People v. Tuli CA4/3

Filed 8/25/25 P. v. Tuli CA4/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent, G061647

v. (Super. Ct. No. 16NF2053)

JEFFREY TULI, OPINION

Defendant and Appellant.

Appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of Orange County, Gregg L. Prickett, Judge. Affirmed. Arthur Martin and Gordon S. Brownell, under appointment by Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Charles C. Ragland, Assistant Attorney General, Arlene A.

Sevidal, Randall Einhorn and Andrew Mestman, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. * * * Jeffrey Tuli and his two codefendants, Aaron Jackson and Dejon Griffin, were charged with murder and related crimes. The case was tried before a dual jury, one for Tuli and one for Jackson and Griffin. Tuli’s jury found him guilty of first degree murder and found true the allegation he personally discharged a firearm causing death, Tuli appealed. He contends the trial court abused its discretion in denying his repeated motions for a full severance of his trial from Jackson and Griffin’s trial on the basis of conflicting defenses. As discussed below, we conclude there was no abuse of discretion, and that Tuli was not deprived of a fair trial or due process of law. Accordingly, we affirm. STATEMENT OF THE CASE I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY On October 20, 2020, the Orange County District Attorney filed an information charging Tuli with the murder of Maher Yousef. It was alleged as a special circumstance that the murder was committed during an attempted robbery, and that Tuli personally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury and death. It was further alleged he suffered a prior strike conviction under the Three Strikes law. The case against Tuli was consolidated with the case against Jackson and Griffin, who were charged with the murder and attempted robbery of Yousef in a separately filed information. The consolidated case was set for trial before two juries: one jury for Tuli, and the other for Jackson and Griffin. On February 23, 2022, Tuli moved to sever his jury trial from