People v. Johnson ( 2013 )


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  • Filed 12/19/13
    CERTIFIED FOR PARTIAL PUBLICATION*
    IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
    FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
    DIVISION TWO
    THE PEOPLE,
    Plaintiff and Respondent,                     E056878
    v.                                                    (Super.Ct.No. SWF029110)
    LIONEL FREDRICK JOHNSON, JR.,                         OPINION
    Defendant and Appellant.
    APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Dennis A. McConaghy,
    Judge. (Retired judge of the Riverside Super. Ct. assigned by the Chief Justice pursuant
    to art. VI, § 6 of the Cal. Const.) Affirmed in part; reversed in part and remanded with
    directions.
    Michael B. McPartland, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant
    and Appellant.
    *       Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rules 8.1105(b) and 8.1110, this opinion is
    certified for publication with the exception of parts I, II, IV, V, and VI.
    1
    Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney
    General, Julie L. Garland, Senior Assistant Attorney General, and Steve Oetting and
    Laura A. Glennon, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
    One SUV rear-ended another SUV that had stopped at a red light. All five
    occupants of the vehicle that was hit were injured, to varying degrees; one was crippled.
    When the police arrived, they found defendant Lionel Fredrick Johnson, Jr. at the
    scene, blatantly drunk. He admitted that he had been driving and that he hit the other
    vehicle.
    As no eyewitness could identify defendant as the driver, however, defense counsel
    argued that there was reasonable doubt as to whether defendant was driving. He also
    argued that defendant’s admissions were not credible because “drunk people say crazy
    things all the time.”
    After the trial, defendant filed a motion for disclosure of the jurors’ identifying
    information. In support, his parents testified that several jurors had stated that they had
    concluded only reluctantly that defendant had been driving, partly because he did not take
    the stand and testify. The trial court denied the motion. In the published portion of this
    opinion, we will hold that this was error. We will reject the People’s arguments that (1)
    the jurors’ statements were inadmissible hearsay, (2) the jurors’ statements were
    inadmissible under Evidence Code section 1150, and (3) defendant had to show that he
    had made diligent efforts to contact the jurors by other means.
    2
    In the nonpublished portion of this opinion, we will hold that the trial court
    committed one sentencing error.
    Accordingly, the matter must be remanded with directions to reconsider
    defendant’s motion. However, if (1) the motion is once again denied, (2) the motion is
    granted but defendant fails to file a motion for new trial, or (3) defendant files a motion
    for new trial but the motion for new trial is denied, the trial court must resentence
    defendant.
    I
    FACTUAL BACKGROUND
    On August 17, 2009, around 2:10 or 2:20 a.m., a 4Runner was stopped at a red
    light when a Suburban rear-ended it. There was no sound of braking or skidding before
    the crash. No skid marks were left on the road.
    Five people — all members of the same family — were in the vehicle that was hit.
    Petra Farias, who was in the back seat, had the most severe injuries. Her left leg was
    jammed under the front passenger seat. Her pelvis was broken. Her leg was broken “in
    several pieces.” Her knee was “shattered.” At the time of trial, she could not move her
    left foot. She could walk only with a walker. She could no longer work. She was
    “always in intense . . . pain.”
    Petra’s aunt, Delia Montez, who was also in the back seat, suffered a broken
    vertebra.
    3
    Petra’s mother, Flora Castillo, who was also in the back seat, had experienced pain
    in her head, neck, rib cage, and pelvis; at the time of trial, she still had occasional chest
    pain.
    Petra’s husband, Salvador Farias, was in the front passenger seat. He suffered a
    “whiplash type injury.”
    Petra’s daughter, Susana Farias, who was driving, escaped with only “big bruises”
    and neck and back pain. She still had back pain at the time of trial.
    Witness Yorilia Beltran happened to drive onto the scene of the crash moments
    after it occurred. An African-American man was inside the Suburban. She asked him if
    there was anyone else in the Suburban, and he said no. Later, she saw a police officer
    approach him.
    Highway Patrol officers arrived at the scene around 2:45 a.m. Defendant was
    there, and Officer Gabriel Lizaola interviewed him. Defendant admitted driving the
    Suburban. He said he was going 60 or 65 miles an hour when he suddenly “felt a boom
    to the front of his vehicle.” The speed limit was 55 miles an hour.
    Officer Lizaola noticed that defendant’s breath smelled of alcohol, his speech was
    slurred, and his eyes were red and watery. He asked defendant if he had “consumed an
    alcoholic beverage.” Defendant replied, “I haven’t had shit.” Officer Lizaola pointed out
    that “[he] could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from [defendant’s]
    person.” Defendant said, “Okay. I had two beers at 6:00.”
    4
    Officer Lizaola administered field sobriety tests to defendant; defendant failed
    them all. Next, he gave defendant a breath test. However, defendant did not blow as
    instructed; he blew only weakly, while puffing out his cheeks to make it appear that he
    was blowing hard. This would have tended to make his reading lower. The resulting
    blood alcohol readings were 0.164 at 3:22 a.m., 0.163 at 3:24 a.m., and 0.159 at 3:26 a.m.
    A blood test, using blood drawn at 5:03 a.m., gave a blood alcohol reading of 0.20.
    In the opinion of an expert toxicologist, defendant’s actual blood alcohol level at
    the time of the crash was 0.24.
    II
    PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
    Defendant was found guilty of driving under the influence and causing injury
    (Veh. Code, § 23153, subd. (a)) and driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or
    more and causing injury (Veh. Code, § 23153, subd. (b)). On each count, one
    enhancement for personally inflicting great bodily injury (Pen. Code, § 12022.7, subd.
    (a)) and three enhancements for causing injury to an additional victim (Veh. Code,
    § 23558) were found true.
    Two “strike” priors (Pen. Code, §§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12), two prior serious
    felony conviction enhancements (Pen. Code, § 667, subd. (a)), and one 1-year prior prison
    term enhancement (Pen. Code, § 667.5, subd. (b)) were found true.
    Defendant was sentenced to a total of 41 years to life in prison, along with the
    usual fines and fees.
    5
    III
    DISCLOSURE OF JURORS’ IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
    Defendant contends that the trial court erred by denying his posttrial motion for
    disclosure of jurors’ identifying information.
    A.     Additional Factual and Procedural Background.
    On March 15, 2011, the jury returned its verdicts. At that point, defendant had not
    waived a jury trial on the priors, so the jurors were ordered to return on March 16. On
    March 16, however, defendant decided to waive a jury trial, and the trial court excused
    the jurors.
    The court trial on the priors, originally set for May 13, 2011, was repeatedly
    continued until it was eventually held on November 18, 2011. Sentencing, originally set
    for January 27, 2012, was likewise repeatedly continued.
    On April 26, 2012, defendant filed a motion for release of jurors’ personal
    identifying information. The motion was set for hearing on the date then set for
    sentencing, May 25, 2012.
    On April 26, 2012, defendant filed a motion for release of jurors’ identifying
    information. Defendant’s mother and stepfather, Joy and Delvin Livingston, submitted
    declarations in support of the motion.
    6
    They both testified that on March 16, 2011,1 they had had a conversation with
    three female jurors. One of the jurors cried and said she was “sorry.” She said she
    wanted to talk to the judge. From there, the mother’s and stepfather’s accounts of the
    conversation diverged somewhat.
    According to defendant’s mother, the conversation took place outside the
    courtroom. The crying juror said, “[W]hy didn’t he take the witness stand and defend
    himself[?] Why didn’t he say something, we need to hear it from him. Did he have any
    prior DUIs . . . ? Is that the reason why he didn’t take the witness stand?” The mother
    and stepfather then took the crying juror to defense counsel, introduced her, and told him
    what she had said. Defense counsel gave the crying juror his card and asked her to call
    him.
    According to defendant’s stepfather, the conversation took place inside the
    courtroom. Two jurors said “that i[t] was hard for us to vote guilty” because of the
    possibility that defendant “was covering for someone else.” The crying juror said,
    “[M]ost of [us] were thinking . . . if [defendant] was not the driver, why didn’t he take the
    stand to defend himself . . . [?]” She added that this was one of the “things the jurors had
    a hard time with.” She continued, “[T]he jury wrestled with . . . why isn’t [defendant]
    taking the stand[?] [Defendant] needed to say something.” “The three jurors indicated
    that they were at least half of the jurors who raised the question if he is innocent why he
    1     The stepfather misdescribed the proceedings on March 16, 2011 as a
    “sentencing hearing.”
    7
    didn’t take the stand to defend himself.” Afterwards, all three jurors talked to defense
    counsel.
    On May 25, 2012, at the hearing on defendant’s motion, the prosecutor conceded,
    “[A]ssuming the facts as stated in the motion are correct, I believe there is good cause to
    disclose the juror information.” However, he objected to defendant’s parents testifying
    by declaration rather than in person. He also argued that the passage of time called into
    question the credibility of the declarations: “[A] year and three months ago, both parents
    are here, the jurors are telling them that they disobeyed the Court’s rules . . . . [T]hey
    disclose this to [defense counsel], who, for a year and three months, did nothing. [¶] . . .
    I believe that if a situation like this would have occurred, [defense counsel] would have
    acted with a little more haste rather than letting his client wallow in county jail for a year
    and three months.”
    Defense counsel responded that the motion was properly brought based on
    declarations, but in any event, “The [parents] are here. . . . [T]hey are available.”
    He also explained: “I do recall that there were jurors that did . . . speak to me. I
    was . . . speaking with the parents. Some jurors did stay. How the issue came up, is that
    the parents w[ere] speaking to someone else . . . who[’s] a lawyer, and then that particular
    attorney told the parents that they need to disclose that information to me, so they did so.
    Then I did . . . file the motion.”
    The trial court ruled: “I’ve read the declarations, and I disagree with both of you.
    If [sic] the declaration of [defendant’s stepfather], first, one of the jurors says she was
    8
    sorry. That doesn’t mean anything. I’ve sat on a jury. I’ve made Court decisions. Lots
    of times you’re sorry that you have to do what you have to do. And then she said that it
    was hard for us to vote guilty. I think it’s hard to vote guilty for anybody. And being
    hard to vote guilty is not reason to disclose.
    “And going through ― just going through the declaration [it] said [defendant] . . .
    may not have been the driver. It was possible that he was covering for someone else.
    That is just talking about the procedure that they went through, getting to the fact —
    getting to the point where they voted guilty.
    “I just don’t see any reason to grant this motion. I’m going to deny it.”
    Meanwhile, the trial court also further continued the sentencing hearing to July 13,
    2012.
    B.     Analysis.
    1.     Legal background.
    Under Code of Civil Procedure section 237, in a criminal case, the trial jurors’
    “personal juror identifying information” — defined as their names, addresses, and
    telephone numbers — must be sealed after their verdict is recorded. (Code Civ. Proc.,
    § 237, subd. (a).) However, “[a]ny person may petition the court for access to these
    records. The petition shall be supported by a declaration that includes facts sufficient to
    establish good cause for the release of the juror’s personal identifying information.”
    (Code Civ. Proc., § 237, subd. (b); see also Code Civ. Proc., § 206, subd. (g).)
    9
    If the trial court finds that the moving party has made a prima facie showing of
    good cause, and if it finds no compelling interest against disclosure, it must set the matter
    for hearing. (Code Civ. Proc., § 237, subd. (b).) The trial jurors are entitled to notice, an
    opportunity to object to disclosure, and an opportunity to appear. (Code Civ. Proc.,
    § 237, subd. (c).)
    If none of the jurors object, the trial court must grant disclosure. However, if a
    juror is unwilling to be contacted, the trial court must deny disclosure. (Code Civ. Proc.,
    § 237, subd. (d).)2
    We review an order on a motion for disclosure of jurors’ identifying information
    under the deferential abuse of discretion standard. (People v. Carrasco (2008) 
    163 Cal.App.4th 978
    , 991.)
    2.      Hearsay in the declarations.
    The prosecution’s objection below to proceeding on declarations was unfounded.
    Under Code of Civil Procedure section 237, subdivision (b), the motion is supposed to be
    based on declarations.3
    2       Code of Civil Procedure section 237, subdivision (d) further provides that if
    (1) a juror objects, but (2) the juror is not unwilling to be contacted, the trial court must
    order disclosure, unless it finds either no good cause or a compelling interest against
    disclosure. In practice, it is hard to imagine why a juror who is willing to be contacted
    would object.
    The statute is also somewhat unclear about whether one objecting juror can block
    the disclosure of other jurors’ information.
    3      The parents’ declarations were not executed under penalty of perjury; they
    did not use the wording prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure section 2015.5. The
    [footnote continued on next page]
    10
    In this appeal, the People argue that the parents’ declarations consisted of hearsay,
    in that they had no personal knowledge of what took place in the jury room. They
    forfeited this objection by failing to raise it below. (Evid. Code, § 353, subd. (a).)
    Separately and alternatively, it lacks merit. The whole point of moving for the disclosure
    of jurors’ identifying information is to talk to the jurors; and the whole point of talking to
    the jurors is to obtain evidence of juror misconduct that will support a motion for new
    trial. The only people who can testify of their own personal knowledge about what
    happened in the jury room are the jurors themselves. Thus, it would be absurd to require
    a defendant seeking disclosure to introduce, at that preliminary stage, admissible evidence
    that juror misconduct actually occurred. Rather, the defendant simply has to prove that
    talking to the jurors is reasonably likely to produce admissible evidence of juror
    misconduct.
    In this respect, a motion for the disclosure of jurors’ identifying information is
    analogous to a Pitchess motion for disclosure of a police officer’s confidential personnel
    records. A Pitchess motion can be based on a declaration made on information and belief
    — i.e., hearsay. (City of Santa Cruz v. Municipal Court (1989) 
    49 Cal.3d 74
    , 86-89.) As
    the Supreme Court has explained: “‘“Whenever the statute, either in express terms or by
    [footnote continued from previous page]
    prosecution, however, did not object on that ground. Thus, it forfeited any such
    objection. Moreover, even if it had objected, defense counsel’s offer to have the parents
    testify under oath at the hearing could have cured the problem. In any event, this was not
    why the trial court denied the motion.
    11
    implication, requires a person to make a statement which from the very nature of things
    can only be made on information and belief, an affidavit in that form meets the demands
    of the statute.”’” (Id. at p. 87.) “Because defense counsel would only rarely be present
    when the alleged officer misconduct occurred, counsel has little information to offer
    based on counsel’s personal knowledge.” (Warrick v. Superior Court (2005) 
    35 Cal.4th 1011
    , 1026.)
    A juror’s out-of-court statement that misconduct occurred, when offered in support
    of a motion for disclosure, is not offered for the truth of the matter asserted; thus it is not
    hearsay. It is simply used to show good cause to contact the juror. Once the juror is
    contacted, if the juror confirms the misconduct, the juror’s testimony can be used to
    support a motion for new trial. On the other hand, if the juror denies the misconduct, the
    out-of-court statement becomes admissible as a prior inconsistent statement. (Evid. Code,
    § 1235.) Accordingly, in this case, the trial court properly considered the jurors’ out-of-
    court statements to the parents.
    3.     Evidence Code section 1150.
    The People also argue that the jurors’ statements were inadmissible under
    Evidence Code section 1150. Once again, they did not object on this ground below.
    However, evidence that violates Evidence Code section 1150 is not merely inadmissible;
    it is irrelevant — “of no jural consequence.” (People v. Steele (2002) 
    27 Cal.4th 1230
    ,
    1264.) Thus, the People did not have to object below to preserve this contention.
    12
    Evidence Code section 1150, subdivision (a) provides: “Upon an inquiry as to the
    validity of a verdict, any otherwise admissible evidence may be received as to statements
    made, or conduct, conditions, or events occurring, either within or without the jury room,
    of such a character as is likely to have influenced the verdict improperly. No evidence is
    admissible to show the effect of such statement, conduct, condition, or event upon a juror
    either in influencing him to assent to or dissent from the verdict or concerning the mental
    processes by which it was determined.”
    “‘This statute distinguishes “between proof of overt acts, objectively ascertainable,
    and proof of the subjective reasoning processes of the individual juror, which can be
    neither corroborated nor disproved . . . .” [Citation.] “This limitation prevents one juror
    from upsetting a verdict of the whole jury by impugning his own or his fellow jurors’
    mental processes or reasons for assent or dissent. The only improper influences that may
    be proved under [Evidence Code] section 1150 to impeach a verdict, therefore, are those
    open to sight, hearing, and the other senses and thus subject to corroboration.”
    [Citations.]’ [Citation.]” (People v. Gonzales (2012) 
    54 Cal.4th 1234
    , 1281.)
    “Evidence Code section 1150, while rendering evidence of the jurors’ mental
    processes inadmissible, expressly permits, in the context of an inquiry into the validity of
    a verdict, the introduction of evidence of ‘statements made . . . within . . . the jury room.’
    We have warned, however, that such evidence ‘must be admitted with caution,’ because
    ‘[s]tatements have a greater tendency than nonverbal acts to implicate the reasoning
    processes of jurors.’ [Citation.] But statements made by jurors during deliberations are
    13
    admissible under Evidence Code section 1150 when ‘the very making of the statement
    sought to be admitted would itself constitute misconduct.’ [Citation.]” (People v.
    Cleveland (2001) 
    25 Cal.4th 466
    , 484.)
    Here, defendant’s mother’s declaration was entirely irrelevant under Evidence
    Code section 1150. According to her, only the crying juror spoke, and the only thing she
    spoke about was her own mental processes. Indeed, she appeared to be speaking about
    her own mental processes at that moment, not necessarily when she returned her verdict.
    Thus, all her statement showed was that she had second thoughts.
    Portions of defendant’s stepfather’s declaration were likewise irrelevant under
    Evidence Code section 1150. For example, the statement that it “was hard for us to vote
    guilty” because of the possibility that defendant “was covering for someone else” was
    inadmissible evidence of the jurors’ mental processes. Statements about what the jurors
    were “thinking,” what they “wrestled with,” and what they “had a hard time with” were
    likewise inadmissible.
    One statement in the stepfather’s declaration, however, was relevant and
    admissible — the statement that “at least half of the jurors . . . raised the question if he is
    innocent why he didn’t take the stand to defend himself.” The jury had been instructed:
    “A defendant has an absolute constitutional right not to testify. . . . Do not consider, for
    any reason at all, the fact that the defendant did not testify.” (CALCRIM No. 355.) “[B]y
    violating the trial court’s instruction not to discuss defendant’s failure to testify, the jury
    committed misconduct. [Citations.]” (People v. Leonard (2007) 
    40 Cal.4th 1370
    , 1425.)
    14
    Moreover, the mere making of such a statement in the jury room was an overt act of
    misconduct and admissible as such under Evidence Code section 1150. (People v. Hord
    (1993) 
    15 Cal.App.4th 711
    , 725; People v. Perez (1992) 
    4 Cal.App.4th 893
    , 908.)
    4.     The trial court’s exercise of discretion.
    The trial court does not seem to have realized that the declarations showed that the
    jurors had improperly considered defendant’s failure to testify. According to the trial
    court’s summary of the evidence, a juror said she was “sorry,” a juror said it “was hard
    for us to vote guilty,” and a juror said defendant may have been “covering for someone
    else.” In addition, however, as already discussed, there was admissible evidence that the
    jurors considered defendant’s failure to testify, which constituted misconduct. By
    disregarding that evidence, the trial court abused its discretion.
    The People argue that we should nevertheless sustain the denial of defendant’s
    motion, because defendant failed to show that he had made diligent efforts to contact the
    jurors by other means. To understand the law on this issue, it is necessary to examine the
    history of Code of Civil Procedure section 237.
    In 1989, in People v. Rhodes (1989) 
    212 Cal.App.3d 541
    , the appellate court
    outlined a nonstatutory procedure for obtaining jurors’ identifying information after a
    criminal trial. After balancing the countervailing interests in confidentiality and in
    disclosure (id. at pp. 548-551), it held that “upon timely motion, counsel for a convicted
    defendant is entitled to the list of jurors who served in the case, including addresses and
    telephone numbers, if the defendant sets forth a sufficient showing to support a
    15
    reasonable belief that jury misconduct occurred, that diligent efforts were made to contact
    the jurors through other means, and that further investigation is necessary to provide the
    court with adequate information to rule on a motion for new trial.” (Id. at pp. 551-552,
    emphasis added.)
    In 1992, the Legislature enacted Code of Civil Procedure section 237. At the time,
    this section allowed the trial court to seal jurors’ identifying information on request.
    (Code Civ. Proc., former § 237, subd. (b), Stats. 1992, ch. 971, § 3.) The Legislature also
    amended Code of Civil Procedure section 206 so as to allow a convicted defendant to
    request the release of jurors’ identifying information, if “necessary for the defendant to
    communicate with jurors for the purpose of developing issues on appeal or any other
    lawful purpose.” (Code Civ. Proc., former § 206, subd. (f), Stats. 1992, ch. 971, § 2.)
    In 1995, the Legislature amended Code of Civil Procedure section 237 so as to
    require the trial court to seal jurors’ identifying information. (Code Civ. Proc., § 237,
    subd. (a)(2), Stats. 1995, ch. 964, § 3.) However, it also allowed any person to move for
    release of the information, based on a declaration showing good cause. (Code Civ. Proc.,
    § 237, subd. (b), Stats. 1995, ch. 964, § 3.)
    For a time, courts had been split with respect to whether the 1992 statutory
    procedure superseded Rhodes’s nonstatutory requirement of a showing of good cause.
    (Compare People v. Granish (1996) 
    41 Cal.App.4th 1117
    , 1127-1129 [Fourth Dist., Div.
    Two] [showing of good cause required] with People v. Simms (1994) 
    24 Cal.App.4th 462
    ,
    467-468 [showing of good cause not required].) The 1995 amendments, however, were
    16
    understood as imposing a good cause requirement by statute. (See People v. Jefflo (1998)
    
    63 Cal.App.4th 1314
    , 1321, fn. 8; see also Townsel v. Superior Court (1999) 
    20 Cal.4th 1084
    , 1096, fn. 4.)
    In support of their claim that defendant had to show diligent efforts to contact the
    jurors through other means, the People cite People v. Jones (1998) 
    17 Cal.4th 279
    . Jones,
    however, did not involve a motion under Code of Civil Procedure section 237. Rather, in
    Jones, as the Supreme Court specifically noted, “the verdict was returned before Code of
    Civil Procedure 237 was enacted . . . .” (Id. at p. 317.) Accordingly, the court held that
    the nonstatutory procedure outlined in Rhodes applied. (Jones, supra, at p. 317.) And, of
    course, under Rhodes, the defendant had to show “that diligent efforts were made to
    contact the jurors through other means . . . .” (Jones, 
    supra, at p. 317
    , citing People v.
    Rhodes, supra, 212 Cal.App.3d at pp. 551-552.)
    Code of Civil Procedure section 237 does not expressly require a defendant to
    show diligent efforts to contact the jurors through other means. Moreover, we do not
    believe that such a requirement can be implied as a matter of “good cause.” It must be
    remembered that, when Rhodes was decided, jurors’ identifying information was not
    sealed. Indeed, as Rhodes noted, “the master list of qualified jurors, including names and
    addresses, [wa]s a judicial record subject to public disclosure. [Citations.]” (People v.
    Rhodes, supra, 212 Cal.App.3d at p. 550.) Since the 1995 amendments to Code of Civil
    Procedure section 237, however, jurors’ identifying information is sealed, and a motion
    for disclosure is necessary to obtain it.
    17
    If we were to hold that such a motion requires a showing that the defense has tried
    to contact the jurors by other means, we would be forcing counsel to try to find ways
    around the seal. Admittedly, some jurors do willingly contact defense counsel after the
    trial. However, defense counsel would have to try to track down the unwilling jurors.
    Would they have to pester the willing for details about the unwilling? Would they have to
    hire private detectives? Because the Legislature provided that jurors’ identifying
    information must be sealed, we conclude it did not intend to require a defendant to show
    diligent efforts to obtain the sealed information as a condition of unsealing it.
    At oral argument, the People argued for the first time that the trial court should
    have denied the motion as untimely. It is important to note that this is significantly
    different from the argument, which they did raise in their brief, that defendant failed to
    show diligent efforts to contact the jurors by other means. Their reframed argument is
    that, even if a defendant does not have to try to contact the jurors by other means, he or
    she still must bring a motion for disclosure promptly after learning that grounds for such a
    motion exist.
    Rhodes required that a motion for juror’s identifying information be “timely.”
    (People v. Rhodes, supra, 212 Cal.App.3d at p. 551.) By contrast, Code of Civil
    Procedure sections 206 and 237 do not contain an express timeliness requirement.
    However, they have been construed as having an implied timeliness requirement, albeit
    only a limited one.
    18
    The controlling authority on this point is People v. Duran (1996) 
    50 Cal.App.4th 103
    . There, the defendant filed a new trial motion based on juror misconduct; it was
    supported by an investigator’s declaration about his interview of one of the jurors. (Id. at
    pp. 108-109.) The prosecution objected to the declaration as hearsay. (Id. at p. 109.) On
    the date set for the hearing on the new trial motion, which was also the date set for
    sentencing, defense counsel orally requested the names and addresses of the other jurors.
    The trial court denied the request as untimely. (Id. at p. 110.)
    On appeal, the court noted that Code of Civil Procedure section 206 does require
    that the juror information be sought for a “lawful purpose.” (People v. Duran, supra, 50
    Cal.App.4th at p. 122.) In the case before it, the defendant’s purpose was to support a
    motion for new trial. However, he would not have been able to use the information for
    that purpose unless he could obtain a continuance of the hearing on his motion for new
    trial as well as the sentencing hearing. Moreover, to obtain a continuance, he would have
    to show that he and his counsel had shown due diligence. The court held that the
    defendant could not show due diligence, because his counsel could have sought the
    jurors’ personal identifying information when he first learned of the possible misconduct;
    instead, he did not raise the issue for six weeks. (Id. at p. 122.) The court concluded:
    “Since appellant failed to show he exercised due diligence in pursuing this claim, there
    was no basis shown for continuing the hearing on the motion for new trial. Since
    appellant sought this information to support his motion for new trial, there was no longer
    19
    a lawful purpose to be served by releasing this information. The trial court thus acted
    properly in denying the untimely request for juror information.” (Id. at p. 123.)
    Here, the sentencing hearing was set for May 25, 2012. Defendant filed his
    motion for disclosure on April 26 and set it for hearing on May 25. Meanwhile, however,
    he also filed a motion for a continuance of the sentencing hearing, on the ground that a
    “key witness” was unavailable. As already discussed, the trial court denied the motion for
    disclosure, but it granted the motion for a continuance; it continued the sentencing
    hearing to July 13. This would have given defendant time to contact the jurors and to file
    a motion for new trial, set for hearing on July 13. Thus, defendant did not have to show
    any additional good cause for a continuance. In particular, under Duran, he did not have
    to show due diligence in bringing the motion for disclosure. Even assuming he did not
    act with due diligence, he was still seeking the information for a “lawful purpose.”
    Finally, we also consider whether the trial court should have denied defendant’s
    motion because, as the prosecutor argued below, the declarations were not credible.
    Certainly there was room for skepticism. The mother and stepfather contradicted each
    other on several points. If one chooses to credit the mother’s account over the
    stepfather’s, then there is no admissible evidence of juror misconduct at all. Moreover, it
    is hard to believe that the jurors told defendant’s parents that they wanted to talk to the
    judge but did not say this to defense counsel. Indeed, according to the mother, she told
    defense counsel what the juror had said. Even assuming this information was not
    20
    volunteered, it is hard to believe that defense counsel did not take the opportunity to
    debrief the jurors.
    Nevertheless, “‘[t]he power to judge the credibility of witnesses and to resolve
    conflicts in the testimony is vested in the trial court” (People v. Hamlin (2009) 
    170 Cal.App.4th 1412
    , 1463), even when the witnesses testify via declarations. (Id. at
    pp. 1463-1464.) Here, the trial court denied the motion, but not because the declarations
    were incredible. We cannot say that the declarations were incredible as a matter of law.
    Thus, we cannot affirm the denial on this ground. However, it will be open to the trial
    court to make such a determination on remand.
    5.      Conclusion.
    In sum, we conclude that the trial court erred. Assuming that defendant’s
    stepfather’s declaration was credible, defendant was entitled to disclosure of the jurors’
    identifying information. However, because of our doubts regarding the credibility of both
    declarations, we cannot say that the motion should have been granted. Rather, the
    appropriate appellate remedy is to remand with directions to reconsider the motion.
    On remand, if the trial court grants the motion, it shall allow defense counsel a
    reasonable time to try to contact the jurors, to determine whether a motion for new trial is
    warranted, and if so, to file a motion for new trial. However, unless a motion for new
    trial is not only timely filed but actually granted, the trial court shall resentence defendant.
    21
    IV
    DUAL USE OF THE INFLICTION OF GREAT BODILY INJURY
    Defendant contends that the trial court could not impose both a great bodily injury
    enhancement and a prior serious felony enhancement.
    Penal Code section 1170.1, subdivision (g), as relevant here, provides: “When two
    or more enhancements may be imposed for the infliction of great bodily injury on the
    same victim in the commission of a single offense, only the greatest of those
    enhancements shall be imposed for that offense.”
    It is self-evident that a great bodily injury enhancement under Penal Code section
    12022.7 is an “enhancement[] . . . for the infliction of great bodily injury” within the
    meaning of Penal Code section 1170.1, subdivision (g).
    Defendant argues, however, that a prior serious felony conviction enhancement
    under Penal Code section 667, subdivision (a) is also an “enhancement[] . . . for the
    infliction of great bodily injury.” He reasons that a prior serious felony conviction
    enhancement requires (among other things) that the current conviction be a “serious
    felony.” (Pen. Code, § 667, subd. (a).) Defendant’s current convictions — for driving
    under the influence with injury (Veh. Code, § 23153, subds. (a), (b)) — are not serious
    felonies, standing alone. They are serious felonies in this case, but only because
    “defendant personally inflict[ed] great bodily injury on a[] person, other than an
    accomplice . . . .” (Pen. Code, § 1192.7, subd. (c)(8).)
    22
    Defendant relies on two cases, People v. Rodriguez (2009) 
    47 Cal.4th 501
     and
    People v. Gonzalez (2009) 
    178 Cal.App.4th 1325
    .
    Rodriguez involved Penal Code section 1170.1, subdivision (f), which provides:
    “When two or more enhancements may be imposed for being armed with or using a
    dangerous or deadly weapon or a firearm in the commission of a single offense, only the
    greatest of those enhancements shall be imposed for that offense.” (People v. Rodriguez,
    
    supra,
     47 Cal.4th at p. 508.)
    In Rodriguez, the defendant was convicted of assault with a firearm (Pen. Code,
    § 245, subd. (a)(2)), with a personal firearm use enhancement (Pen. Code, § 12022.5,
    subd. (a)) and a gang enhancement; the gang enhancement was elevated to 10 years,
    because the current conviction was for a violent felony (Pen. Code, § 186.22, subd.
    (b)(1)(C)). (People v. Rodriguez, 
    supra,
     47 Cal.4th at p. 505.)
    The Supreme Court held that the trial court erred by imposing both the personal
    firearm use enhancement and the gang/violent felony enhancement. (People v.
    Rodriguez, 
    supra,
     47 Cal.4th at p. 509.) It explained: “The standard additional
    punishment for committing a felony to benefit a criminal street gang is two, three, or four
    years’ imprisonment. [Citation.] But when the crime is a ‘violent felony . . . ,’ section
    186.22’s subdivision (b)(1)(C) calls for additional punishment of 10 years. Here,
    defendant became eligible for this 10–year punishment only because he ‘use[d] a firearm
    which use [was] charged and proved as provided in . . . Section 12022.5.’ [Citation.]
    Thus, defendant’s firearm use resulted in additional punishment not only under section
    23
    12022.5’s subdivision (a) (providing for additional punishment for personal use of a
    firearm) but also under section 186.22’s subdivision (b)(1)(C), for committing a violent
    felony as defined in section 667.5, subdivision (c)(8) (by personal use of firearm) to
    benefit a criminal street gang. Because the firearm use was punished under two different
    sentence enhancement provisions, each pertaining to firearm use, section 1170.1’s
    subdivision (f) requires imposition of ‘only the greatest of those enhancements’ with
    respect to each offense.” (Rodriguez, supra, at p. 509.)
    Gonzalez was similar, except that — like this case — it involved Penal Code
    section 1170.1, subdivision (g). (People v. Gonzalez, supra, 178 Cal.App.4th at p. 1327.)
    In Gonzalez, the defendant was convicted of aggravated assault (Pen. Code, § 245,
    subd. (a)(1)), with a great bodily injury enhancement (Pen. Code, § 12022.7, subd. (a))
    and a 10-year gang/violent felony enhancement). (People v. Gonzalez, supra, 178
    Cal.App.4th at p. 1327.)
    The appellate court held that the trial court erred by imposing both the great bodily
    injury enhancement and the gang/violent felony enhancement. It stated: “We find the
    Supreme Court’s reasoning in Rodriguez persuasive and squarely applicable to the present
    case. . . . Here, appellant’s infliction of great bodily injury on a single victim subjected
    him to a three-year enhancement under section 12022.7, subdivision (a). The same
    infliction of great bodily injury on the same victim also turned appellant’s underlying
    assault offense into a ‘violent felony’ under section 667.5, which subjected him to a 10–
    year enhancement under section 186.22, subdivision (b)(1)(C). In other words, the trial
    24
    court imposed two enhancements for appellant’s infliction of great bodily injury on the
    same victim in the commission of a single offense.” (People v. Gonzalez, supra, 178
    Cal.App.4th at pp. 1331-1332.)
    The People argue that Rodriguez and Gonzalez are distinguishable because they
    involved a gang/violent felony enhancement, which is a conduct enhancement, whereas
    this case involves a prior serious felony enhancement, which is a status enhancement.
    This is a distinction without a difference. Nothing in the reasoning of either Rodriguez or
    Gonzalez turned on whether they involved conduct enhancements or status enhancements.
    Rather, it turned on whether both enhancements were triggered by personal firearm use
    (in Rodriguez) or infliction of great bodily injury (in Gonzalez). Here, defendant would
    not have been subject to a prior serious felony enhancement if he had not inflicted great
    bodily injury in the current offense. Indeed, under these circumstances, one could view
    the prior serious felony enhancement as a hybrid status/conduct enhancement — it applies
    due to the confluence of both a certain status (a prior serious felony conviction) and
    certain conduct (infliction of great bodily injury).4
    4      Based on Rodriguez and Gonzalez, it could be argued that a trial court could
    not impose two gang/violent felony enhancements in the same case (at least, not when
    they are both based on a single instance of personal firearm use or on the infliction of
    great bodily injury on a single victim).
    In this case, defendant does not argue that the trial court could not impose two
    prior serious felony enhancements. We deem him to have forfeited any such contention.
    25
    The People also note that “there is a prohibition against striking or staying
    enhancements under [Penal Code] section 667[, subd.] (a)(1).” That prohibition is
    statutory; it is found in Penal Code section 1385, subdivision (b), which states: “This
    section does not authorize a judge to strike any prior conviction of a serious felony for
    purposes of enhancement of a sentence under Section 667.” (Italics added.) Here, the
    issue is not whether the trial court could strike the enhancements in the interests of justice
    under Penal Code section 1385; rather, it is whether it was prohibited from imposing
    them under Penal Code section 1170, subdivision (g).
    The appropriate appellate remedy is not to strike the lesser punishment, but rather
    to remand for resentencing. (People v. Rodriguez, 
    supra,
     47 Cal.4th at p. 505.)
    V
    ROMERO MOTION
    Defendant contends that the trial court erred by denying his Romero motion.
    A.     Additional Factual Background.
    At the time of sentencing, defendant was 35 years old. Between the ages of 11 and
    18, he had been a member of the North Side Gangsta Crips. He started abusing alcohol
    and various drugs in his teen years. However, he claimed to have been sober since being
    sent to prison in 2002, “except for two relapses.”
    Defendant admitted drinking on the day of the accident and being drunk when it
    occurred. He claimed, however, that “a friend he did not wish to name” was driving. He
    26
    said that this friend “left the scene on foot, and the defendant regrets that he did not leave
    the scene, too.”
    Defendant admitted having been on juvenile probation, though the probation
    officer was unable to find any record of this.
    He had the following adult convictions (the two strike priors are indicated by
    bolding):
    September 1996: Second degree robbery. (Pen. Code, § 211.) Defendant
    committed the robbery with fellow gang members, when he was 19. Two other youths
    robbed a minimart at gunpoint; defendant was the getaway driver. Defendant was placed
    on probation for five years. After the conviction, defendant moved from San Joaquin
    County to Riverside County. His attorney claimed that he did so to escape the negative
    influences around him. However, defendant told the probation officer that he was
    “‘kicked out of the county’ and his ‘homies’ believed that he provided information to the
    police.”
    December 1997: Driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more.
    (Veh. Code, § 25152, subd. (b).) Defendant was placed on probation for three years. He
    failed to complete a first offender DUI program.
    May 2000: Second degree burglary (Pen. Code, § 459), petty theft with a prior
    (Pen. Code, § 666), receiving stolen property (Pen. Code, § 496), and possession of
    burglary tools (Pen. Code, § 466). According to defendant, he was using crack at the
    time, and he stole coins from some washing machines. The commission of these offenses
    27
    constituted a violation of defendant’s probation. Defendant was placed on probation for
    three years, on conditions including a 180-day jail term.
    June 2002: Driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more, driving
    with an open alcohol container (Veh. Code, § 23222, subd. (a)), and driving with a license
    revoked or suspended for drunk driving (Veh. Code, § 14601.2, subd. (a)). The
    commission of these offenses constituted a violation of defendant’s probation. Defendant
    was placed on probation for four years, on conditions including a 30-day jail term.
    August 2002: Possession of a controlled substance. (Health & Saf. Code,
    § 11359, subd. (a).) For some reason, this was not treated as a probation violation.
    Defendant was placed on probation for three years.
    November 2002: Two counts of second degree burglary and battery (Pen. Code,
    § 242). According to defendant, he shoplifted from a Wal-Mart so he could pay a debt he
    owed to drug dealers. When he left the store, he got into a “struggle” with a Wal-Mart
    loss prevention employee; the employee sustained minor cuts. The commission of these
    offenses constituted a violation of defendant’s probation. Defendant was sentenced to
    two years eight months in prison.
    April 2003: Second degree robbery. According to defendant, he shoplifted from a
    Kmart; in the parking lot, a loss prevention employee confronted him, and defendant
    threatened the employee with a screwdriver. Defendant was sentenced to three years in
    prison. In September 2005, he was released on parole, but he was arrested in December
    28
    2007 on a parole violation and returned to prison. In June 2008, he was released on
    parole again; this time, he evidently completed parole successfully.
    Defendant claimed that, since his release from prison in 2005, he had become “a
    productive and beneficial member of society.” However, he had been unemployed for
    nearly two years when the accident occurred. He also claimed that, up until his arrest, he
    was in a medical assistant vocational training program, in which he had a 3.5 GPA. His
    transcript, however, showed that he had withdrawn from the program before the accident.
    B.     Additional Procedural Background.
    Defendant filed a written Romero motion. He argued that the strike priors were
    remote and the underlying facts were not egregious; the current offense did not involve
    intentional violence; he was “beyond remorseful”; and he had good prospects for the
    future. The motion included letters of support from his friends and family members. His
    mother and stepfather spoke in his support at the hearing.
    The trial court denied the motion. It explained, “[H]e doesn’t accept responsibility
    for anything that he’s done.” It also noted that defendant had not “led a clean life” since
    the last strike; he had violated his parole. It concluded: “The Three Strikes law was
    written for cases like this where somebody gets a strike, they get another strike, and they
    don’t stay clean.”
    C.     Analysis.
    In Romero, the Supreme Court held that a trial court has discretion to dismiss a
    three-strikes prior felony conviction allegation under Penal Code section 1385. (People v.
    29
    Superior Court (Romero) (1996) 
    13 Cal.4th 497
    , 529-530.) The focus of the analysis
    must be on “‘whether, in light of the nature and circumstances of his present felonies and
    prior serious and/or violent felony convictions, and the particulars of his background,
    character, and prospects, the defendant may be deemed outside the scheme’s spirit, in
    whole or in part, and hence should be treated as though he had not previously been
    convicted of one or more serious and/or violent felonies.’ [Citation.]” (People v.
    Carmony (2004) 
    33 Cal.4th 367
    , 377.)
    “Because the circumstances must be ‘extraordinary . . . by which a career criminal
    can be deemed to fall outside the spirit of the very scheme within which he squarely falls
    once he commits a strike as part of a long and continuous criminal record, the
    continuation of which the law was meant to attack’ [citation], the circumstances where no
    reasonable people could disagree that the criminal falls outside the spirit of the three
    strikes scheme must be even more extraordinary.” (People v. Carmony, 
    supra,
     33 Cal.4th
    at p. 378.)
    “[A] trial court’s refusal or failure to dismiss or strike a prior conviction allegation
    under section 1385 is subject to review for abuse of discretion.” (People v. Carmony,
    
    supra,
     33 Cal.4th at p. 375.)
    We are at a loss to perceive any extraordinary circumstances in this case.
    Defendant is precisely the kind of revolving-door recidivist that the three strikes law was
    designed for. Substance abuse was clearly a major factor in causing him to commit both
    violent theft crimes (i.e., strikes) and drunk driving crimes, including the current offense.
    30
    Defendant argues that his current offense did not involve intentional violence.
    However, the electorate has deliberately extended the reach of the three strikes law to
    include crimes of negligent as well as intentional violence.
    Defendant also argues that his conduct in connection with the strikes was “not as
    serious as many robbery offenses . . . .” Actually, his first strike — the gang-related
    armed robbery of a minimart — was quite serious; while defendant was only the getaway
    driver, his conviction means that he intended to facilitate and did facilitate the robbery.
    His second strike, while less serious, did not stand alone. Defendant was inferably
    stealing repeatedly to support his drug habit. He had previously committed an almost
    identical crime that could have been charged as a robbery, but was charged as a burglary-
    plus-battery instead. This recidivist behavior places defendant squarely within the spirit
    of the three strikes law.
    Defendant claims that, after his first strike, he moved out of the area “to get away
    from bad influences.” There is no evidence of this. Defendant told the probation officer
    that he was forced to move (“kicked out of the county”), possibly because he was viewed
    as a snitch. In any event, those “bad influences” were evidently not to blame for
    defendant’s criminal conduct, as he continued it on his own.
    Defendant argues that he had no convictions since his parole in September 2005.
    He did have an unspecified parole violation, however, which caused him to be rearrested
    in December 2007. He was released from prison again in June 2008, and he committed
    the current offenses in August 2009. This is hardly a significant crime-free period.
    31
    Next defendant argues that he had “good prospects.” Not so. He had been
    unemployed for nearly two years (although, admittedly, that period included seven
    months in prison). He places great stress, as he did below, on the fact that he had good
    grades in a medical assistant training program. However, as the trial court
    perspicaciously noted, he had already dropped out of the program before the accident
    occurred. While defendant enjoyed the support of his family, it evidently had not helped
    him to avoid a life of crime.
    We therefore conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying
    defendant’s Romero motion. Indeed, we believe that it would have been an abuse of
    discretion to grant the motion.
    VI
    CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT
    Defendant contends that his sentence of 41 years to life5 constitutes cruel and
    unusual punishment.
    Defendant forfeited this contention by failing to raise it below. (People v. Kelley
    (1997) 
    52 Cal.App.4th 568
    , 583; People v. DeJesus (1995) 
    38 Cal.App.4th 1
    , 27; People
    v. Ross (1994) 
    28 Cal.App.4th 1151
    , 1157, fn. 8.) He does not assert ineffective
    5      Even though three Vehicle Code section 23558 enhancements were found
    true on each count, at sentencing, defense counsel told the trial court that there were only
    two. The prosecutor concurred. Thus, the trial court imposed only two.
    We point this out so the trial court can correct the error in any resentencing.
    32
    assistance of counsel, so we have no occasion to address the issue under that rubric.
    Separately and alternatively, however, we also reject this contention on the merits.
    A.     Analysis Under the Federal Constitution.
    In Ewing v. California (2003) 
    538 U.S. 11
     [
    123 S.Ct. 1179
    , 
    155 L.Ed.2d 108
    ], the
    plurality opinion, signed by three justices, upheld a three-strikes sentence of 25 years to
    life for grand theft. It explained: “When the California Legislature enacted the three
    strikes law, it made a judgment that protecting the public safety requires incapacitating
    criminals who have already been convicted of at least one serious or violent crime.
    Nothing in the Eighth Amendment prohibits California from making that choice.” (Id. at
    p. 25 [plur. opn. of O’Connor, J.].) With respect to the particular defendant, it noted: “In
    weighing the gravity of Ewing’s offense, we must place on the scales not only his current
    felony, but also his long history of felony recidivism.” (Id. at p. 29.) It concluded:
    “Ewing’s sentence is justified by the State’s public-safety interest in incapacitating and
    deterring recidivist felons, and amply supported by his own long, serious criminal
    record.” (Id. at pp. 29-30, fn. omitted.)
    Justices Scalia and Thomas, concurring in the judgment, believed that the cruel
    and unusual punishment clause simply does not guarantee proportionality. (Ewing v.
    California, 
    supra,
     538 U.S. at pp. 31 [conc. opn. of Scalia, J.], 32 [conc. opn. of Thomas,
    J.].) Thus, a clear majority of the United States Supreme Court would uphold a three-
    strikes sentence in all but an “‘exceedingly rare’” case. (Id. at p. 21; see also Lockyer v.
    Andrade (2003) 
    538 U.S. 63
    , 73-76 [
    123 S.Ct. 1166
    , 
    155 L.Ed.2d 144
    ].)
    33
    This is not even close to being such a case.
    Defendant argues again (see part V.C, ante) that his current offense did not involve
    intentional violence. Nevertheless, unlike the grand theft in Ewing, it was a new serious
    and violent felony. Thus, defendant deserves a potential life sentence even more than
    Mr. Ewing did.
    Recently, in In re Coley (2012) 
    55 Cal.4th 524
    , the California Supreme Court held
    that a third-strike sentence of 25 years to life in prison for the nonserious, nonviolent
    offense of failing to update one’s sex offender registration did not violate the federal
    cruel and unusual punishment clause. (Id. at p. 562.) It noted that “petitioner deliberately
    failed to register as a sex offender even though he knew he had an obligation to do so
    . . . .” (Id. at p. 561.) This “demonstrated that, notwithstanding the significant
    punishment that he had incurred as a result of his prior serious and violent felony
    convictions, petitioner was still intentionally unwilling to comply with important legal
    requirements prescribed by the state’s criminal laws.” (Id. at pp. 561-562.)
    Here, again, defendant’s triggering offense is, in itself, a serious and violent
    felony. Moreover, defendant deliberately drove while drunk, even though he knew that
    he had an obligation not to do so. Thus, much as in Coley, his current offense
    demonstrated that, despite incurring significant punishment for his prior serious and
    violent felonies, defendant was still intentionally unwilling to comply with important
    legal requirements prescribed by the state’s criminal laws.
    34
    In a related argument, defendant asserts that, if only he had engaged in all of the
    same intentional acts but had not caused any great bodily injury, he would not have been
    subject to a three strikes sentence. Yes, and if our grandmother had wheels, she’d be a
    streetcar. The fact is that defendant did cause great bodily injury; the Legislature can
    constitutionally impose greater punishment based on this factor. Defendant’s position —
    reduced to its essence — is that it is cruel and unusual punishment to impose an increased
    sentence based on any aspect of the crime that was not intended by the perpetrator. That
    is not the law. (See, e.g., People v. Thongvilay (1998) 
    62 Cal.App.4th 71
    , 88-89
    [sentence of 25 years to life for unintentional felony murder is not cruel and unusual
    punishment] [Fourth Dist., Div. Two].)
    Defendant also argues that his prior robberies were relatively nonserious, as
    robberies go. As already noted (see part V.C, ante), we disagree. In any event, because
    robberies of any kind are serious and violent felonies, it does not violate the federal
    constitution — in the absence of some exceedingly rare mitigating circumstances, and
    there are none here — to subject defendant to punishment as a recidivist.
    B.     Analysis Under the State Constitution.
    Under the state constitutional standard, “‘[t]o determine whether a sentence is
    cruel or unusual as applied to a particular defendant, a reviewing court must examine the
    circumstances of the offense, including its motive, the extent of the defendant’s
    involvement in the crime, the manner in which the crime was committed, and the
    consequences of the defendant’s acts. The court must also consider the personal
    35
    characteristics of the defendant, including age, prior criminality, and mental capabilities.
    [Citation.]’ [Citation.] . . . ‘If the court concludes that the penalty imposed is “grossly
    disproportionate to the defendant’s individual culpability” [citation], or, stated another
    way, that the punishment “‘“shocks the conscience and offends fundamental notions of
    human dignity”’” [citation], the court must invalidate the sentence as unconstitutional.’
    [Citation.]” (People v. Jennings (2010) 
    50 Cal.4th 616
    , 686.)
    In re Lynch (1972) 
    8 Cal.3d 410
     indicated that a court may also “compare the
    challenged penalty with the punishments prescribed in the same jurisdiction for different
    offenses which, by the same test, must be deemed more serious” (id. at p. 426), and
    “compar[e] . . . the challenged penalty with the punishments prescribed for the same
    offense in other jurisdictions having an identical or similar constitutional provision” (id.
    at p. 427). Subsequently, however, our high court held that, as long as punishment is
    proportionate to the defendant’s individual culpability (“intracase proportionality”), there
    is no requirement that it be proportionate to the punishments imposed in other similar
    cases (“intercase proportionality”). (E.g., People v. McDowell (2012) 
    54 Cal.4th 395
    ,
    444.) Accordingly, the determination of whether punishment is cruel and unusual may be
    based solely on the offense and the offender. (People v. Ayon (1996) 
    46 Cal.App.4th 385
    ,
    399, disapproved on other grounds in People v. Deloza (1998) 
    18 Cal.4th 585
    , 600, fn.
    10, and cases cited.)
    Here, the outstanding characteristic of both the offense and the offender is the
    recidivist commission of serious and violent felonies. Defendant has manifested a
    36
    persistent inability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law. Based on such
    recidivism, a term of 25 years to life for each current offense “is not constitutionally
    proscribed.” (People v. Stone (1999) 
    75 Cal.App.4th 707
    , 715.)
    VII
    DISPOSITION
    The judgment with respect to the conviction is affirmed, and the judgment with
    respect to the sentence is reversed, subject to the following conditions. On remand, the
    trial court must reconsider defendant’s motion for disclosure of jurors’ identifying
    information, and it must grant that motion, unless it finds that the evidence that otherwise
    supports the motion is not credible. If the trial court grants the motion, it must allow
    defendant a reasonable time to file a motion for new trial. If (1) the trial court denies the
    motion for disclosure of jurors’ identifying information, (2) the trial court grants the
    motion for disclosure of jurors’ identifying information, but defendant fails to file a
    timely motion for new trial, or (3) defendant files a timely motion for new trial, but the
    trial court denies the motion for new trial, the trial court must resentence defendant. If,
    however, a motion for new trial is filed and granted, the matter shall proceed accordingly.
    CERTIFIED FOR PARTIAL PUBLICATION
    RICHLI
    J.
    We concur:
    RAMIREZ
    P. J.
    McKINSTER
    J.
    37