People v. Mitchell
People v. Mitchell
Opinion
*351 Joshua Mitchell appeals from the judgment entered after a jury convicted him of simple assault (count 1; Pen. Code, § 240 ) , assault with a deadly weapon (scissors; count 2; § 245, subd. (a)(1)), second degree robbery with personal use of a deadly weapon (scissors; count 3; §§ 212.5; 12022, subd. (b)(1)), battery on a peace officer (count 4; § 243, subd. (b)), and criminal threats (count 5; § 422, subd. (a)). Appellant admitted two prior prison term enhancements (§ 667.5, subd. (b)) and was sentenced to six years state prison. We conclude that the trial court erred in not staying the one-year sentence on count 2 for assault with a deadly weapon (ADW) pursuant to section 654. We reverse and remand for sentencing.
*608 Facts
On the morning of July 18, 2015, appellant entered the L.A. Smoke Shop with a wood stick. The store clerk, Marawan Abdelfattah, had problems with appellant in the past and said: "Sir, you cannot be here. The owner said you're not welcome here." Appellant brandished the stick and said "F[uck]
*352 you and the owner." Appellant hit Abdelfattah on the arm, breaking the stick. Appellant then pushed over a candy display case and ran out the store laughing.
Appellant entered a second time three minutes later as Abdelfattah was picking up the candy. He grabbed one or two candy boxes and ran out the store laughing.
Appellant re-entered the store for a third time. He was not laughing this time. He had a pair of scissors. Jabbing the scissors at Abdelfattah, appellant said, "I will fuckin' kill you." Appellant pointed the scissor blades at Abdelfattah and said "Come, come, come." Abdelfattah pushed appellant outside the store and backed up to a locked, secure area inside the store. Appellant advanced with the scissors. Abdelfattah threatened to call the police, locked himself in the secure area, and pretended to call 911. Appellant grabbed two boxes of chips, said "That's what you get," and left. 2
Appellant re-entered the store a fourth time, took four or five sodas, and ran back outside. Abdelfattah called 911 and reported that "someone tried to hit me with the scissors and ... and just [stole] a bunch of stuff from the store."
Appellant was arrested a few blocks away from the store. He resisted arrest, fell to the ground, and kicked and yelled, "Fuck you. I'm not going to jail." Appellant spit on an officer and bit another officer.
Section 654
Appellant contends that the trial court erred in not staying the sentence on count 2 for ADW with scissors. Selecting count 3 (robbery) as the principle term, the trial court imposed a three-year midterm sentence plus one year for use of a deadly weapon (the scissors) (§ 12022, subd. (b)(1)) and one year on the prior prison enhancement (§ 667.5, subd. (b)). On count 2 for ADW, the trial court imposed a consecutive one year sentence (one-third the midterm). The trial court stayed the sentence on count 5 (criminal threats) and imposed concurrent sentences on count 1 (simple assault, 180 days county jail) and count 4 (battery on an officer, 364 days county jail).
Section 654 prohibits multiple punishment for a single act that violates different provisions of law. (
People v. Jones
(2012)
Here the armed assault with scissors was incidental to and facilitated the
*609
armed robbery with scissors. The jury convicted appellant of robbery and found that he personally used a deadly weapon (the scissors) in the commission of the robbery. In
People v. Nunez
(2012)
The Attorney General argues that section 654 does not bar multiple punishment where the defendant commits two crimes in pursuit of two independent objectives even if they are simultaneous. (
People v. Latimer
(1993)
The Attorney General argues that appellant assaulted Abdelfattah with the scissors and then formed the intent to rob the store. But the ADW and robbery was an indivisible transaction involving the same scissors that never left appellant's hands. Appellant assaulted Abdelfattah with the scissors, grabbed two boxes of chips, and said "That's what you get." "[T]he fact that one of the crimes may have been an afterthought does not permit multiple punishment where there is an indivisible transaction. [Citation.]" (
People v. Bauer
(1969)
*354
It has long been recognized that where a defendant is convicted of robbery and other crimes incidental to the robbery such as assault, section 654 precludes punishment for both crimes. (See, e.g.,
People v. Ridley
(1965)
Relying on
People v. Cleveland
(2001)
The Attorney General's reliance upon
*610
People v. Douglas
(1995)
Section 654 allows multiple convictions arising out of a single act or indivisible course of conduct, but bars multiple punishment for those convictions. (
People v. Mesa
,
supra
, 54 Cal.4th at p. 195,
*355 Disposition
The consecutive one-year sentence on count 2 for ADW is reversed and the matter is remanded for resentencing. "When a trial court resentences a defendant after reversal on appeal, it clearly has discretion to increase or decrease elements of the sentence (although there may be limits on its ability to increase the aggregate sentence). [Citation.]" (
People v. Garcia
(1995)
We concur:
PERREN, J.
TANGEMAN, J.
All further statutory references are to the Penal Code.
Appellant only used the scissors on the third entry.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.