People v. Fields CA2/1

BACKGROUND

On May 2, 2021, Fields shot Lionel Jones, W.B. and T.G. in Westchester Park in Los Angeles. Jones was killed. The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged Fields by information with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of attempted murder. During plea negotiations, the People contemplated offering a second degree murder conviction with a sentence of 15 years to life. Fields stated he would refuse such an offer on the ground that his brother, who was also involved in the shooting, had been allowed to plead to manslaughter and receive a determinate sentence. The People explained that their offer to Fields would be different because he was the actual shooter. Over the course of three consecutive days beginning May 22, 2023, Fields, defense counsel, and the court discussed a potential plea, the court advising Fields he would be sentenced to 25 years to life if convicted of first degree murder. The court advised Fields at length that if facts alleged in the information were proven to the jury, the prosecution would have a “very strong first degree murder” case. The court stated that “maybe something different will come out at the trial,” but unless Fields…