People v. Fields CA2/7

INTRODUCTION

A jury convicted Zelos Fields of two counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, and found true the special allegations that Fields committed the offenses for the benefit of a criminal street gang and he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm that caused great bodily injury or death. The jury also found true the special circumstance that Fields committed multiple murders. The trial court sentenced Fields to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus 130 years to life. Fields challenges his convictions and sentence on three grounds. First, he argues the trial court erred by refusing his request to sever the trials of the two murder counts from each other and from the attempted murder counts, and that this error violated his rights to a fair trial and to due process. Second, Fields argues there was insufficient evidence to support the jury’s finding that he personally discharged a firearm in one of the murder charges. Finally, Fields argues there was insufficient evidence to support the jury’s finding that he committed each of the offenses for the benefit of a criminal street gang. We conclude that joinder was…