City of Walla Walla v. Greene

154 Wash. 2d 722
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 28, 2005
DocketNo. 75108-1
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 154 Wash. 2d 722 (City of Walla Walla v. Greene) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Walla Walla v. Greene, 154 Wash. 2d 722 (Wash. 2005).

Opinions

¶1 This case involves a constitutional challenge to RCW 46.61.5055(12)(a)(v), which defines “prior offenses” that increase mandatory minimum sentences for certain driving under the influence (DUI) convictions. Specifically, the constitutional challenge involves whether a “prior offense” can include a conviction for first degree negligent driving where the conviction was originally charged as DUI. Walla Walla District Court ruled that the statute violates requirements of due process. We granted direct review and reverse.

C. Johnson, J.

FACTS

¶2 In 2000, Kathleen Greene (Greene) was charged with DUI, to which she pleaded guilty to an amended charge of first degree negligent driving, under RCW 46.61.52491 In 2004, on the current offense, Greene was charged and convicted of DUI.2 Under RCW 46.61.5055, a person with a “prior offense” within the past seven years is subject to a harsher mandatory sentence.

¶3 At sentencing for the current offense, Greene argued that the statute establishing harsher minimum sentencing based on the definition of “prior offense” is unconstitutional [725]*725on due process grounds. She contended that since each element of her earlier DUI-related charge was not proved to be DUI, her current charge should be considered a first time offense.

¶4 The prosecution, city of Walla Walla, contended that the due process protection as argued by Greene relates only to the adjudicatory phase of criminal proceedings, not the sentencing phase. Thus, since the statutory definition of a “prior offense” requires a conviction for certain listed offenses, a valid conviction is established for due process purposes. As a result, the prosecution contended that the statutory minimum sentence for Greene’s “second offense” should have been imposed.

¶5 Walla Walla District Court agreed with Greene, relying on State v. Shaffer, 113 Wn. App. 812, 818-20, 55 P.3d 668 (2002), which concluded certain mandatory minimum sentencing enhancements violate due process if based on an earlier unproven “prior offense.” Accordingly, the district court sentenced Greene as a DUI first time offender, resulting in two nonsuspended days in jail. The prosecution appealed, and we accepted direct review. We overrule Shaffer, reverse the district court, and remand.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶6 The constitutionality of a statute is a matter of law reviewed de novo. State v. Shultz, 138 Wn.2d 638, 643, 980 P.2d 1265 (1999).

DISCUSSION

¶7 In 1995, the legislature enacted the revisions to RCW 46.61.5055 at issue in this case. RCW 46.61.5055(12)(a)(v) provides that certain DUI-related convictions are considered “prior offenses,” whether or not a DUI was the final conviction.

¶8 The statute provides a “prior offense” is:

A conviction for a violation of RCW 46.61.5249 [negligent driving-first degree], 46.61.500 [reckless driving], or 9A.36.050 [726]*726[reckless endangerment] or an equivalent local ordinance, if the conviction is the result of a charge that was originally filed as a violation of RCW 46.61.502 [driving under the influence] or 46.61.504 [physical control of vehicle under the influence], or an equivalent local ordinance, or of RCW 46.61.520 [vehicular homicide] or 46.61.522 [vehicular assault].

RCW 46.61.5055(12)(a)(v).

¶9 Walla Walla District Court relied on Shaffer, 113 Wn. App. 812, 55 P.3d 668 (2002). In Shaffer, the Court of Appeals determined that a two year mandatory statutory sentence enhancement after a vehicular homicide conviction is a violation of due process since it was based on an earlier “prior offense” of reckless driving, originally charged as DUI. The court reasoned that since the statute does not require any proof that an earlier DUI was committed, it violates due process. Shaffer, 113 Wn. App. at 818-19. The court relied on In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 364, 90 S. Ct. 1068, 25 L. Ed. 2d 368 (1970), to hold that it was unconstitutional to conclude that a prior DUI offense occurred where no proof existed.

¶10 Greene contends that based on Shaffer, RCW 46.61.5055(12)(a)(v) is unconstitutional because an unproven DUI charge, even if resulting in a variant conviction, cannot be used to deprive a person of liberty. She claims that the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment3 protects her from being imprisoned for a crime in which each element is not proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution argues that Shaffer should be overruled, and the statute should be considered valid, because the legislature has the authority to define any related prior conviction as a “prior offense.”

¶11 In Shaffer, the Court of Appeals interpreted former RCW 9.94A.310(7), recodified as RCW 9.94A.510(7) (2000) by Laws of 2001, ch. 10, § 6. Shaffer, 113 Wn. App. at 816. The statute requires a two year mandatory enhancement for each prior offense as defined in RCW 46.61.5055. As in [727]*727Shaffer, RCW 46.61.5055 is the statute at issue here which incorporates particular driving-related convictions that were originally charged as DUI. RCW 46.61.5055(12)(a)(v).

¶[12 The Court of Appeals assumed and stated in its analysis that the legislature only included a prior offense “where DUI was involved.” Shaffer, 113 Wn. App. at 818. The court cited the statutory definition under former RCW 9.94A.310

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Bluebook (online)
154 Wash. 2d 722, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-walla-walla-v-greene-wash-2005.