People v. Watson CA2/4

Filed 7/9/24 P. v. Watson CA2/4 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS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(a). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115(a).

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT DIVISION FOUR

THE PEOPLE, B328070

Plaintiff and Respondent, Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. A950372 v.

SHAYLOR WATSON,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Ronald S. Coen, Judge. Affirmed. William L. Heyman, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Noah P. Hill and Steven E. Mercer, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

A jury convicted defendant and appellant Shaylor Watson of robbery and two special circumstance murders, one of which he committed when he was 18 years old.1 On the murder Watson committed when he was 18 years old, the trial court sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) plus two years in state prison. In 2022, Watson filed a motion for proceedings preserving evidence under People v. Franklin (2016) 63 Cal.4th 261 (Franklin), in preparation for an eventual youth offender parole hearing under Penal Code section 3051.2 The trial court denied Watson relief, noting section 3051 facially does not extend to individuals who committed their offenses between the ages of 18 and 25 and received LWOP sentences. In denying relief, the court rejected Watson’s argument that section 3051, as currently construed, violates equal protection principles. Watson timely appealed. On appeal, he renews his argument, raised in the trial court, that by not extending relief to individuals who committed their offenses between the ages of 18 and 25 and received LWOP sentences, while extending relief to individuals who committed their offenses between the ages of 18 and 25 and received life sentences with the possibility of parole,