People v. Trotter

124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 765, 101 Cal. App. 4th 1256
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 14, 2003
DocketB149459
StatusPublished

This text of 124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 765 (People v. Trotter) 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. Trotter, 124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 765, 101 Cal. App. 4th 1256 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

124 Cal.Rptr.2d 765 (2002)
101 Cal.App.4th 1256

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Jason Lamont TROTTER, Defendant and Appellant.

No. B149459.

Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Seven.

September 4, 2002.
As Modified September 24, 2002.
Review Granted November 20, 2002.
Review Dismissed May 14, 2003.

*766 Carl M. Hancock, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, Chula Vista, for Defendant and Appellant.

Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Robert R. Anderson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Pamela C. Hamanaka, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Marc E. Turchin, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, and Jeffrey B. Kahan, Deputy Attorney General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

JOHNSON, Acting P.J.

Jason Lamont Trotter appeals from the judgment entered following a jury trial resulting in his convictions of second degree robbery and attempted second degree *767 robbery, with findings of personal use of a firearm.[1] Appellant contends the trial court abused its discretion when it discharged a holdout juror. We agree, and further agree the error was prejudicial. However, we do not agree with appellant's contention double jeopardy bars retrial in this case. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment and remand for new trial.

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS BELOW

On September 18, 2000, Peralta, his cousin and two friends were driving in Peralta's Oldsmobile Cutlass in the Jordan Downs Housing Development. Appellant and a companion approached and, at gun-point, took the men's money, Peralta's radio and a speaker box and two amplifiers Peralta had in his trunk.

On October 20, 2000, appellant and six or seven other youths took $180 and a wallet from Roberto Cavistan as Cavistan was entering his apartment in the Jordan Downs Housing Development. During the robbery, one of the youths pointed a revolver at Cavistan. Cavistan's daughter observed the robbery and telephoned the police. Within minutes, Los Angeles Police Officer Peter Bueno and his partner chased seven youths they saw coming from the area of Cavistan's apartment. The youths dispersed during the pursuit, but Bueno apprehended appellant as he pounded on an apartment door seeking entry. When Bueno handcuffed him appellant said, "What the fuck you putting handcuffs on me? I wasn't even over there." Another officer saw appellant with other youths minutes earlier hunched over $50 in cash in a bandana. Cavistan was threatened and did not identify appellant during the trial.

During jury deliberations, the jury fore person sent out three inquires to the court:

"We, the jury in the above entitled action, request the following: [¶] Advice/instruction/direction from the judge about resolving a hung jury. [¶] Most of us are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, but the opposition is from a position of `not enough facts to convince beyond a shadow of a doubt,' and is willing to leave it at that—a hung jury. The majority does not want to leave it at that.

"May [sic] members of the jury ask questions of the judge (in presence of all jurors) about concerns they may have regarding any aspect of the deliberations thus far?

"We are at an impasse. Some of the majority feels there is a failure to deliberate and possibly other factors that are impacting the process. Maybe a clarification of the word `deliberation' is necessary."

The court read the foreperson's inquiries and discussed them with counsel. In open court the court then asked the jury foreperson to explain the jury's questions.

The foreperson replied: "I think that what that means is we feel that the central issues that are important to us are not being addressed by the opposing view point."

The court asked if in the foreperson's opinion there was a disagreement as to the facts, as distinguished from a failure to discuss the evidence and find the facts from the evidence. The foreperson replied, "[A] little bit of both." The foreperson added the minority "view" was relying upon "[s]uppositions and generalities coming in from life experience ... perhaps." The foreperson said the minority "view" had some doubt about the evidence, and then these "other factors come in."

*768 The court defined "deliberation" for the jury. Then the court inquired of all the jurors if what was going on was a failure to deliberate. The court specified it wished just a yes or no answer from each juror. Four of the jurors replied he or she was not certain or did not know. Three jurors said no. Six jurors said yes.

The court sent the remaining eleven jurors into the jury room and inquired of the foreperson alone. The court inquired how many jurors were involved. The foreperson said there was only one dissenting juror. The court observed the jury had been deliberating for approximately a day and a half. The court inquired how many ballots were taken.

The foreperson replied the jury had taken one formal ballot. But the vote had not changed since almost from the very beginning of deliberations. Two of the three persons who had originally voted not guilty had changed their votes to guilty. But for seven or eight hours, just the one minority juror remained in favor of a not guilty verdict. The foreperson asked to relate examples to the court to illustrate the one juror's failure to deliberate.

The court declined. The court said it did not want to unduly interfere in deliberations. The court explained it was attempting to determine if there was a failure to deliberate or an honest difference of opinion. The court commented the foreperson had already indicated his opinion there was a failure to deliberate in good faith.

The foreperson said: "I believe so. Although the person in question does not believe that." The foreperson said, "She's emphatically opposed to that idea." The foreperson added: "So what it comes down to is—let's see—this one person has flipflopped on several issues."

The court interrupted and asked which juror was the minority juror. The foreperson replied Juror No. 12. The foreperson said deliberations were at a standstill and there was no reason for further deliberations if Juror No. 12 remained on the jury. The foreperson also said other jurors could not persuade Juror No. 12 to tell them what was wrong with the majority's logic.

The court asked, "She's not sharing with you what her thoughts are?" The foreperson replied: "Her thoughts are the evidence is too weak. That's it." The court said: "[Y]ou've just demonstrated by crossing your arms across your chest emphatically. But she's not going through each element by element?" The foreperson said: "She won't do that. We've gone though it at least 20 times." The court said, "And she won't participate in that situation." The foreperson replied, "Not to a reasonable degree."

The court then questioned Juror No. 12 out of the presence of the other jurors. The court told Juror No. 12 it was inquiring whether the juror was participating in deliberations. In reply to each of the court's inquiries, the juror repeated she was deliberating.

The court and counsel then discussed the issue out of the presence of the jurors. Defense counsel took the position there was no ground for dismissing the juror because the impasse was the result of a difference of opinion as to the strength of the evidence. The prosecutor and court commented they had concluded from the foreperson's comments the juror was not deliberating.

The court had Juror No. 12 return to court and excused her. The court substituted in one of the alternate jurors for Juror No. 12.

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Bluebook (online)
124 Cal. Rptr. 2d 765, 101 Cal. App. 4th 1256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-trotter-calctapp-2003.