People v. Taylor CA1/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 4, 2023
DocketA163461
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Taylor CA1/5 (People v. Taylor CA1/5) 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. Taylor CA1/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

Filed 12/4/23 P. v. Taylor CA1/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, A163461 v. CURTYS TAYLOR, (Alameda County Defendant and Appellant. Super. Ct. No. 16CR013331B)

This is an appeal from final judgment after a jury convicted defendant Curtys Taylor of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. On appeal, defendant raises three issues. The first issue relates to the adequacy of the trial court’s response to a jury question. The latter two relate to the propriety of jury instructions on failure to explain or deny inculpatory evidence (CALCRIM No. 361) and consciousness of guilt (CALCRIM No. 372). None has merit. However, the parties agree clerical errors in the clerk’s minutes and abstract of judgment (five total) must be corrected. We order these clerical errors to be corrected and otherwise affirm the judgment.

1 FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND On November 7, 2016, a felony complaint1 was filed charging defendant and codefendant Laura Rodgers with first degree murder (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a); first count)2 and conspiracy to commit murder (§ 182, subd. (a)(1); second count). As to codefendant, it was alleged she personally used a deadly weapon, a knife, in the commission of the murder. She entered an open plea bargain prior to trial. I. The Prosecution’s Case. Defendant’s jury trial began on April 12, 2021, and revealed the following evidence. Defendant and codefendant met at a youth center in 2011 when they were both 17 years old. Approximately a year later, they began dating. In 2015, defendant moved into codefendant’s house where she lived with her parents. However, in March 2016, defendant punched codefendant in the face after discovering flirtatious text messages she exchanged with her restaurant coworker Karla Ramirez (Ramirez).3 Codefendant’s parents demanded that defendant move out, which he did. Codefendant’s mother also advised codefendant to end her relationship with defendant, but codefendant insisted it was better to do what he said. Around this time, Ramirez told a friend that codefendant had a boyfriend who did not want codefendant to be around her. Shortly thereafter, codefendant got a new job, left the restaurant, and stopped communicating with Ramirez.

1 The operative first amended complaint was filed on April 29, 2021.

2 Unless otherwise stated, all statutory citations herein are to the Penal

Code. 3 Defendant later discovered that codefendant had been sexually active

with Ramirez.

2 A. Murder Plans. On May 5, 2016, codefendant cryptically wrote in her diary that she felt horrible about what she caused and would be a better person even if she had to kill for it. Codefendant’s parents began to notice that she lost a lot of weight, seemed depressed, and did not spend time out of the house or with her friends. Moreover, while codefendant used to care about her appearance, she cut off all of her hair, wore scarves and long clothing, and generally behaved as if she did not want people to see her. Codefendant spent a lot of time reporting to defendant where she was and what she was doing. She told her father that they should move because defendant was going to have people harm the family. Defendant texted codefendant repeatedly about her relationship with Ramirez. He accused her of lying and admitted it was “ ‘eating [him] . . . .’ ” Codefendant replied that she was having trouble staying honest because she was afraid of him and concerned for her family’s safety. Defendant responded that they were not safe unless she “ ‘women up [sic]’ ” about the truth and warned that he would let the belt speak for him. In the fall of 2016, defendant and codefendant developed a plan to kill Ramirez. Codefendant texted defendant: “ ‘I’m thinking now what it’ll be like to kill and . . . it’s making me feel like laughing.’ ” The next day, defendant asked codefendant whether she wanted to do “ ‘that one thing’ ” to “ ‘eliminat[e] [her] past,’ ” and she replied, “ ‘[T]hat’s still on.’ ” Defendant began keeping codefendant on the phone when she conversed with others so that he could overhear them. Codefendant deposited her work income into his bank account. They also plotted to kill codefendant’s sister. When defendant asked codefendant whom she preferred to kill first, she chose her

3 sister, to “ ‘[g]et it over with.’ ” Defendant then asked whether she preferred to “ ‘skip’ ” Ramirez. Codefendant replied: “ ‘I honestly don’t care any more [sic] about killing her because what I’m going to do to my sister is taking all my energy but I’ll still do it like it’s nothing.’ ” On September 17, 2016, codefendant texted defendant that she was fine as long as he was only going to beat her with a belt and not harm her parents. She added that “ ‘killing her’ ” would “ ‘make things better’ ” between them. Defendant responded: “ ‘Thats [sic] good and yeah.’ ” On October 1, 2016, codefendant asked defendant if they were going to communicate about the plan with “ ‘aroyal [sic].’ ” A few days later, codefendant wrote in her diary that the success of the “ ‘Aroyal Park [sic]’ ”4 plan depended on not letting doubt enter her mind “ ‘because we know and believe that it’s going to be effortless to contact her leaving that action spotless and we know it’s so easy and effortless to get her to meet up . . . .’ ” On October 23, 2016, codefendant returned to the restaurant where she previously worked with Ramirez. Codefendant received a new contact number for Ramirez from a former coworker and left a “new” number for herself for the coworker to give to Ramirez. In actuality, codefendant gave the coworker defendant’s phone number, and defendant began to exchange text messages with Ramirez while pretending to be codefendant. In one such text, defendant, posing as codefendant, told Ramirez her former boyfriend was no longer in her life. On October 25, 2016, defendant, still posing as codefendant, told Ramirez there was a “ ‘surprise’ ” and wanted to meet up with her. Ramirez later told friends that she had a plan to meet codefendant on November 2, 2016, for a meal.

4 This is a reference to Arroyo Viejo Park.

4 B. November 2, 2016, Murder. On November 2, 2016, Ramirez exchanged numerous texts with defendant, believing she was communicating with codefendant. Just before 7 p.m., defendant used codefendant’s debit card to purchase gloves and a head lamp from a local drugstore. He also purchased a gas can at an auto parts store, which he filled with gas at a local gas station at 8:48 p.m. At 9:43 p.m., defendant began a 44-minute phone call with codefendant. During the call, his cell phone pinged off of a cellular tower that covered an area that included the drugstore, auto parts store, and gas station where he made the above mentioned purchases. The tower also covered Arroyo Viejo Park. At 10:15 p.m., Ramirez texted codefendant that she was outside codefendant’s house. Codefendant’s father watched as codefendant entered Ramirez’s car, a white Chevrolet, and drove away. At 11:15 p.m., defendant bought disinfecting wipes. Around midnight, defendant and codefendant checked into a local motel where they were observed to be acting affectionately. About 2:00 a.m. on November 3, 2016, Ramirez’s mother realized her daughter had not returned home. Two of Ramirez’s friends drove to codefendant’s house and knocked on the door. When codefendant cracked open the door, the friends said they were looking for Ramirez.

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