People v. Strong CA1/3

Filed 4/29/22 P. v. Strong CA1/

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent,

A160880

v. JOVAN STRONG, (Solano County Super. Ct. No. VCR208712) Defendant and Appellant.

In 2015, appellant Jovan Strong was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first degree murder (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a))1 for his involvement in the robbery of a convenience store during which his cousin, Diovanni Whitmire, shot and killed the store clerk. In 2018, the Legislature enacted Senate Bill No. 1437 (2017–2018 Reg. Sess.) (Senate Bill 1437), which amended the felony murder rule “to ensure that murder liability is not imposed on a person who is not the actual killer, did not act with the…