The People v. Doscher CA3

BACKGROUND

The Offense Defendant and Amber Williams were neighbors who became friends as they smoked cigarettes and marijuana together. One evening in October 2010, Williams thought she, defendant, and defendant‟s adult daughter, Christina McAllister, were going to smoke marijuana together along the levee road. They parked near the levee, talked for a while, and then Williams got out of the car to ensure no one else was around. She left her purse in the back seat of the car. Defendant followed Williams out of the car, sprayed her in the face with pepper spray, and hit her around the head. Defendant was angry and swearing, and she accused Williams of trying to “talk” to her husband. Defendant also said she was going to steal Williams‟s belongings. McAllister was also yelling at Williams about her boyfriend. Williams did not understand their accusations.

2 Defendant and McAllister got back in the car and drove off, leaving Williams on the road. Williams‟s purse remained in the backseat of the car. Inside her purse were her cellular telephone, iPod, driver‟s license, and Xanax medication. Williams was able to flag down a passing motorist, Betty Jones, to help her. She used Jones‟s…