1

Filed 1/30/23

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v.

REYNALDO MALDONADO,

Defendant and Appellant.

 A161817

 (San Mateo County

 Super. Ct. No. SC065313A)

Reynaldo Maldonado (appellant) appeals from the trial court’s denial of 

his petition for resentencing pursuant to Penal Code section 1172.6 (former 

section 1170.95).1 In 2013, appellant was convicted of first degree murder 

and the jury was not instructed on the natural and probable consequences 

and felony murder doctrines. Appellant argues the jury nonetheless could 

have imputed malice to him based solely on his participation in a crime, 

relying on the jury instructions for aiding and abetting, implied malice, and 

lying-in-wait murder, and on the analysis in People v. Langi (2022) 

73 Cal.App.5th 972 (Langi). We agree appellant has established a prima 

1 All undesignated section references are to the Penal Code. 

Section 1170.95 was renumbered section 1172.6, without substantive change, 

effective June 30, 2022. (Stats. 2022, ch. 58, § 10.) For clarity, we will refer 

to the section by its current numbering.
2

facie case for resentencing relief, and reverse and remand for the trial court 

to issue an order to show cause.

BACKGROUND

2013 Conviction

In 2001, about 10:00 a.m. on the morning of the murder, Erick Morales 

and the victim were seen walking away from the high school they both 

attended. (People v. Maldonado (July 29, 2016, A141242) [nonpub. opn.].) 

That afternoon, the victim’s body was found in a storage locker with multiple 

stab wounds to the chest and neck. (Ibid.) Appellant called the police and 

anonymously reported witnessing the killing; when subsequently interviewed 

by police he reported seeing a man with blood on his chest who may have 

been the killer. (Ibid.) Police were later unable to locate appellant, who 

apparently left the state a few weeks after the murder. (Ibid.) 

In the following years, appellant told one person he lured the victim 

away and stabbed him with the help of a friend; he told another person the 

killing was a friend’s idea and the friend stabbed the victim with appellant’s 

help. (People v. Maldonado, supra, A141242.) He told both people that he 

and his friend buried their bloody clothes and the knife in their yard, and 

that he had a photograph of his friend with the victim’s body. (Ibid.) Police 

found a sweatshirt, knife, and cell phone buried in the yard of appellant’s 

former residence, and found a photograph of Morales with the victim’s body 

in appellant’s residence at the time of his arrest. (Ibid.) Appellant testified 

at trial that he did not kill the victim or help Morales kill the victim, but that 

Morales brought him to the victim’s body after the killing and appellant took 

a photograph and helped Morales bury the evidence. (Ibid.)

Appellant was charged with first degree murder (§ 187, subd. (a)), with 

a special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed by means 
3

of lying in wait (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(15)). The jury was instructed on two 

theories of first degree murder: the murder was willful, deliberate and 

premeditated; and the murder was committed by lying in wait. The jury was 

also instructed on direct aiding and abetting. (See CALCRIM No. 401.) The 

jury was not instructed on felony murder or the natural and probable 

consequences doctrine.

The jury convicted appellant of first degree murder, but found the 

lying-in-wait special circumstance not true. This court affirmed the 

judgment. (People v. Maldonado, supra, A141242.)

2020 Resentencing Petition 

In September 2020, appellant filed a petition for resentencing pursuant 

to section 1172.6. The trial court appointed counsel for appellant. The 

People filed an opposition, submitting the jury instructions and verdict forms 

from appellant’s trial and this court’s opinion on direct appeal. The trial 

court summarily denied the petition, finding the record conclusively proved

appellant’s murder conviction was not obtained under a felony murder or 

natural and probable consequences theory. 

DISCUSSION

I. Section 1172.6

In Senate Bill No. 1437 (2017–2018 Reg. Sess.) (Senate Bill 1437), 

effective January 1, 2019, the Legislature “eliminated natural and probable 

consequences liability for murder as it applies to aiding and abetting, and 

limited the scope of the felony-murder rule.” (People v. Lewis (2021) 

11 Cal.5th 952, 957 (Lewis).) “Senate Bill 1437 also created a special 

procedural mechanism for those convicted under the former law to seek 

retroactive relief under the law as amended. (See Pen. Code, § 1172.6 ....) 

Under newly enacted section 1172.6, the process begins with the filing of a 
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petition containing a declaration that all requirements for eligibility are met 

(id., subd. (b)(1)(A)), including that ‘[t]he petitioner could not presently be 

convicted of murder or attempted murder because of changes to [Penal Code] 

Section 188 or 189 made effective January 1, 2019,’ the effective date of 

Senate Bill 1437 (§ 1172.6, subd. (a)(3)).” (People v. Strong (2022) 13 Cal.5th 

698, 708, fn. omitted.) 

While this appeal was pending, the Governor signed into law Senate 

Bill No. 775 (2021–2022 Reg. Sess.) (Senate Bill 775), which “expanded the 

scope of those changes to encompass, among other things, murder convictions 

‘under the natural and probable consequences doctrine or other theory under 

which malice is imputed to a person based solely on that person’s 

participation in a crime.’ ” (Langi, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at p. 978; see 

Stats. 2021, ch. 551, § 2.)2 The Senate Bill 775 amendments apply to 

appellant’s appeal. (See People v. Porter (2022) 73 Cal.App.5th 644, 652

[“[T]he trial court’s order denying the petition is not yet final and Senate Bill 

No. 775 has already taken effect. Therefore, the revisions set forth in Senate 

Bill No. 775 apply to the instant petition.”]; People v. Montes (2021) 

71 Cal.App.5th 1001, 1006 [“New legislation generally applies to all 

judgments which are not final as of the effective date of the new statute.”].)

Section 1172.6, subdivision (c), provides that if a resentencing petition 

includes the required components, the court must “determine whether the 

petitioner has made a prima facie case for relief.” “While the trial court may 

look at the record of conviction ... to determine whether a petitioner has made 

a prima facie case for section [1172.6] relief, the prima facie inquiry under 

subdivision (c) is limited. Like the analogous prima facie inquiry in habeas 

2 We grant appellant’s unopposed request for judicial notice of a 

legislative analysis of Senate Bill 775. 
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corpus proceedings, ‘ “the court takes petitioner’s factual allegations as true 

and makes a preliminary assessment regarding whether the petitioner would 

be entitled to relief if his or her factual allegations were proved. If so, the 

court must issue an order to show cause.” ’ [Citation.] ‘[A] court should not 

reject the petitioner’s factual allegations on credibility grounds without first 

conducting an evidentiary hearing.’ [Citation.] ‘However, if the record, 

including the court’s own documents, “contain[s] facts refuting the allegations 

made in the petition,” then “the court is justified in making a credibility 

determination adverse to the petitioner.” ’ ” (Lewis, supra, 11 Cal.5th at 

p. 971.) “In reviewing any part of the record of conviction at this preliminary 

juncture, a trial court should not engage in ‘factfinding involving the 

weighing of evidence or the exercise of discretion.’ [Citation.] ... [T]he ‘prima 

facie bar was intentionally and correctly set very low.’ ” (Id. at p. 972.)

If the court determines the petitioner made a prima facie case for relief, 

“the court shall issue an order to show cause” and “hold a hearing to 

determine whether to vacate the murder, attempted murder, or 

manslaughter conviction ....” (§ 1172.6, subds. (c), (d)(1).)

II. Prima Facie Case

Appellant argues that, even though the jury was not instructed on the 

felony murder or natural and probable consequences doctrines, he may 

nonetheless have been convicted on a theory under which malice was 

imputed to him based solely on his participation in a crime. Specifically, 

appellant points to the instructions for aiding and abetting a lying-in-wait 

murder. We will first discuss the crime of aiding and abetting a lying-in-wait 

murder, and then turn to the jury instructions given in appellant’s case.
6

A. Aiding and Abetting Lying-In-Wait Murder 

“To prove first degree murder of any kind, the prosecution must first 

establish a murder within section 187—that is, an unlawful killing with 

malice aforethought. [Citations.] Thereafter, pursuant to section 189, the 

prosecution must prove the murder was perpetrated by one of the specified 

statutory means, including lying in wait ....” (People v. Stanley (1995) 

10 Cal.4th 764, 794 (Stanley).) To prove the murder was perpetrated by 

means of lying in wait, the prosecution must prove “ ‘ “ ‘(1) a concealment of 

purpose, (2) a substantial period of watching and waiting for an opportune 

time to act, and (3) immediately thereafter, a surprise attack on an 

unsuspecting victim from a position of advantage....’ ” ’ ” (People v. Russell

(2010) 50 Cal.4th 1228, 1244.) “[T]he lying in wait need not continue for any 

particular period of time provided that its duration is such as to show a state 

of mind equivalent to premeditation or deliberation.” (People v. Stevens

(2007) 41 Cal.4th 182, 202, fn. 11.)

Unlike first degree premeditated murder, “nothing in section 189 

requires the lying in wait to have been done with the intent to kill.” (People 

v. Laws (1993) 12 Cal.App.4th 786, 794 (Laws).) Instead, “If the act which 

the perpetrator intends to commit while lying in wait results in a killing 

which satisfies the elements of murder, it is immaterial whether the 

perpetrator intended to kill ....” (Id. at p. 795.)3 “Ordinarily, ... [an implied 

3 In contrast, “ ‘The lying-in-wait special circumstance requires “an 

intentional murder, committed under circumstances which include (1) a 

concealment of purpose, (2) a substantial period of watching and waiting for 

an opportune time to act, and (3) immediately thereafter, a surprise attack on 

an unsuspecting victim from a position of advantage....” ’ ” (People v. Cage

(2015) 62 Cal.4th 256, 278, italics added (Cage).) Because the jury found the 

special circumstance lying-in-wait allegation not true, it did not necessarily 

find appellant intended to kill the victim.
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malice] killing would be murder of the second degree. However, if this 

murder is perpetrated by means of lying in wait, it is, by statutory definition, 

murder of the first degree.” (Id. at p. 794.)4 “All that is required of lying in 

wait is that the perpetrator exhibit a state of mind equivalent to, but not 

identical to, premeditation and deliberation. [Citation.] This state of mind 

simply is the intent to watch and wait for the purpose of gaining advantage 

and taking the victim unawares in order to facilitate the act which 

constitutes murder. [Citation.] It does not include the intent to kill ....” (Id. 

at p. 795.)

We turn now to aiding and abetting an implied malice murder. 

“[D]irect aiding and abetting is based on the combined actus reus of the 

participants and the aider and abettor’s own mens rea. [Citation.] In the 

context of implied malice, the actus reus required of the perpetrator is the 

commission of a life-endangering act. For the direct aider and abettor, the 

actus reus includes whatever acts constitute aiding the commission of the life 

endangering act. Thus, to be liable for an implied malice murder, the direct 

aider and abettor must, by words or conduct, aid the commission of the lifeendangering act, not the result of that act. The mens rea, which must be 

personally harbored by the direct aider and abettor, is knowledge that the 

4 “The Legislature could have concluded that an unlawful killing of a 

human being with implied malice aforethought (i.e., an unintended killing 

which results from an intentional act inherently dangerous to human life 

committed with knowledge of the danger to, and with conscious disregard for, 

human life [citation]) is more deplorable than second degree murder when it 

is perpetrated by means of lying in wait.” (Laws, supra, 12 Cal.App.4th at 

p. 793; see also Stanley, supra, 10 Cal.4th at p. 795 [“ ‘Murder committed by 

lying in wait has been “anciently regarded ... as a particularly heinous and 

repugnant crime.” [Citation.]’ [Citation.] The moral culpability of the 

offender who murders by lying in wait justifies fixing the murder in the first 

degree.”].)
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perpetrator intended to commit the act, intent to aid the perpetrator in the 

commission of the act, knowledge that the act is dangerous to human life, and 

acting in conscious disregard for human life.” (People v. Powell (2021) 

63 Cal.App.5th 689, 712–713, fn. omitted (Powell).) Direct aiding and 

abetting an implied malice murder remains a valid theory after the 

amendments of Senate Bills 1437 and 775. (People v. Gentile (2020) 

10 Cal.5th 830, 850 [“[N]otwithstanding Senate Bill 1437’s elimination of 

natural and probable consequences liability for second degree murder, an 

aider and abettor who does not expressly intend to aid a killing can still be 

convicted of second degree murder if the person knows that his or her conduct 

endangers the life of another and acts with conscious disregard for life.”].)

B. The Jury Instructions Permitted Conviction Based on Imputed

Malice

We now turn to whether the jury instructions permitted conviction 

based on an impermissible theory of imputed malice. 

The jury was instructed, with respect to malice, “There are two kinds of 

malice aforethought, express malice and implied malice. Proof of either is 

sufficient to establish the state of mind required for murder. The defendant 

acted with express malice if he unlawfully intended to kill. The defendant 

acted with implied malice if: [¶] One, he intentionally committed an act; [¶] 

Two, the natural and probable consequences of that act were dangerous to 

human life; [¶] Three, at the time he acted he knew his act was dangerous to 

human life; [¶] And, Four, he deliberately acted with conscious disregard for 

human life.” (See CALCRIM No. 520.)

As to lying in wait murder, the jury was instructed: “The defendant 

murdered by lying in wait if: [¶] One, he concealed his purpose from the 

person killed; [¶] Two, he waited and watched for an opportunity to act; [¶] 
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And, Three, then from a position of advantage he intended to and did make a 

surprise attack on the person killed. [¶] The lying in wait does not need to 

continue for any particular period of time, but its duration must be 

substantial enough to show a state of mind equivalent to deliberation or

premeditation;” “Deliberation means carefully weighing the considerations 

for and against the choice, and knowing the consequences deciding to act. An 

act is done with premeditation if the decision to commit the act is made 

before the act is done. A person can conceal his or her purpose even if the 

person killed is aware of the person’s physical presence. The concealment 

can be accomplished by ambush or some other secret plan.” (See CALCRIM 

No. 521.)

Finally, on aiding and abetting, the jury was instructed pursuant to 

CALCRIM No. 401: “To prove that the defendant is guilty of a crime based on 

aiding and abetting that crime, the People must prove that: [¶] Number One, 

the perpetrator committed the crime; [¶] Two, the defendant knew the 

perpetrator intended to commit the crime; [¶] Three, before or during the 

commission of the crime the defendant intended to aid and abet the 

perpetrator in committing the crime; [¶] And, Four, the defendant’s words or 

conduct did in fact aid and abet the perpetrator’s commission of the crime. [¶] 

Someone aids and abets a crime if he or she knows the perpetrator’s unlawful 

purpose and he or she specifically intends to and does in fact aid, facilitate, 

promote, encourage or instigate the perpetrator’s commission of that crime. 

If all of these requirements are proved the defendant does not need to 

actually have been present when the crime was committed to be guilty as an 

aider and abettor.” 

In Powell, the Court of Appeal determined that CALCRIM No. 401, the 

same aiding and abetting instruction used here, was “not tailored for” aiding 
10

and abetting an implied malice murder. (Powell, supra, 63 Cal.App.5th at 

p. 714.) Specifically, while CALCRIM No. 401 refers to an intent to aid and 

abet a “crime,” the aider and abettor in fact needs to “intend the commission 

of the perpetrator’s act, the natural and probable consequences of which are 

dangerous to human life, intentionally aid in the commission of that act and 

do so with conscious disregard for human life.” (Powell, at p. 714.)

In Langi, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th 972, the Court of Appeal found this 

poor tailoring left open the possibility that the jury convicted the defendant 

based on a theory of imputed malice. In Langi, the defendant and others beat 

up the victim, who died after a punch caused him to fall and hit his head. 

(Id. at p. 975.) The jury was given a CALJIC instruction “identical in 

relevant substance” to “[t]he standard aiding-and-abetting instruction given 

in Powell” and here, CALCRIM No. 401. (Langi, at p. 983.)5 As here, the 

jury was not instructed on the natural and probable consequences doctrine. 

(Id. at p. 981.) Langi noted the aiding and abetting instruction “does not 

state that the aider and abettor must himself have known that the act he 

aided was life-threatening, or that he must himself have acted with 

indifference to human life.” (Id. at p. 982.) The court agreed with Powell’s 

conclusion that “the standard aiding-and-abetting instructions are ill suited 

to the crime of second degree murder. If, as here, a trial court uses such an 

instruction without tailoring it to the specifics of that crime, the instruction 

5 In Langi, the jury was instructed with CALJIC No. 3.01 as follows: 

“ ‘A person aids and abets the commission ... of a crime when he or she: [¶] 

(1) With knowledge of the unlawful purpose of the perpetrator, and [¶] 

(2) With the intent or purpose of committing or encouraging or facilitating 

the commission of the crime, ... [¶] (3) By act or advice aids, promotes, 

encourages or instigates the commission of the crime.’ ” (Langi, supra,

73 Cal.App.5th at p. 981.) 
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creates an ambiguity under which the jury may find the defendant guilty of 

aiding and abetting second degree murder without finding that he personally 

acted with malice.” (Langi, at p. 982.)

Langi concluded the jury instructions permitted the appellant to be

convicted of aiding and abetting second degree murder without a finding that 

he acted with conscious disregard for human life: “The aiding-and-abetting 

instruction stated that a person aids and abets a crime if he or she acts ‘with 

knowledge of the unlawful purpose of the perpetrator, and ... with the intent 

or purpose of committing or encouraging or facilitating the commission of the 

crime.’ (CALJIC No. 3.01, italics added.) However, as noted above, the 

second degree murder instruction specified that the direct perpetrator of that 

crime need not act with the unlawful intent of causing death. Thus, while 

the perpetrator must have deliberately performed the fatal act ‘with 

knowledge of the danger to, and with conscious disregard for, human life’

(CALJIC No. 8.31), his purpose may have been only to strike or to injure, or 

conceivably only to embarrass, the victim. Since the perpetrator’s purpose 

need not have been to kill the victim, the aider and abettor’s knowledge of 

that purpose similarly need not have been knowledge that the perpetrator 

aimed to kill. If the perpetrator need not have had ‘murderous intent,’

certainly the aider and abettor need not have had such an intent. Although 

the definition of second degree murder in CALJIC No. 8.31 states that the 

perpetrator must have acted with conscious disregard for human life, the 

definition of an aider and abettor in CALJIC No. 3.01 does not include the 

same requirement. Thus, under the instructions that were given, the jury 

was entitled to conclude that, to be guilty as an aider and abettor of second 

degree murder, appellant need only have intended to encourage the 

perpetrator’s intentional act—in this case, punching [the victim]—whether or 
12

not appellant intended to aid or encourage [the victim’s] killing, and whether 

or not he personally knew of and disregarded the risk of such a killing.” 

(Langi, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at pp. 982–983.) 

Here, the jury was instructed that a person aids and abets a crime if 

“he or she knows the perpetrator’s unlawful purpose and he or she

specifically intends to and does in fact aid, facilitate, promote, encourage or 

instigate the perpetrator’s commission of that crime.” The murder by lying in 

wait instruction did not instruct the jury that the perpetrator needed to 

intend to cause death. While the perpetrator must have concealed his 

purpose from the victim, waited and watched for an opportunity to act, 

intentionally made a surprise attack from a position of advantage, and have 

lain in wait for a substantial enough duration to show a state of mind 

equivalent to deliberation or premeditation, the jury may have found the 

perpetrator’s purpose was only to injure or intimidate the victim in a surprise 

attack. Thus, using Langi’s reasoning, the jury could have construed the 

instructions such that, “to be guilty as an aider and abettor of [lying in wait 

first degree] murder, appellant need only have intended to encourage the 

perpetrator’s intentional act—in this case, [a surprise attack on the victim]—

whether or not appellant intended to aid or encourage [the victim’s] killing, 

and whether or not he personally knew of and disregarded the risk of such a 

killing.” (Langi, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at p. 983.) 

We emphasize the jury was not required to construe the instructions in 

this manner. The jury could have construed the instructions as requiring the

aider and abettor know the perpetrator intended to commit the act and know 

the perpetrator acted with implied malice—in other words, know the 

perpetrator knew the act was dangerous to human life and deliberately 

disregarded the risk to life. Thus, the jury could have construed the 
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instructions as requiring that, to be guilty of aiding and abetting an implied 

malice lying in wait murder, appellant must have intended to encourage both 

the act and the perpetrator’s deliberate disregard that the act was dangerous 

to human life and, in so doing, appellant acted with implied malice. 

However, the jury also could have reasonably construed the instructions in a 

manner permitting it to convict appellant under a theory of imputed malice.

The People argue Powell and Langi are distinguishable because the 

convictions in those cases were for second degree murder, while appellant 

was convicted of first degree murder. The distinction is immaterial because, 

as explained above, first degree lying-in-wait murder can be based on a 

theory that the perpetrator acted with implied malice rather than an intent 

to kill. Powell and Langi’s analyses of the standard instructions for aiding 

and abetting an implied malice murder apply here.

The People also argue a finding that appellant knew of the 

perpetrator’s intent to conduct a surprise attack and intended to aid that 

purpose “demonstrated the necessary conscious disregard for human life 

required for implied malice ....” We are not persuaded that a finding 

appellant knew the perpetrator planned to make a surprise attack and 

intended to aid such an attack is necessarily equivalent to a finding that 

appellant knew the surprise attack was dangerous to human life and acted 

with conscious disregard for life.6 

6 We note the Supreme Court has stated, “ ‘[M]urder ... “by means of”

lying in wait ... requires ... a wanton and reckless intent to inflict injury 

likely to cause death.’ ” (Cage, supra, 62 Cal.4th at p. 278; but see Laws, 

supra, 12 Cal.App.4th at p. 795, fn. 2 [characterizing similar statements as 

“dictum”].) However, the jury instructions provided in this case set forth no 

such intent requirement.
14

The People further contend the instructions required the jury to find 

that appellant “knew the perpetrator’s intent to at a minimum perpetrate a 

lying-in-wait attack with implied malice and a state of mind equivalent to 

deliberation or premeditation ....” The instructions given to the jury do not so 

require.7 The jury was instructed an aider and abettor must “kn[o]w the 

perpetrator intended to commit the crime” and intend to aid “the 

perpetrator’s unlawful purpose.” For implied malice lying-in-wait murder the 

only intentions required of the perpetrator were (1) the intent to commit an 

act (while knowing the act was dangerous to human life and acting with 

conscious disregard for life), and (2) the intent to make a surprise attack. 

The instructions do not specify that the perpetrator must have intended that 

the duration of the lying in wait be substantial enough to show a state of 

mind equivalent to deliberation or premeditation, but just that the duration 

in fact was so substantial. 

C. There Is a Reasonable Likelihood the Jury Construed the

Instructions to Permit Conviction Based on Imputed Malice

For the first time in a petition for rehearing, the People rely on Boyde v. 

California (1990) 494 U.S. 370 (Boyde) to argue that we must decide whether

there is a reasonable likelihood the jury construed the instructions to permit 

conviction under a prohibited theory, and to further argue there is no such 

reasonable likelihood here. We requested appellant file a response, granted 

rehearing, and now reject the People’s argument.

As an initial matter, the contention is forfeited. “ ‘It is well settled that 

arguments ... cannot be raised for the first time in a petition for rehearing.’ ” 

7 Whether such knowledge is an element of aiding and abetting a lyingin-wait murder is not before us, and we express no opinion on the matter.
15

(Reynolds v. Bement (2005) 36 Cal.4th 1075, 1092, abrogated on another 

ground by Martinez v. Combs (2010) 49 Cal.4th 35.)

In any event, assuming the reasonable likelihood standard applies, it is 

met here.8 “Although a defendant need not establish that the jury was more 

likely than not to have been impermissibly” directed by the ambiguous 

instruction, the standard is not met if there is “only a possibility” the jury 

was so directed. (Boyde, supra, 494 U.S. at p. 380.) The People do not 

dispute the ambiguity of the instructions, or argue other instructions clarify

the ambiguity. Instead, the People point solely to three discrete statements 

in the prosecutor’s closing argument: to convict appellant as an aider and 

abettor, appellant “needs to know that Morales intended to commit that 

murder;” appellant “was either wielding the knife or he was holding the 

victim so Mr. Morales could kill him;” and for purposes of implied malice 

appellant “knew the act was dangerous to life at the time” and “deliberately 

acted with conscious disregard for life.” While these statements urge 

conviction based on non-imputed malice, they were three brief statements in 

a lengthy closing argument taking up more than 70 pages of the reporter’s 

transcript. Given the brevity of these comments and the highly confusing 

nature of the instructions, we are persuaded there was more than a 

possibility that the jury construed the instructions to permit a conviction 

based on imputed malice. (Cf. People v. Williams, supra, 86 Cal.App.5th at 

8 Appellant argues the reasonable likelihood standard does not apply to 

ambiguous jury instructions for purposes of determining whether a section 

1172.6 prima facie showing has been made. Although the reasonable 

likelihood standard originated in the direct appeal context, at least two 

published cases have applied it in making the section 1172.6 prima facie 

determination. (People v. Williams (2022) 86 Cal.App.5th 1244, 1256; People 

v. Ervin (2021) 72 Cal.App.5th 90, 107.) We need not, and do not, decide 

whether or to what extent the standard applies in section 1172.6 cases. 
16

p. 1257] [no reasonable likelihood jury construed aiding and abetting 

instruction to permit conviction based on imputed malice because, in light of 

other instructions and jury’s true finding as to a special circumstance 

requiring the defendant had the intent to kill, “the record of conviction 

conclusively demonstrates” the defendant is ineligible for resentencing]; 

Boyde, supra, 494 U.S. at pp. 378, 383 [no reasonable likelihood jury 

construed instruction in capital penalty phase that they could consider 

“ ‘[a]ny other circumstance which extenuates the gravity of the crime’ ” to 

limit their consideration to “evidence that was related to the crime,” excluding 

non-crime-related mitigation evidence, in light of other instructions and the 

fact that “[a]ll of the defense evidence presented at the penalty phase—four 

days of testimony consuming over 400 pages of trial transcript—related to 

petitioner’s background and character, and we think it unlikely that 

reasonable jurors would believe the court’s instructions transformed all of 

this ‘favorable testimony into a virtual charade’ ”].)

The ultimate question before us is whether “ ‘the record, including the 

court’s own documents, “contain[s] facts refuting the allegations made in the

[section 1172.6] petition.” ’ ” (Lewis, supra, 11 Cal.5th at p. 971.) Only “[i]f 

the petition and record in the case establish conclusively that the defendant is 

ineligible for relief” may the trial court dismiss the petition. (People v. 

Strong, supra, 13 Cal.5th at p. 708, italics added.) Here, given the ambiguous 

jury instructions, and after considering the prosecutor’s closing argument, we 

cannot say the record conclusively establishes appellant is ineligible for relief. 

Accordingly, “an evidentiary hearing is required. At that hearing, the 

court may find that appellant was the actual killer or that he was an aider 

and abettor who facilitated the killing with personal disregard for human life, 

in which case his petition will be denied. If the prosecution fails to prove that 
17

he was either, he will be entitled to relief.” (Langi, supra, 73 Cal.App.5th at 

p. 984.)

DISPOSITION

The order denying the petition is reversed. The matter is remanded 

with directions to issue an order to show cause and hold an evidentiary 

hearing.

SIMONS, Acting P.J.

We concur. 

BURNS, J.

WISEMAN, J.*

(A161817)

* Retired Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate 

District, assigned by the Chief Justice pursuant to article VI, section 6 of the 

California Constitution.
18

People v. Maldonado (A161817)

Trial Judge: Hon. Robert D. Foiles

Trial Court: San Mateo County Superior Court

Attorneys: 

Scott N. Cameron, Attorney at Law, under appointment by the 

First District Appellate Project, for Defendant and Appellant.

Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California, Lance E. Winters, 

Chief Assistant Attorney General, Jeffrey M. Laurence, Senior 

Assistant Attorney General, Seth K. Schalit, Supervising Deputy 

Attorney General, and Lisa Ashley Ott, Deputy Attorney General, for 

Plaintiff and Respondent.