People v. Wilson

43 Cal. App. 4th 839, 50 Cal. Rptr. 2d 883, 96 Daily Journal DAR 3169, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 1874, 1996 Cal. App. LEXIS 238
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 18, 1996
DocketB084642
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 43 Cal. App. 4th 839 (People v. Wilson) 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. Wilson, 43 Cal. App. 4th 839, 50 Cal. Rptr. 2d 883, 96 Daily Journal DAR 3169, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 1874, 1996 Cal. App. LEXIS 238 (Cal. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

Opinion

KLEIN, P. J.

Defendant and appellant Willie Curtis Wilson was initially charged by information with three counts of first degree robbery (counts 1, 2, and 7—Pen. Code, § 211), 1 attempted robbery (count 3—§§ 664/211), attempted murder (count 4—§§ 664/187, subd. (a)) shooting at an occupied building (count 5—§ 246) and murder (count 6—§ 187, subd. (a)). As to counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7, it was alleged a principal was armed with a handgun during the commission of the offenses (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)), and as to counts 1, 2, 3, and 4, it was alleged Wilson personally used a firearm (§ 12022.5).

*842 Following a jury trial, Wilson was convicted of two counts of second degree robbery (counts 1 and 2), attempted robbery (count 3), shooting into an occupied building (count 5) and first degree murder of Daniel Pipkins (count 6). 2 On April 28, 1993, Wilson’s conviction was reversed (People v. Wilson (Apr. 28, 1993) B056732 [nonpub. opn.]) for a violation of People v. Wheeler (1978) 22 Cal.3d 258 [148 Cal.Rptr. 890, 583 P.2d 748]. No determination was made as to the sufficiency of evidence as to any of the counts.

On August 30, 1993, after the case had been remanded to the trial court, Wilson entered a plea of once in jeopardy (§ 1016, subd. (5)) as to the charge in count 6, the first degree murder of Daniel Pipkins for which he had been convicted. The trial court rejected his plea, holding Wilson could be retried on a theory of willful, deliberate and premeditated first degree murder, but not felony murder based upon the robbery of which he had been acquitted, and finding the record of the first trial contained sufficient evidence to sustain the verdict of first degree murder.

After a second trial, a jury found Wilson guilty of second degree robbery with the personal use of a firearm (count 1) and first degree murder of Daniel Pipkins (count 6), and during the commission of both offenses, a principal was armed with a firearm. The jury failed to reach a verdict on counts 2 (robbery), 3 (attempted robbery) and 5 (shooting into an occupied building) and a mistrial was declared as to those counts.

On April 21, 1994, the trial court denied Wilson’s motion for a new trial and his motion for disclosure of the addresses and telephone numbers of the jurors.

Factual and Procedural Background

1. Count 1—July 21, 1989.

About 4 a.m. on July 21, 1989, when Victor Montes, the baker at Winchell’s Donut House at Liemert Boulevard and 11th Avenue in Los Angeles, moved his car from in front of the donut shop’s service window to the rear of the store, he noticed two men standing across the street. Montes went inside for a hose to wash his car and as he came out with the hose, two *843 men, one of whom was later identified as Wilson, 3 approached him. Both men were carrying guns.

Wilson showed Montes the gun, which was in the palm of his hand, and told him to go inside the store. Out of fear Montes complied and, once inside the store, Wilson ordered Montes to open the cash register. After he opened it, Wilson took out all the money. The second man, who was taller than Wilson, took a gold chain off Montes’s neck. Wilson then asked Montes for more money. When Montes told him he did not have anymore, Wilson pointed the gun at him and asked where the safe was located. Montes showed him the safe but told him only the manager had a key. Wilson threatened to kill him and also wanted him to call the manager. He then pointed the gun at the safe and Montes turned to the wall to cover himself. Wilson, however, did not fire his gun but grabbed Montes by the arm and led him to the rear of the store, patting his pockets for more money. As both men left, Wilson pointed his gun at Montes and told him to close the door.

After Montes closed the door, he ran to the service window to ask for help from a friend who was parked outside. Montes then called the police and reported the robbery.

Lawrence Crain, who had been parked on the street in front of Winchell’s during the robbery, saw Victor Montes talking to two men inside the donut shop. One man was tall, dark-skinned and wore French braids. The other man was shorter, with short hair and a medium build. Both men wore white T-shirts with a circle. He did not see the two men leave the store but heard Montes yell to him he had been robbed and for him to get his gun. Montes told Crain the robbers had pointed a gun at him and that he had recognized one of the robbers. Crain tried to find the robbers in his car, but was unable to do so and returned to Winchell’s.

2. Counts 2, 3, and 5—July 22, 1989.

About 2 a.m. on July 22, 1989, Montes thought he recognized two men walking into Winchell’s parking lot as the two robbers from the day before, and called the police. While he was on the telephone, he heard four or five gunshots. Crain, who was standing outside of Winchell’s, also recognized the two men from the day before. After he walked back to his car, he heard gunshots and saw a lot of cars speeding away. At the time, he did not know where the two men were and had not seen anyone firing guns.

*844 Timothy Reed, Chris Kelly and Daniel Ohr were standing next to Ohr’s car in the Winched’s parking lot about 2:30 a.m. on July 22, when Reed saw two men in a dark-colored Cadillac slow down and circle the block two or three times. The car stopped and the men got out, holding guns at their sides. The taller of the two men was about six feet tall and dark-complected and wore french braids. The other was about five feet, seven or eight inches tall, with a lighter complexion and short hair. The tall man approached Daniel Ohr, who was wearing a lot of jewelry, pointed his gun at Ohr’s head, and started taking off Ohr’s jewelry. The short man stood nearby. The tall man took all of Ohr’s jewelry and money and asked Kelly and Reed if they had any money. They replied no. The tall man then told Reed if he found any money on him, he would kill him. He searched Reed’s pockets and after failing to find any money, he took Reed’s ring. Reed stated Wilson resembled the shorter man.

3. Count 6—August 6, 1989.

About 4 a.m. on August 6, 1989, Frank Davis and Casey Gatlin were at Winchell’s parking lot with a group of about 26 to 30 homosexual men who earlier had been at the Horizon Club when Davis saw two Black men in a Cadillac drive slowly into Winchell’s driveway and stop in front of the door. Davis noticed Wilson in the passenger’s seat and remembered having seen him before because he thought he was “cute.” Davis watched the two men as they talked to each other, and saw Wilson reach for something in the back. The men continued to look around and Wilson once looked down towards his lap.

Davis started having “bad vibes” as to why the two men were there and felt something was wrong.

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Bluebook (online)
43 Cal. App. 4th 839, 50 Cal. Rptr. 2d 883, 96 Daily Journal DAR 3169, 96 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 1874, 1996 Cal. App. LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-wilson-calctapp-1996.