People v. Archie CA4/1

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Archie shot the victim, Cicero Mayfield, six times at close range in the roadway in front of a mutual friend’s home. Mayfield was taken to the hospital but died two days later. Archie is a black male, and the victim, Mayfield, was also a black male. Both men were in their 50’s in January 2020, when the shooting occurred. The People charged Archie with one count of murder, and alleged that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, causing great bodily injury and death. In addition, the People charged Archie with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Archie pled not guilty. At trial, defense counsel did not deny that Archie shot Mayfield. Rather, he asserted that the People had not met their burden to prove murder, and that there was at least an inference that Archie shot Mayfield in self-defense. The jury found Archie guilty of the lesser included offense of voluntary manslaughter and found true the allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury. They also

Further unspecified statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure.

The San…