People v. Thornton CA4/2

I. INTRODUCTION

In March 2021, multiple law enforcement vehicles engaged in the pursuit of a

vehicle being driven by defendant and appellant Shaun Layjewel Thornton. Defendant’s

vehicle eventually crashed, causing injury to Jane Doe, a passenger in the vehicle.

As a result of this incident, a jury convicted defendant of multiple offenses,

including one count of evading a police officer while operating a motor vehicle causing

serious bodily injury (count 2; Veh. Code, § 2800.3) and one count of causing serious

bodily injury while driving under the influence of a drug (count 6; Veh. Code, § 23153,

subd. (f)). The jury also found true special allegations that the commission of count

constituted a serious felony under Penal Code1 section 667 (Three Strikes Law) and the

commission of count 6 caused great bodily injury within the meaning of section 12022.7.

Defendant later admitted he had suffered two prior strike convictions and, as a result, the

trial court sentenced defendant to a term of 25 years to life in state prison on count 6 and

a concurrent term of 25 years to life in state prison on count 2. The trial court also

imposed an additional “term of four years on…