People v. Weaver

58 Cal. Rptr. 3d 18, 149 Cal. App. 4th 1301, 2007 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4313, 2007 Daily Journal DAR 5427, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 607
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 9, 2007
DocketD047993
StatusPublished
Cited by99 cases

This text of 58 Cal. Rptr. 3d 18 (People v. Weaver) 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. Weaver, 58 Cal. Rptr. 3d 18, 149 Cal. App. 4th 1301, 2007 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4313, 2007 Daily Journal DAR 5427, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 607 (Cal. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

*1307 Opinion

McDONALD, J.

Megan Elizabeth Weaver appeals a judgment entered following her guilty plea to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (Pen. Code, § 191.5, subd. (a)) 1 and her admission of the truth of an allegation she personally inflicted great bodily injury on another person in the commission of that offense (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)). On appeal, Weaver contends the trial court erred by (1) denying her request for probation; (2) imposing the middle six-year term for her section 191.5, subdivision (a) offense; and (3) imposing a consecutive three-year enhancement under section 12022.7, subdivision (a). She also contends: (1) her conviction of only one offense precludes a court from considering it as two prior serious felony convictions within the meaning of section 1192.7, subdivision (c)(8) and the three strikes law (§ 667, subds. (b)-(i)); and (2) the victim restitution fine imposed by the trial court must be offset by the amount paid by her insurance company.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 2

On August 19, 2004, Weaver graduated from San Diego State University. Celebrating her graduation with friends (including Jaylin Ruiz), Weaver consumed several shots of alcohol (Jagermeister).

About 1:00 a.m. on August 20, Ed Thurston, driving his car eastbound on Highway 56 about two to four miles from its intersection with Interstate 5, saw a car approaching him from the opposite direction on the wrong side of the divided highway. The car did not have its headlights on and was traveling in the fast lane at a speed of over 70 miles per hour. After it passed him, Thurston saw that the car also did not have its rear taillights on.

Also about 1:00 a.m., Jose Garcia, driving his car eastbound on Highway 56 about one-half mile from its intersection with Interstate 5, saw a car approaching him from the opposite direction on the wrong side of the divided highway. The car had its headlights on and was traveling in the fast lane at a speed of 80 to 90 miles per hour. Garcia swerved to the right to avoid colliding with the car and then swerved left, lost control of his car, and drove into bushes and rocks in the highway’s median. The other car did not stop or slow down and merged onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 heading south (i.e., the opposite direction of oncoming traffic).

*1308 Also about 1:00 a.m., Scott Tempus, driving his car eastbound on Highway 56 about one-quarter mile from its intersection with Interstate 5, saw a car approaching him from the opposite direction on the wrong side of the divided highway. 3 The car had its headlights on and was traveling in the slow lane. After Tempus swerved to avoid the car, the other car merged onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 heading south (i.e., the opposite direction of oncoming traffic).

Also about 1:00 a.m., Anatoly Sigalov (Sigalov) was driving his car northbound on Interstate 5 just south of the on-ramp or transition to eastbound Highway 56. His wife Mara was sitting in the front passenger seat. Sigalov was traveling about 65 miles per hour, with his car’s headlights on, when he saw the reflection of his headlights on the front windshield of an oncoming car, which was only about a “yard away.” The other car did not have its headlights on. Weaver was the other car’s driver. Without time for Sigalov to react, the two cars collided head-on. 4

Both cars sustained substantial damage. Mara died from blunt force trauma suffered in the collision. Sigalov suffered cracked ribs and a dislocated right hip, requiring surgery to repair his pelvis.

While being transported in an ambulance, Weaver told an emergency medical technician that she had been drinking. He smelled alcohol on her breath. At 3:45 a.m,, blood was drawn from Weaver. Testing of that blood sample showed Weaver’s blood-alcohol content (BAC) was 0.151 percent. Her blood sample also tested positive for the presence of cocaine, suggesting she had. consumed cocaine about two to three hours before the blood was drawn. 5

On December 10, an information was filed, charging Weaver with five counts: (1) gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (§ 191.5, subd. (a)); (2) driving under the influence, causing injury (Veh. Code, § 23153, *1309 subd. (a)); (3) driving with a BAG of 0.08 percent or greater and causing injury (Veh. Code, § 23153, subd. (b)); (4) driving the wrong way on a divided highway and causing injury (Veh. Code, § 21651, subds. (b) & (c)); and (5) hit-and-run driving (Veh. Code, § 20002, subd. (a)). The information also alleged that: (1) in committing counts 1 through 3, Weaver caused bodily injury or death (Veh. Code, § 23558); (2) in committing count 1, she personally inflicted great bodily injury on Sigalov (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)); (3) in committing counts 2 through 4, she personally inflicted great bodily injury on Mara and Sigalov (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)); and (4) regarding counts 1 through 4, her offenses constituted serious felonies within the meaning of section 1192.7, subd. (c)(8) because she inflicted great bodily injury on Mara and Sigalov.

On September 28, 2005, the date scheduled for trial, Weaver pleaded guilty to count 1 (§ 191.5, subd. (a)) and admitted the truth of the allegations related to count 1, including that in committing the section 191.5, subdivision (a) offense she personally inflicted great bodily injury on Sigalov within the meaning of section 12022.7, subdivision (a) and on Sigalov and Mara within the meaning of section 1192.7, subdivision (c)(8). Pursuant to her plea agreement with the prosecution, the trial court dismissed the remaining charges and allegations.

On December 14, the trial court denied probation and sentenced Weaver to the middle term of six years for count 1 and a consecutive three-year term for the section 12022.7, subdivision (a) enhancement, for a total term of nine years. 6 Pursuant to section 654, the trial court stayed imposition of the one-year enhancement under Vehicle Code section 23558. The court also imposed a restitution fine of $229,479, “subject to modification upward or downward on the application by counsel and a hearing can be held.” It expressly retained jurisdiction to address the issue of restitution and to amend the judgment.

On February 6, 2006, Weaver filed a notice of appeal.

On March 20, Weaver filed a motion to recall her sentence pursuant to section 1170, subdivision (d), requesting that the trial court recall its sentence, impose the lower four-year term for count 1, and strike the enhancement for her infliction of great bodily injury. 7 Attached to her motion were declarations *1310 of her former boyfriend (Jacob Ramsey) and Danielle Steinke, who was at the party, explaining some of the events preceding the incident and why Weaver drove her car that night while intoxicated.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Jevarian CA1/2
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Corona CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Slattery CA1/5
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Mendez-Torres
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Sanchez CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Lopez CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Roblero CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2025
Field
California Court of Appeal, 2025
P.v. Torres CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Scott CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Hickman CA2/3
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Brogdon CA1/2
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Garza CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Villanueva CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Roozen CA6
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Rivera CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Denegal CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
(HC) Quinnine v. Burton
E.D. California, 2021
People v. Adams CA1/5
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Evans CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2021

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 Cal. Rptr. 3d 18, 149 Cal. App. 4th 1301, 2007 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 4313, 2007 Daily Journal DAR 5427, 2007 Cal. App. LEXIS 607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-weaver-calctapp-2007.