People v. Edwards CA3

BACKGROUND

In 1995, defendant pleaded guilty to 12 counts of receiving stolen property (§ 496, subd. (a)) and single counts of possession of methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code, § 11377, subd. (a)), transportation of methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code, § 11379, subd. (a)), and possession for sale of methamphetamine (Health & Saf. Code, § 11378). Defendant admitted two prior convictions for residential burglary (§ 459) in 1984 and to being personally armed with a handgun during the transportation and possession for sale offenses (§ 12022, subd. (c)). The plea was in return for a maximum sentence of 20 years. Defendant agreed that if the trial court rejected the 20-year lid, the People could amend the information to include an additional prior residential burglary conviction allegation and the court would conduct a trial on the additional strike. Defendant understood the court could then impose a sentence greater than the 20-year lid. The court rejected the 20-year lid and allowed the information to be amended to include an additional strike allegation that the court then found to be true. The court imposed a sentence of 25 years to life with a consecutive four-year term for the…