In re R.L. CA6

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On May 29, 2020, 16-year-old R.L. shot two people who were engaged in a fistfight. R.L. unreasonably believed that one of the fighters (a friend) was in imminent danger of being killed and that he (R.L.) had to use deadly force to defend his friend. In doing so, R.L. killed his friend and shot the other fighter in the face. In June 2020, the Sacramento County District Attorney filed a juvenile wardship petition (§ 602, subd. (a)) alleging that R.L. committed murder (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a); count 1) and assault with a firearm (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(2); count 2). The petition further alleged, as to count 1, that R.L. personally discharged a firearm causing death (Pen. Code, § 12022.53, subd. (d)) and, as to count 2, that R.L. personally used a firearm (Pen. Code, § 12022.5, subd. (a)) and inflicted great bodily injury during the assault (Pen. Code, § 12022.7). In January 2024, the Sacramento County Juvenile Court denied the district attorney’s motion to transfer the matter to the superior court.

2 In February 2024, R.L. admitted committing voluntary manslaughter (Pen. Code, § 192, subd. (a); as reasonably related to the murder…