express no opinion on whether the court correctly instructed the jury on this point. 3 Although the court only instructed on simple battery as a lesser included offense of count two and simple assault as a lesser included offense of count one, the parties agree that simple assault is also a lesser included offense of the charged battery in count two. 3 the People have proven that the defendant is guilty of the greater crime, complete and sign the verdict form for guilty of that crime. Do not complete or sign any other verdict form.” (Italics added.) In closing arguments, defense counsel conceded Schlemmer was the person shown punching D.W. in the mouth on the surveillance video. Defense counsel argued that Schlemmer was not guilty of the charged greater offenses but conceded he could be found guilty of the lesser included offenses of simple assault or simple battery. The jury found Schlemmer guilty of battery with serious bodily injury as charged in count two and found true the accompanying great bodily injury allegation under section 12022.7, subdivision (a). The jury also completed verdict forms finding Schlemmer not guilty of the assault charged in count one and not guilty of the lesser included offenses of simple assault for count

one and simple battery for count two.4 When the jury returned its verdicts, the court reviewed and summarized the verdict forms on the record. After noting the jury had returned a guilty verdict for battery with serious bodily injury on count two, the court stated: “Also submitted is the lesser for battery, and that is indicated as not guilty, but that would be set aside given the jury’s finding as to Count 2.” The court then polled the jury collectively and individually. Each of the jurors confirmed the verdicts. Neither defense counsel nor the prosecutor objected to the fact that the jury returned a guilty verdict on the charged battery with serious bodily injury and also returned not guilty verdicts on the lesser included offenses

4 The not guilty verdict forms for simple assault and simple battery are not included in the clerk’s transcript, but the court described them on the record when taking the verdict. 4 of simple battery and simple assault. Neither party asked to have the jury clarify its verdict or objected when the court set aside the not guilty verdict on simple battery. Defense counsel never asked the court to enter a judgment of acquittal on the charge of battery with serious bodily injury or to set aside the jury’s guilty verdict on this charge based on its not guilty verdicts on the lesser included offenses. At sentencing, the court imposed the low term of two years for the battery with serious bodily injury and stayed the section 12022.7, subdivision (a) great bodily injury enhancement. The court awarded Schlemmer credits of 21 actual days plus three days conduct credits. DISCUSSION I Schlemmer first argues that his conviction for battery with serious bodily injury must be reversed because the jury’s not guilty verdicts on the lesser included offenses of simple assault and simple battery operated as an implied acquittal of the charged battery with serious bodily injury. He contends the trial court violated his rights to jury trial and due process by “arbitrarily” setting aside the jury’s not guilty verdict on simple battery and entering judgment on the jury’s guilty verdict for battery with serious bodily injury.

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People v. Schlemmer CA4/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-schlemmer-ca41-calctapp-2025.