In Re Bonds

196 P.3d 672
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 26, 2008
Docket80995-0
StatusPublished
Cited by68 cases

This text of 196 P.3d 672 (In Re Bonds) 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
In Re Bonds, 196 P.3d 672 (Wash. 2008).

Opinion

196 P.3d 672 (2008)

In the Matter of the Personal Restraint Petition of Robert Charles BONDS, Jr., Respondent.

No. 80995-0.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued June 24, 2008.
Decided November 26, 2008.

*674 Michelle Luna-Green, Pierce Co. Prosecutor's Office, Tacoma, WA, for Petitioner.

Nancy P. Collins, Washington Appellate Project, Seattle, WA, for Respondent.

Pamela Beth Loginsky, Washington Assoc. of Prosecuting Atty., Olympia, WA, Amicus Curiae on behalf of Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

C. JOHNSON, J.

¶ 1 We are asked to determine whether, under the facts of this case, we will recognize equitable tolling as an exception to the time bar provided under RCW 10.73.090 and permit Robert Charles Bonds, Jr., to submit an otherwise untimely amended personal restraint petition (PRP). The Court of Appeals applied equitable tolling to allow Bonds to amend his PRP more than one year after his judgment and sentence became final. This permitted Bonds to raise a claim alleging violation of his right to a public trial and the public's right to open court proceedings. The Court of Appeals granted relief, vacated Bonds's convictions, and ordered a new trial. We find that equitable tolling does not apply in these circumstances and reverse the Court of Appeals.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 Bonds was tried and convicted in Pierce County of two counts of attempted first degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. During trial, the court admitted redacted out-of-court statements of Bonds's codefendants. Four times during trial, the court closed the proceedings while certain witnesses testified.

¶ 3 Division Two of the Court of Appeals affirmed Bonds's convictions on direct appeal, State v. Miller, noted at 122 Wash.App. 1074 (2004), and the judgment and sentence became final on May 9, 2005. Bonds timely filed a PRP in the Court of Appeals on July 22, 2005, asserting that the out-of-court statements of his codefendants violated his confrontation rights and that appellate counsel was ineffective in not raising that issue. Bonds also requested the assistance of counsel. The State filed its answering brief on October 10, 2005. For reasons unknown, the acting chief judge did not rule on Bonds's petition until May 4, 2006. At that time, the judge found Bonds's PRP was not frivolous, referred the petition to a panel of judges for a decision on the merits, and appointed counsel. The one year time limit on collateral attack under RCW 10.73.090 passed a few days later.

¶ 4 On July 25, 2006, Bonds's counsel moved under RAP 16.4 (PRP grounds for remedy) to submit an amended PRP, adding the claim that the trial court violated Bonds's right to a public trial and the public's right to open court proceedings. The State objected, but a Court of Appeals commissioner granted Bonds's motion. The Court of Appeals denied the State's motion to modify the commissioner's *675 ruling, and this court denied discretionary review, leaving the State free to argue to the Court of Appeals that Bonds did not timely raise the public trial issue. The parties then briefed that issue.

¶ 5 The Court of Appeals held that equitable tolling allowed the court to consider the public trial issue by way of Bonds's otherwise untimely amended PRP, held that Bonds's public trial right was violated, and granted the PRP in a split and unpublished decision. The court reversed Bonds's convictions and remanded for a new trial. In re Pers. Restraint of Bonds, noted at 141 Wash.App. 1032, 2007 WL 3378567 (2007). We granted the State's motion for discretionary review.

ISSUE

Whether equitable tolling permits Bonds to submit an otherwise untimely amended PRP.

ANALYSIS

¶ 6 Under RCW 10.73.090 the time limit for collateral attack of a criminal judgment and sentence is one year after the judgment becomes final.[1] Collateral attack includes the filing of a PRP. RCW 10.73.090 is a mandatory rule that acts as a bar to appellate court consideration of PRPs filed after the limitation period has passed, unless the petitioner demonstrates that the petition is based on one of the exemptions enumerated in RCW 10.73.100.[2] We have upheld the constitutionality of RCW 10.73.090. In re Pers. Restraint of Runyan, 121 Wash.2d 432, 444, 853 P.2d 424 (1993).

¶ 7 Though the appellate rules do not expressly authorize or prohibit amendment to PRPs, we have accepted amendments to a PRP made within the statutory time limit. This discretionary allowance accords with RAP 16.10(c), which permits an appellate court to call for additional briefs at any stage of consideration of a PRP.[3]

¶ 8 The State submits that the time limit in RCW 10.73.090 is a jurisdictional requirement, which precludes application of equitable tolling, and that we should reverse on this basis. We disagree. This court has previously referred to the time limit in RCW 10.73.090 as a statute of limitation. In re Pers. Restraint of Benn, 134 Wash.2d 868, 938-39, 952 P.2d 116 (1998). And the Court of Appeals has expressly held that RCW 10.73.090 functions as a statute of limitation and not as a jurisdictional bar, and is thus subject to the doctrine of equitable tolling. In re Pers. Restraint of Hoisington, 99 Wash.App. 423, 431, 993 P.2d 296 (2000). We reject the contention that the statute is jurisdictional and address whether equitable tolling applies in this case.

¶ 9 We begin our analysis by looking to the statute. Equitable tolling of a *676 statute of limitation is appropriate when consistent with the policies underlying the statute and the purposes underlying the statute of limitation. The purpose underlying the time limit in RCW 10.73.090 is to manage the flow of post-conviction collateral relief petitions by requiring collateral attacks to be brought promptly. Limiting attacks to a one-year period, except in instances provided in RCW 10.73.100, also promotes finality of judgments.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Personal Restraint Petition Of Steven Lee Brown
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
In re Pers. Restraint of Schoenhals
Washington Supreme Court, 2025
Smith v. Snohomish County
W.D. Washington, 2025
Personal Restraint Petition of Steven Nicolas Russell
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Personal Restraint Petition Of Thomas Francis Denton
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024
State v. Kelly
561 P.3d 246 (Washington Supreme Court, 2024)
State v. Olsen
Washington Supreme Court, 2024
State of Washington v. Edward M. Leavens
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024
Nathan Jovee, V. Brandon Huber
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024
Personal Restraint Petition Of Shawn Dee Morgan
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2023
State Of Washington, V Shane A. Lynn
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2023
Kim Renette v. Brianna Coates, et ux
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2023
In re Pers. Restraint of Fowler
479 P.3d 1164 (Washington Supreme Court, 2021)
In Re The Personal Restraint Petition Of Lia Yera Tricomo
463 P.3d 760 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2020)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
196 P.3d 672, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-bonds-wash-2008.