Coker

Chester Allen Coker (defendant) appeals after a jury convicted him, inter alia, of two counts of robbery and found true firearm use enhancements. Sentenced to prison for a lengthy term, defendant argues the court erred in admitting an incriminating letter he wrote and by imposing an unauthorized sentence. Since these contentions lack merit, we shall affirm the judgment. In the published portion of the opinion, we discuss why the trial court lawfully sentenced defendant.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The crimes arose from a plan devised by defendant and Ruben Puga to rob a drug dealer with the hope he would not report the crime to law enforcement. Puga induced the drug dealer—Eric Rodriguez—to go to a residence on Eldridge Avenue in Sacramento with the promise of a set of Dayton tire rims at a low price. Rodriguez was enticed. He and his girlfriend, Alicia McPeters, arrived at the residence around 11:00 p.m. on August 27, 2000. Puga met them at the door and invited Rodriguez to a back room. While en route, defendant—who was wearing latex gloves—appeared out of nowhere and struck Rodriguez on the face with a handgun. Defendant and Puga took $1,300 in cash from…