People v. Scott CA3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 10, 2013
DocketC068543
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Scott CA3 (People v. Scott CA3) 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. Scott CA3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Filed 12/10/13 P. v Scott CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT (Sacramento) ---- THE PEOPLE, C068543

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 10F00253)

v.

MARCUS SCOTT, JR. et al.,

Defendant and Appellant.

THE PEOPLE, C068544

MARQUEL DIXON,

Defendant and Appellant. ________________________________________________________________________ THE PEOPLE, C068924

RONALD GRANT,

1 On the evening of December 15, 2009, defendants Marcus Scott, Marquel Dixon, and Ronald Grant approached Perell Marquis Waters as he sat in his car in the parking lot of the Woodbridge Apartments. Scott and Grant fired several times, killing Waters. Three separate juries hearing a single trial found Scott, Dixon, and Grant guilty of first degree murder with a robbery special circumstance and attempted robbery, both counts with firearm and gang enhancements. All three defendants were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On appeal, Scott and Grant challenge the sufficiency of the evidence of attempted robbery, claiming the plan changed from robbery to murder, requiring reversal of the special circumstance and the attempted robbery charge. Dixon concedes the evidence is sufficient as to him for attempted robbery, but contends there is insufficient evidence he aided or abetted Scott and Grant or conspired with them as to attempted robbery, so his murder conviction must be reversed. He also contends the special circumstance must be reversed because he was not a major participant and did not act with reckless indifference. Scott and Grant contend there was instructional error on the causation portion of the instruction for the enhancement discharging a firearm and causing death or great bodily injury. Scott contends the trial court failed to follow the proper procedure in denying his Batson-Wheeler1 motion and applied the wrong standard in denying his motion for a new trial. Grant contends his statements during police interrogation were not voluntary and the trial court erred in admitting them. Scott and Dixon contend, and the People agree, their parole revocation fines must be stricken. Dixon contends his case must be remanded for resentencing as the trial court was unaware of its discretion to sentence him to 25 years to life instead of life without parole.

1 Batson v. Kentucky (1986) 476 U.S. 79 [90 L.Ed.2d 69] (Batson); People v. Wheeler (1978) 22 Cal.3d 258 (Wheeler).

2 As we will explain, we find error only as to Scott and Dixon’s parole revocation fine and Dixon’s sentencing. We order the parole revocation fines stricken as to Scott and Dixon, order correction of a clerical error on Scott’s abstract of judgment, and remand Dixon’s case for resentencing. In all other respects, we affirm the judgments as to Scott and Dixon. We affirm the judgment as to Grant in its entirety. FACTS The Gang Feud and Prior Shootings Robert Quinn, a detective in the gang suppression unit, testified about African- American criminal street gangs in Sacramento. Sacramento is a “red” town; the Bloods outnumber the Crips by three-to-one. The three major groups of Bloods are the Meadowview Bloods, the Oak Park Bloods, and the Del Paso Heights Bloods. Because there are so many Bloods, there is a lot of Blood-on-Blood crime, feuds between subsets. The largest subset of the Oak Park Bloods is FAB, Fourth Avenue Bloods, now known as “Fuck A Bitch.” The primary activities of FAB are robberies, shootings, gun possession, and narcotic sales. The Elm Street Bloods is a subset of the Del Paso Heights Bloods. Grant and Scott are active FAB members. Jumal Gray is a Blood, although his set is unknown. Quinn did not have enough evidence to say that Dixon was a gang member. Perell Mark Waters, the victim, was a member of the Elm Street Bloods. A series of violent crimes between FAB and the Elm Street Bloods began in 2009. It began with the robbery of Tommy Martinez, known as Tommy Guns, a member of the Beast Mob or Elm Street Bloods. This crime was followed by a fistfight, a running gun battle, and several unreported shootings. Arguments or problems between gangs are known as funks; the individual gang members have beefs. In November, Scott, known as Nootie or Nutchy, suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder when his car was shot at during one of the shootings. Grant was shot at the

3 same day, although he was not hit. They believed the Elm Street Bloods were responsible, especially Waters and two others known as Baby Joe and G-Parkway. Scott discussed the shooting with Lavola Fields. Fields is the mother of Latorria Jones, who was Scott’s girlfriend at the time (they later married). Scott was angry about the shooting because his daughter could have been in the car and killed. Fields told him to “let it go.” Scott said no; he was from FAB and “we don’t play that way.” Fields told the police she heard Scott threaten to kill Waters and Baby Joe. “I’m going to get them. Them niggas is dead. I’m not playing.” At trial, she claimed she had lied because she was angry with Scott. She testified Scott said he would retaliate and Grant said he had Scott’s back. She told the police that Grant had said, “FAB, you know I got your back, whatever you need done, I got it--I got it, you know. We keep ‘em ready.” Two weeks before the shooting, Fields heard clicking coming from one of her bedrooms. She knew it was a gun. She told the police she walked in and saw Scott with a nine-millimeter gun. He said it was the type of gun used earlier to shoot him. At trial, Fields said she also lied about seeing the gun because of her anger at Scott. Text Messages The police went through thousands of text messages between the parties involved. There were several text messages relating to robberies or “licks.” Some were about retaliating. On November 27, 2009, Grant texted Scott, “This little bitch I know is having a party. We can try catch one of the Elm Street niggas slippin’.” On December 10, there were several text messages about Waters winning $4,000 at dice. The day of the shooting, Grant texted Scott, “So wassup, blood? We keep saying we fittin’ to get blood, and we ain’t did shit, blood.” The next text message read, “Don’t matter. We always going to be able to get him. I got the address and shit, but we hittin’ Mark tonight.”

4 The Shooting On December 15, Grant texted Gray, who went to his apartment in his white Buick.2 Gray also picked up Scott. Scott had a .22-caliber semiautomatic gun and Gray gave his nine millimeter to Grant. Later, they met up at May Street, “Cuz that’s where we kick it at.” They smoked weed and Dixon joined them. They left in Gray’s car to “hit a lick,” commit a robbery. It was planned right there; Gray thought it was a spur of the moment decision. They discussed it in the car. First, they went to the AM/PM where each person gave Gray $5 for gas. Scott went inside to pay for it. He was wearing a multicolored jacket. Then they went to the Woodbridge Apartments to do a robbery. Grant still had Gray’s gun. Gray assumed it would be used in the robbery. At the apartments, Grant told Gray where to park. Gray understood he would be the getaway driver and backed into someone’s parking space. The other three got out and walked behind the apartments. Gray stayed in the car and smoked marijuana. The next thing Gray heard was gunshots. Dixon came running to the car before the shots stopped. He said he ran over a girl.

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People v. Scott CA3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-scott-ca3-calctapp-2013.