People v. Williams CA1/1

INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted defendant Randee Williams of possession of a firearm by a felon. (Pen. Code, § 29800, subd. (a)(1).)1 The principal witness against defendant was his next- door neighbor. Defendant contends the trial court committed reversible error by excluding defense evidence offered to impeach the neighbor’s testimony by suggesting the shots he heard could have come from somewhere other than defendant’s backyard. We affirm.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Defendant was charged by information in Solano County with murder (count 1) and possession of a firearm by a felon on November 25, 2012 (count 2); and possession of a firearm by a felon between August 1 and September 30, 2012 (count 3). (§§ 187, subd. (a), 29800, subd. (a)(1).) The information also alleged a firearm use allegation, a

1 All further unspecified statutory references are to the Penal Code. prior serious felony conviction, a prior strike conviction and a prior prison term. (§§ 12022.5, subd. (a)(1), 12022.53, subds. (b)-(d), 667, subds. (a)(1), (b)-(i)/1170.12, subds. (a)-(d), 667.5, subd. (b).) A jury acquitted defendant of counts 1 and 2 and convicted him of count 3. Defendant admitted the prior…