People v. Villa CA3

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 15, 2025
DocketC100738
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Villa CA3 (People v. Villa 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. Villa CA3, (Cal. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed 7/15/25 P. v. Villa CA3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published,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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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, C100738

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. 15F01261)

v.

ADAM VILLA,

Defendant and Appellant.

Defendant Adam Villa appeals from sentencing after remand. Defendant contends the trial court abused its discretion in (1) imposing the middle term for attempted robbery when he was entitled to the lower term under Penal Code1 section 1170, subdivision (b)(6), and (2) declining to strike a firearm enhancement under section 1385, subdivision (c). We affirm. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In October 2017, an amended information charged defendant, Frank Camacho, and Joshua Thomas Parrish with the premeditated attempted murder (§§ 664/187, subd. (a);

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

1 count one) and attempted robbery in concert of G.H. (§§ 664/211, 213, subd. (a)(1)(A); count two), as well as alleged various firearm enhancements against defendants (§§ 12022.5, subd. (a)(1), 12022.53, subds. (b), (c)).2 In December 2017, a jury found defendant guilty of both counts and found true all firearm enhancements, but determined the attempted murder was not premeditated. The trial court sentenced defendant to the middle term of seven years on count one, one year consecutive on count two, 20 years on a firearm enhancement associated with count one (§ 12022.53, subd. (c)), six years eight months on the firearm enhancement associated with count two (stayed under section 654), for an aggregate sentence of 28 years in state prison. On appeal, defendant argued his conviction for attempted murder must be reversed under Senate Bill No. 1437 (2017-2018 Reg. Sess.) (Stats. 2018, ch. 1015). In July 2020, this court modified the judgment by imposing and staying under section 654 a full term for attempted robbery and the associated firearm enhancement and affirmed the judgment as modified. (People v. Villa (July 14, 2020, C089392 [nonpub. opn.].) The California Supreme Court granted review and transferred the matter to us with directions to vacate our decision and reconsider the matter in light of Senate Bill No. 775 (Stats. 2021, ch. 551). (People v. Villa (May 9, 2022, C089392) [nonpub. opn.] (Villa II).) In Villa II, we summarized the underlying facts as follows: “In February 2015, defendant, Parrish, and Camacho arrived at the victim’s home under the pretext of purchasing marijuana. When the victim opened the door, defendant pointed a gun [at] his face. The victim, who was unarmed, began fighting with defendant over the gun. Meanwhile, the two other men, who also were armed, pushed their way inside. During the melee, the three intruders each shot at the victim a total of five to 10 times. The victim’s

2 The information also charged Camacho with assault of E.M. (§ 245, subd. (b); count three) and alleged two firearm enhancements on that count (§§ 12022.5, subds. (a), (d)). The information further alleged firearm enhancements under section 12022.53, subdivision (d) on counts one and two against only Camacho and Parrish.

2 friend, who was visiting the victim at the time of the incident, testified at trial that he heard defendant say, ‘[E]verybody just chill out. We’re here just to take [stuff].’ Defendant, Parrish, and Camacho also beat up the friend. Eventually, the victim chased the three intruders outside and the men left in a waiting vehicle. [¶] The victim suffered gunshot wounds to his legs, abdomen, and bladder. His bladder had to be sewn up, and he was forced to wear a colostomy bag for a year and a half. He also was shot in his buttocks, and other shots grazed his stomach and back. These injuries required the victim to undergo seven or eight separate surgeries.” (Villa II, supra, C089392.) We vacated our prior decision, reversed defendant’s attempted murder conviction and associated firearm enhancement, remanded the matter to afford the People the opportunity to retry the attempted murder conviction and firearm enhancement, and if the People declined to do so, instructed the trial to conduct a full resentencing on the remaining attempted robbery conviction and enhancement. (Villa II, supra, C089392.) In July 2022, the People declined to retry defendant on the attempted murder conviction and enhancement. In January 2024, defendant filed a sentencing brief with extensive exhibits, arguing that the trial court (1) could not impose the upper term for attempted robbery under the amendment to section 1170, subdivision (b)(2), and (2) must sentence defendant to the lower term under section 1170, subdivision (b)(6) because of his youth at the time of the offense (22 years old). Defendant further argued all firearm enhancements should be stricken under section 1385, because multiple enhancements were alleged in a single case (§ 1385, subd. (c)(2)(B)). Defendant also contended that sentencing on the various firearm enhancements must be limited to 10 years so that the aggregate sentence is less than 20 years (§ 1385, subd. (c)(2)(C)). Finally, defendant contended the enhancement was connected to defendant’s prior victimization or childhood trauma and should be stricken (§ 1385, subd. (c)(2)(E)).

3 Defendant’s exhibits included statements to an investigator by defendant’s mother and siblings describing the neglect and emotional trauma defendant experienced from being raised by drug-addicted parents and then in foster care; a report from Dr. Anne McBride, who evaluated defendant in 2018 and found him at moderate risk for future violence, and in November 2023, reevaluated defendant, opining defendant was currently at low risk for future violence and finding that defendant’s severe addictions to opioids, cannabis, and sedatives were in sustained remission (with maintenance therapy in the case of opioids); defendant’s renunciation of affiliation with the Varrio Diamonds gang; records of the courses and therapeutic programs defendant participated in while in prison; general education development (GED) and reentry courses defendant took; his certificate of baptism; defendant’s postrelease plans; and defendant’s letters and a poem expressing remorse for his conduct. In February 2024, the People filed a sentencing memorandum opposing dismissal of the firearm enhancement under section 1385, attaching as exhibits defendant’s rule violation reports and his RAP sheet. The People contended dismissal would endanger public safety and was not in the interests of justice, arguing defendant committed a planned home invasion robbery while armed with a firearm and shot at the victim. The People conceded for purposes of section 1170, subdivision (b)(2) that the jury did not find any factors in aggravation. The People, however, asserted that the statute excepted prior convictions from the proof requirements for aggravating factors and argued the exception applied here, given defendant’s felony conviction in 2013 for narcotics possession followed by the current conviction in 2017 for the more serious crime of attempted armed robbery. Lastly, the People argued defendant posed a danger to the public if released based on his conduct in prison, including an incident of sexual conduct with a visitor (November 2019), fighting (September 2019), possession of a controlled substance, and battery on an inmate (December 2021).

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People v. Villa CA3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-villa-ca3-calctapp-2025.