People v. Lopez CA2/8 ( 2023 )


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  • Filed 10/30/23 P. v. Lopez CA2/8
    NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
    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 This opinion has not been
    certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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
    SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
    DIVISION EIGHT
    THE PEOPLE,                                                 B320713
    Plaintiff and Respondent,                           Los Angeles County
    Super. Ct. No. BA400013-02
    v.
    ORDER MODIFYING
    EDGAR A. LOPEZ,                                             OPINION AND DENYING
    REHEARING
    Defendant and Appellant.
    [NO CHANGE IN JUDGMENT]
    THE COURT:
    It is ordered that the opinion filed herein on October 2, 2023, be
    modified as follows:
    1.       On pages 11 and 12, the final two paragraphs of the Discussion
    are deleted and replaced with the following paragraph: “Remand
    for a new sentencing hearing is required. (People v. Rocha (2019)
    
    32 Cal.App.5th 352
    , 360 [“remand is necessary to ensure
    proceedings that are just under the circumstances, namely, a
    hearing at which both the People and defendant may be present
    and advocate for their positions”].) The trial court should not
    have sentenced Lopez in absentia as it knew it was denying him
    his federal and state constitutional right to be personally present
    at resentencing. The court acknowledged Lopez “should have
    been here because it’s a resentencing,” but justified its actions by
    stating it was “following what they [the Court of Appeal]
    dictated.” This court did not dictate that the trial court conduct a
    resentencing hearing in absentia or without exercising its
    sentencing discretion. The trial court’s inexplicable failure to
    correct the error it knew it was making necessitated this
    avoidable second remand for resentencing.”
    2.    On page 12, the first sentence of the Disposition is modified to
    add “for resentencing” after the word “remanded.”
    3.    On page 12, the second and third sentences of the Disposition are
    deleted in their entirety.
    There is no change in the judgment.
    Appellant’s petition for rehearing is denied.
    _______________________________________________________________________
    STRATTON, P. J.                 GRIMES, J.                   WILEY, J.
    2
    Filed 10/2/23 P. v. Lopez CA2/8 (unmodified opinion)
    NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS
    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
    SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
    DIVISION EIGHT
    THE PEOPLE,                                                  B320713
    Plaintiff and Respondent,                           Los Angeles County
    Super. Ct. No. BA400013-02
    v.
    EDGAR A. LOPEZ,
    Defendant and Appellant.
    APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of
    Los Angeles County, George G. Lomeli, Judge. Sentence vacated;
    remanded for resentencing with direction.
    Brad Kaiserman, under appointment by the Court of
    Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.
    Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief
    Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Assistant
    Attorney General, Kenneth C. Byrne and Blake Armstrong,
    Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.
    _______________________
    Edgar Lopez was convicted of the first degree murders of
    Steven Robinson, Aric Lexing, and Scott Grant (Pen. Code,
    § 187)1 and the sale of methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code,
    § 11379, subd. (a)), with associated enhancements and special
    circumstances found true. In Lopez’s first appeal, we affirmed
    the convictions but vacated the gang-related special circumstance
    and enhancement findings and remanded for further proceedings.
    (People v. Lopez (2021) 
    73 Cal.App.5th 327
     (Lopez). The trial
    court resentenced Lopez in absentia without a waiver of his
    presence and re-imposed the original sentence except for the
    gang-related special circumstances and enhancements. Lopez
    appeals. We reject his argument that section 1109 requires that
    he be granted a new trial, but we vacate the sentence and
    remand for a resentencing hearing at which Lopez is present
    unless he properly waives his presence.
    FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
    Lopez was convicted of the first degree murders of
    Robinson, Lexing, and Grant, and the sale of methamphetamine.2
    (Lopez, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at p. 332.) The jury found Lopez
    intentionally committed each murder while he was an active
    participant in a criminal street gang and the murder was
    committed to further the activities of the gang (§ 190.2,
    subd. (a)(22)). The jury also found Lopez was convicted of
    multiple murders (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(3)). (Lopez, at pp. 331–332.)
    For all three murders, the jury found true the special allegation
    1     Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.
    2     We grant Lopez’s request for judicial notice of the record
    from his prior appeal, case No. B301050.
    2
    that a principal personally and intentionally discharged a
    firearm, causing the victim great bodily injury or death
    (§ 12022.53, subds. (d) & (e)(1)); in the Lexing and Grant
    murders, the jury also found true allegations that Lopez
    personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, which caused
    Lexing and Grant great bodily injury or death (§ 12022.53,
    subd. (d)). (Lopez, at p. 332.) The jury found all four offenses
    were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang
    (§ 186.22, subds. (b)(1)(A) & (b)(1)(C)). (Lopez, at p. 332.)
    The prosecution sought the death penalty, but the jury
    selected a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of
    parole. (Lopez, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at p. 332.) For each of the
    three murders, Lopez was sentenced to life in prison without the
    possibility of parole, plus a sentence of 25 years to life for the
    firearms enhancement in section 12022.53, subdivision (d).
    (Lopez, at p. 332.) Additionally, the court imposed the mid-term
    of three years for the drug offense, plus three years for the gang
    enhancement. (Ibid.) The court designated the sentences to run
    consecutively. (Ibid.)
    Lopez appealed. In Lopez, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at
    page 348, we affirmed his convictions but vacated the gang
    enhancements under section 186.22, the special circumstance
    findings under section 190.2, subdivision (a)(22), and the gang-
    related firearms enhancements under section 12022.53,
    subdivision (e), all because of changes in the law made by
    Assembly Bill No. 333 (2021–2022 Reg. Sess.) (Stats. 2021,
    ch. 699, §§ 1–4.) We remanded the matter to give the People the
    opportunity to prove the applicability of the enhancements and
    special circumstances under amended section 186.22. (Lopez, at
    pp. 346, 348.)
    3
    On May 11, 2022, the trial court conducted a resentencing
    hearing. Lopez’s counsel requested the hearing be continued for
    two reasons. First, counsel wanted to explore with the People a
    recommended sentence of life with the possibility of parole rather
    than life without the possibility of parole. The court rejected this
    argument, stating that even if the People recommended the
    possibility of parole, it would not follow that recommendation
    based on the evidence at trial.
    Second, Lopez’s counsel sought a continuance to ascertain
    whether Lopez wished to be present or to waive his presence at
    the resentencing hearing. The court refused to continue the
    hearing, stating that in its view, the Court of Appeal had
    “basically modified” Lopez’s sentence to comply with Assembly
    Bill No. 333, and its job was merely to “resentence the defendant
    in accordance with their modifications.”
    The court did not ask the prosecution whether it wished to
    retry the gang enhancements under section 186.22, the special
    circumstances under section 190.2, subdivision (a)(22), and the
    gang-related firearms enhancements under section 12022.53,
    subdivision (e). It imposed a sentence identical to the original
    sentence except for the omission of the vacated enhancements
    and findings: Lopez was sentenced to a consecutive term of life
    imprisonment without the possibility of parole for each murder,
    plus two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life on the Lexing
    and Grant murders pursuant to section 12022.53, subdivision (d),
    and a consecutive midterm sentence of three years for the
    methamphetamine conviction.
    After imposing sentence, the court said, “Technically, I
    think he should have been here because it’s a resentencing, but I
    4
    was following what they [the Court of Appeal] dictated.” Lopez
    appeals.
    DISCUSSION
    I.    Section 1109
    Lopez argues he is entitled to a new trial based on the
    retroactive application of section 1109, which provides, inter alia,
    that gang enhancements under section 186.22, subdivisions (b)
    and (d) must be bifurcated from the trial on substantive offenses
    upon defense request. He contends gang-related special
    circumstance allegations are also subject to bifurcation pursuant
    to that statute, and he claims the evidence relating to gangs
    would not otherwise have been admissible at trial. Lopez argues
    the failure to bifurcate the gang-related allegations against him
    constituted structural error, or, in the alternative, was prejudicial
    under either the Chapman or Watson standard. (Chapman v
    California (1967) 
    386 U.S. 18
     (Chapman); People v. Watson
    (1956) 
    46 Cal.2d 818
     (Watson).)
    We recognize the split of appellate opinion on the question
    of section 1109’s retroactivity. The Supreme Court has granted
    review to resolve the issue. (People v. Burgos (2022)
    
    77 Cal.App.5th 550
    , review granted July 13, 2022, S274743
    [§ 1109 applies retroactively]; People v. Perez (2022)
    
    78 Cal.App.5th 192
    , review granted Aug. 17, 2022, S275090
    [§ 1109 does not apply retroactively]; People v. Ramirez (2022)
    
    79 Cal.App.5th 48
    , review granted Oct. 12, 2022, S275341 [same];
    People v. Boukes (2022) 
    83 Cal.App.5th 937
    , review granted Dec.
    14, 2022, S277103 [same]).)
    Even if section 1109 were considered to operate
    retroactively, reversal would not be required here. Our Supreme
    5
    Court has rejected the contention that failure to bifurcate
    constitutes structural error, and it has concluded the Watson
    standard for state-law error applies when examining whether the
    failure to bifurcate was prejudicial with respect to an appellant’s
    guilty verdicts. (People v. Tran (2022) 
    13 Cal.5th 1169
    , 1208–
    1209.)
    Applying the Watson standard, any error in failing to
    bifurcate was not prejudicial because even if the gang
    enhancement allegations had been bifurcated, the gang evidence
    would have been admissible at trial to prove the special
    circumstance alleged against Lopez pursuant to section 190.2,
    subdivision (a)(22), which makes first degree murder punishable
    by death or life without the possibility of parole if “[t]he
    defendant intentionally killed the victim while the defendant was
    an active participant in a criminal street gang, as defined in
    subdivision (f) of Section 186.22, and the murder was carried out
    to further the activities of the criminal street gang.” (§ 190.2,
    subd. (a)(22).) As section 1109 makes no reference to section
    190.22, subdivision (a)(22), it does not apply to the determination
    of special circumstance allegations under section 190.2(a)(22).
    (People v. Montano (2022) 
    80 Cal.App.5th 82
    , 114.) Because the
    gang evidence would have still come in at trial due to the section
    190.2, subdivision (a)(22) special circumstance allegation, Lopez
    was not prejudiced by the failure to bifurcate. (See People v.
    Hernandez (2004) 
    33 Cal.4th 1040
    , 1049–1050 [“To the extent the
    evidence supporting the gang enhancement would be admissible
    at a trial of guilt, any inference of prejudice would be dispelled”];
    People v. Osband (1996) 
    13 Cal.4th 622
    , 667 [if evidence is cross-
    admissible, prejudice is dispelled].)
    6
    Contending Montano was incorrectly decided, Lopez
    proposes we consider section 1109 ambiguous because it does not
    mention the gang-related special circumstance, then judicially
    rewrite the statute to expand it to gang-related special
    circumstance allegations. We may not do so. There is nothing
    ambiguous about section 1109; it simply does not provide for
    bifurcation with respect to gang-related special circumstances.
    “When construing a statute, our job is ‘simply to ascertain and
    declare what is in terms or in substance contained therein, not to
    insert what has been omitted, or to omit what has been
    inserted.’ ” (People v. Bell (2015) 
    241 Cal.App.4th 315
    , 321.)
    Lopez cannot establish prejudice here.
    II.   Resentencing in Absentia
    Lopez correctly contends, and the Attorney General does
    not dispute, that the trial court erred in proceeding with the
    resentencing hearing in Lopez’s absence without a waiver of his
    presence. (See People v. Nieves (2021) 
    11 Cal.5th 404
    , 508
    [recognizing a criminal defendant’s “ ‘constitutional and statutory
    right to be present at [a] sentence modification hearing and
    imposition of sentence’ ”]; People v. Doolin (2009) 
    45 Cal.4th 390
    ,
    453 [a defendant has a federal constitutional right to be present
    at “all critical stages” of a criminal prosecution; sentencing is a
    critical stage]; People v. Rodriguez (1998) 
    17 Cal.4th 253
    , 260
    (Rodriguez) [resentencing is critical stage when court has
    discretion to reconsider sentence on remand]; People v. Cutting
    (2019) 
    42 Cal.App.5th 344
    , 348 (Cutting) [same]; People v.
    Guerrero (2022) 
    76 Cal.App.5th 329
    , 336 (Guerrero) [same];
    People v. Simms (2018) 
    23 Cal.App.5th 987
    , 996 (Simms)
    [defendant’s right to be personally present “extends to sentencing
    and resentencing proceedings”]; see generally People v. Davis
    7
    (2005) 
    36 Cal.4th 510
    , 531 [a defendant may waive his or her
    right to be present for a critical stage such as sentencing provided
    the waiver is knowing, intelligent and voluntary].)
    Because the trial court’s error resulted in a violation of
    Lopez’s federal constitutional right to be present at a critical
    stage of the proceedings, we review the error under Chapman, ,
    to determine if it was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
    (People v. Mendoza (2016) 
    62 Cal.4th 856
    , 902 [“ ‘Under the
    federal Constitution, error pertaining to a defendant’s presence is
    evaluated under the harmless-beyond-a-reasonable-doubt
    standard set forth in Chapman’ ”].) “Under that standard, the
    error ‘may be deemed harmless only if we can conclude beyond a
    reasonable doubt that the deprivation did not affect the outcome
    of the proceeding.’ ” (Cutting, supra, 42 Cal.App.5th at p. 348.)
    The Attorney General argues the error was harmless
    beyond a reasonable doubt because the court “followed the
    appellate opinion and vacated the gang enhancement and special
    allegation affected by [Assembly Bill No.] 333, and otherwise
    sentenced appellant to the same sentence that he received after
    trial and was present in court.” It is true the trial court followed
    our prior opinion insofar as it vacated the portions of the sentence
    we instructed it to vacate. (Lopez, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at
    pp. 346, 348.) However, the court failed to afford the People the
    opportunity to retry the enhancements and special circumstances
    in accordance with the changes in the law, as we expressly
    instructed it to do. (Id. at p. 346.) Additionally, the trial court
    failed to appreciate the scope of its authority on remand. The
    California Supreme Court has “held that when part of a sentence
    is stricken on review, on remand for resentencing ‘a full
    resentencing as to all counts is appropriate, so the trial court can
    8
    exercise its sentencing discretion in light of the changed
    circumstances.’ ” (People v. Buycks (2018) 
    5 Cal.5th 857
    , 893.)
    Accordingly, at resentencing, the trial court had jurisdiction to
    modify every aspect of the sentence, not just to vacate the
    enhancements and the special circumstances; and in
    resentencing Lopez, the court could consider “ ‘any pertinent
    circumstances which have arisen since the prior sentence was
    imposed’ ” in exercising its discretion. (Ibid.)
    Given that the court had full authority to resentence Lopez,
    it is obvious that the court’s reimposition of the same sentence
    except for the vacated enhancements and special circumstances is
    not sufficient to establish that the error in resentencing Lopez in
    his absence was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. As the
    court explained in Cutting, “Here, Cutting may have offered
    mitigating factors that arose after his original sentencing; he may
    have expressed remorse; he may have made a plea for leniency.
    [Citation.] While the trial court may or may not have chosen to
    believe what Cutting might have said, if he said anything, we
    cannot conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that his presence at
    the hearing would not have affected the outcome. (See Simms,
    supra, 23 Cal.App.5th at p. 998; see also Rodriguez, 
    supra,
    17 Cal.4th at p. 258 [‘[t]he evidence and arguments that might be
    presented on remand cannot justly be considered “superfluous,”
    because defendant and his counsel have never enjoyed a full and
    fair opportunity to marshal and present the case supporting a
    favorable exercise of discretion’].)” (Cutting, supra,
    42 Cal.App.5th at p. 350.)
    Here, while Lopez’s murder sentences were fixed at life
    without the possibility of parole by section 190.2,
    subdivision (a)(3), the trial court retained the discretion to elect
    9
    whether to strike the firearm enhancements pursuant to section
    12022.53, subdivision (h), or to impose a lesser firearm
    enhancement. (People v. Tirado (2022) 
    12 Cal.5th 688
    , 692.) It
    had the discretion to impose a lower term sentence on the
    determinate count, and to elect whether to impose concurrent or
    consecutive sentences. Had Lopez been present and had the
    court conducted a full resentencing hearing, Lopez may have
    been able to present mitigating factors or other information to
    the court. But because the court resentenced Lopez without
    giving his counsel the opportunity to consult with him, counsel
    could not present, and indeed was entirely unaware of, any
    mitigating factors that may have arisen in the years that had
    passed since the original sentencing. Accordingly here, as in
    Cutting, we cannot conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that
    Lopez’s presence at the hearing would not have affected the
    outcome.
    The Attorney General argues sentencing Lopez in his
    absence without a valid waiver was harmless beyond a
    reasonable doubt. This is so, the Attorney General contends,
    because the court’s statement that it would not follow a
    recommendation of life with the possibility of parole “shows that
    it was not inclined to alter its sentence beyond what the appellate
    opinion instructed,” The Attorney General made a similar
    argument in Guerrero, contending that sentencing a defendant in
    absentia was harmless error because the court’s comments
    indicated it would not have imposed a lesser sentence had the
    defendant been present, nor would it have found youth-related
    mitigating factors persuasive if had it considered them.
    (Guerrero, supra, 76 Cal.App.5th at pp. 337–338.) The Court of
    Appeal in Guerrero found this argument “troubling,” because a
    10
    court’s statement that it was not inclined to consider a sentence
    other than that originally imposed, when made without
    evaluating the factors to be considered at sentencing, “hardly
    means we can conclude a court properly exercising its well-
    informed sentencing discretion, rather than adamantly adhering
    to its initial determination, might not reach a different
    conclusion. [A defendant] is entitled to no less than a thoughtful,
    well-considered decision.” (Ibid.)
    Remand for a new sentencing hearing is required. (People
    v. Rocha (2019) 
    32 Cal.App.5th 352
    , 360 [“remand is necessary to
    ensure proceedings that are just under the circumstances,
    namely, a hearing at which both the People and defendant may
    be present and advocate for their positions”].) On remand, the
    trial court shall afford the People the opportunity to elect
    whether to retry the gang allegations and special circumstance
    allegations under the amended requirements of section 186.22.
    (Lopez, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at p. 346; People v. Eagle (2016)
    
    246 Cal.App.4th 275
    , 280 [when a statutory amendment adds an
    additional element to an offense, the prosecution must be
    afforded the opportunity to establish the additional element upon
    remand].) If the People elect not to retry Lopez on these
    allegations, or at the conclusion of any retrial, the trial court is
    directed to resentence Lopez, exercising its full sentencing
    discretion and conducting the hearing in Lopez’s presence unless
    Lopez validly waives his constitutional right to be present.
    The trial court should not have sentenced Lopez in absentia
    as it knew it was denying him his federal and state constitutional
    right to be personally present at resentencing. The court
    acknowledged Lopez “should have been here because it’s a
    resentencing,” but justified its actions by stating it was “following
    11
    what they [the Court of Appeal] dictated.” This court did not
    dictate that the trial court conduct a resentencing hearing in
    absentia, without following the instructions of this court, or
    without exercising its sentencing discretion. The trial court’s
    inexplicable failure to correct the error it knew it was making
    necessitated this avoidable second remand for resentencing.
    DISPOSITION
    The sentence is vacated and the matter remanded. On
    remand, the trial court shall afford the People the opportunity to
    elect whether to retry the gang enhancement allegations under
    section 186.22, the special circumstances allegations under
    section 190.2, subdivision (a)(22), and the gang-related firearm
    enhancement allegations under section 12022.53, subdivision (e).
    If the People elect not to retry Lopez on these allegations, or at
    the conclusion of any retrial, the trial court is directed to
    resentence Lopez, exercising its full sentencing discretion and
    conducting the hearing in Lopez’s presence unless Lopez validly
    waives his right to be present.
    NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS
    STRATTON, P. J.
    We concur:
    GRIMES, J.                   WILEY, J.
    12
    

Document Info

Docket Number: B320713M

Filed Date: 10/30/2023

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 10/30/2023