In Re Personal Restraint of Duncan

219 P.3d 666
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 22, 2009
Docket81230-6
StatusPublished
Cited by66 cases

This text of 219 P.3d 666 (In Re Personal Restraint of Duncan) 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 Personal Restraint of Duncan, 219 P.3d 666 (Wash. 2009).

Opinion

219 P.3d 666 (2009)

In the Matter of the PERSONAL RESTRAINT OF Bryan DUNCAN, Appellant.

No. 81230-6.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued May 12, 2009.
Decided October 22, 2009.

*667 Valerie Marsushige, Kent, for Petitioner/Appellant.

Sarah Sappington, Joshua Choate, Brooke Elizabeth Burbank, Seattle, for Appellee/Respondent.

CHAMBERS, J.

¶ 1 Bryan Duncan was convicted of three counts of first degree child molestation in 1992 and 1993. In 1996, the State petitioned to have Duncan civilly committed as a sexually violent predator (SVP) under chapter 71.09 RCW. Nine years later, in 2005, a jury found that Duncan was an SVP and the trial court ordered him committed to the Special *668 Commitment Center (SCC). Duncan argues that the trial court abused its discretion in making several evidentiary rulings and that he did not receive a fair trial. Upon careful review of the record, we hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion and affirm the Court of Appeals.

FACTS

¶ 2 In 1992, Duncan, then 16 years old, was convicted of first degree child molestation and was committed to the Department of Juvenile Rehabilitation. He was convicted of two more counts of first degree child molestation in 1993[1] and was committed to the Maple Lane School, a juvenile facility in Centralia.

¶ 3 While a resident at Maple Lane, Duncan had a variety of disciplinary problems. He had trouble controlling his anger and was often abusive to staff and other residents. On numerous occasions he was found masturbating and exposing himself to staff members. While participating in sex offender treatment, Duncan admitted to sexually abusing between 20 and 40 children and that he continued to fantasize about having sex with children. Some of these fantasies included mutilating and cannibalizing children.

¶ 4 In 1996, just prior to his scheduled release from Maple Lane, Duncan was evaluated by Dr. Leslie Rawlings, a licensed psychologist. Dr. Rawlings concluded that Duncan suffered from schizophrenia and pedophilia and that he was more likely than not to reoffend if released into the community. Following that report, the State filed a petition to have Duncan civilly committed as an SVP under chapter 71.09 RCW. Duncan was transferred to the SCC while he awaited trial.

¶ 5 Despite numerous trial dates set over the next four years, by 2000, Duncan's trial had still not been held. On May 9, 2000, the court granted the State's CR 35 motion to have Duncan reevaluated by Dr. Rawlings during pretrial discovery. Though no formal objection was filed, Duncan refused to submit to any further examinations by Dr. Rawlings and the court granted CR 37 sanctions. Dr. Rawlings never personally reevaluated Duncan.

¶ 6 Trial finally began in October 2005.[2] As part of its case the State offered the expert testimony of Dr. Rawlings who, in addition to his initial evaluation of Duncan in 1996, testified he was basing his opinion on reports filed by others while Duncan was confined at Maple Lane and the SCC. On cross examination defense counsel emphasized that Dr. Rawlings's opinions about Duncan's behavior after 1996 were "based on what others have written." Report of Proceedings (RP) (Nov. 3, 2005) at 1256. On redirect the State asked Dr. Rawlings if he would have liked the opportunity to meet with Duncan to update his evaluation. Dr. Rawlings responded, "yes." Id. at 1328. When the State asked Dr. Rawlings what prevented him from conducting an updated evaluation, defense counsel motioned for a mistrial arguing that after this court's decision in In re Detention of Williams, 147 Wash.2d 476, 55 P.3d 597 (2002), the State is not entitled to a pretrial CR 35 examination and to highlight Duncan's decision not to participate in one was unfairly prejudicial. After considering the issue overnight, the trial judge concluded that the State could show that Dr. Rawlings was denied an opportunity to conduct another interview with Duncan.

¶ 7 Trial testimony also established that if released Duncan planned to live with Dion *669 Walls. Walls was a former sex offender with whom Duncan entered into a friendship while confined at the SCC. On cross examination, and over objection, the State asked defense expert Dr. Robert Wollert if he was aware that Duncan planned to live with Walls after release and whether he knew that Walls had a criminal history of sexually offending against children. Dr. Wollert responded, "yes." RP (Nov. 9, 2005) at 1815. Despite allowing the State to elicit this testimony regarding Walls's past criminal history, the court refused to allow Duncan to offer evidence regarding aspects of Walls's own SVP case including the fact that Walls, apparently, had not reoffended.

¶ 8 Duncan also attempted to show at trial that his refusal to participate in sex offender treatment while at the SCC was due to the ineffectiveness of the treatment offered. While the trial court allowed Duncan to testify on his opinion about the effectiveness of the program, the court refused to allow Duncan to elicit expert testimony about the quality of treatment at the SCC. The trial court specifically refused to allow Duncan's attorney to cross-examine the State's expert witness, Dr. Paul Spizman, about his opinion regarding the success or failure of the treatment program, finding that such evidence was beyond the scope of the proceeding. The trial court also prohibited Duncan from eliciting testimony from his own expert, Dr. Robert Halon, about the quality of treatment at the SCC.

¶ 9 After a two week trial with extensive expert testimony on both sides, the jury found that Duncan was an SVP. Duncan appealed arguing the trial court made several erroneous evidentiary rulings. The Court of Appeals affirmed. In re Det. of Duncan, 142 Wash.App. 97, 110, 174 P.3d 136 (2007). This court accepted review. In re Det. of Duncan, 164 Wash.2d 1024, 196 P.3d 137 (2008).

ANALYSIS

¶ 10 Duncan's arguments focus on the various evidentiary rulings the trial judge made during the trial. A trial court's evidentiary rulings are reviewed for abuse of discretion. State v. McDonald, 138 Wash.2d 680, 693, 981 P.2d 443 (1999). A trial court abuses its discretion if its decision is manifestly unreasonable or is based on "`untenable grounds, or for untenable reasons.'" Mayer v. Sto Indus., Inc., 156 Wash.2d 677, 684, 132 P.3d 115 (2006) (quoting Associated Mortgage Investors v. G.P. Kent Constr. Co., 15 Wash.App. 223, 229, 548 P.2d 558 (1976)). A trial court's decision is manifestly unreasonable if it "adopts a view that `no reasonable person would take.'" Id. (quoting State v. Rohrich, 149 Wash.2d 647, 654, 71 P.3d 638 (2003)). A decision is based on untenable grounds or for untenable reasons if the trial court applies the wrong legal standard or relies on unsupported facts. Id.

Dr. Rawlings

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Bluebook (online)
219 P.3d 666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-personal-restraint-of-duncan-wash-2009.