In re the Detention of Mines

266 P.3d 242, 165 Wash. App. 112
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 29, 2011
DocketNo. 28889-7-III
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 266 P.3d 242 (In re the Detention of Mines) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re the Detention of Mines, 266 P.3d 242, 165 Wash. App. 112 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

Brown, J.

¶1 Calvin J. Mines appeals his civil commitment as a sexually violent predator (SVP) under RCW 71.09.060. Mr. Mines contends the trial court erred in (1) interpreting RCW 71.09.020 to allow proof of sexual motivation at the SVP trial, (2) failing to bifurcate the trial, (3) admitting original charging documents for his crimes, and (4) failing to provide his proposed limiting instruction. We disagree and affirm.

[117]*117FACTS

¶2 After completing his 1994 sentence for third degree rape, Mr. Mines spent over three years in the community. In 2001, Mr. Mines assaulted a man who tried to intervene in a discussion Mr. Mines was having with his girl friend and assaulted two police officers who responded to the scene; as a result, he was convicted of two counts of third degree assault and returned to prison. In late 2005, while Mr. Mines was still in custody for these offenses, the Department of Corrections (DOC) referred Mr. Mines for evaluation under Washington’s SVP law. Dr. Harry Goldberg, the expert retained by the State, concluded that Mr. Mines met the criteria for commitment as an SVP. The DOC had previously evaluated Mr. Mines under the SVP law but determined that he did not meet the statutory criteria for commitment.

¶3 In March 2006, the State petitioned under chapter 71.09 RCW and filed a probable-cause certification alleging Mr. Mines is an SVP. Specifically, the State alleged Mr. Mines’s prior conviction for assault in the first degree from 1970 qualified as a sexually violent offense. The State noted assault in the first degree was not “specifically enumerated” as a sexually violent offense in RCW 71.09.020 but asserted that at trial, it would introduce evidence to permit a finding that the crime had been sexually motivated. Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 4. The State listed among “other sexual offenses and misconduct” Mr. Mines’s 1990 conviction for unlawful imprisonment, 1991 conviction for unlawful imprisonment, and 1994 conviction for rape in the third degree. CP at 5-7. The State asserted a sexual assault alleged to have been committed by Mr. Mines against another prison inmate in 2003 qualified as a recent overt act. After finding probable cause in July 2006, the trial court ordered Mr. Mines be detained and evaluated pending trial under RCW 71.09.040(4).

[118]*118¶4 Before trial, Mr. Mines unsuccessfully moved to dismiss the petition, partly contending his conviction for assault in the first degree was not a sexually violent offense. Mr. Mines unsuccessfully moved to bifurcate for a preliminary trial on the question of whether he had committed a recent overt act. In its ruling denying bifurcation, the court acknowledged the risk of prejudice.

¶5 At trial, the 1970 first degree assault victim related Mr. Mines punched her in the face, threatened her with a knife, choked her, attempted to vaginally rape her, and ultimately forced her to orally copulate him. Mr. Mines was charged with first degree assault and sodomy. The sodomy charge was dismissed; he pleaded guilty to assault and was convicted on February 5,1970. The trial court concurrently entered the following finding of fact: “That the Defendant, CALVIN MINES, on the 17th day of November, 1969, with intent to rape, did assault a female child with use of a deadly weapon, to-wit: one hunting knife with 5-inch blade.” Ex. 4. Mr. Mines’s expert witness, Dr. Luis Rosell, testified Mr. Mines admitted forcing his penis into the victim’s mouth.

¶6 The 1990 unlawful imprisonment victim did not testify at trial; the State, over objection, introduced the original charging documents showing second degree rape by forcible compulsion. Mr. Mines pleaded guilty to an amended charge of unlawful imprisonment. Mr. Mines’s 1991 unlawful imprisonment victim testified, giving graphic details of a violent sexual encounter with Mr. Mines that led to third degree rape of a child charges and the eventual plea to unlawful imprisonment; the court admitted the original charging documents. Mr. Mines’s 1994 third degree rape victim related the graphic details of her sexually violent encounter with him.

¶7 Regarding the recent overt act, J.B. testified he was incarcerated with Mr. Mines in 2003. Mr. B. related Mr. Mines threatened to severely hurt him or kill him unless he performed sex acts with him; Mr. B. complied. Other wit[119]*119nesses related forced, violent sexual assaults by Mr. Mines while in jail or prison. The State questioned Mr. Mines’s expert witness regarding Mr. Mines’s alleged sexual assaults of other inmates during his confinement. Mr. Mines’s counsel expressed concern that the jury would consider this testimony for propensity to commit the alleged recent overt act and proposed a limiting instruction:

Certain evidence has been admitted in this case for only a limited purpose. This evidence consists of testimony by [M.E., B.B., and J.C.] and may be considered by you only for the purposes of proof of mental abnormality and proof of current dangerousness. You may not consider it for any other purpose. Any discussion of the evidence during your deliberations must be consistent with this limitation.

CP at 951. While agreeing it would be inappropriate to argue Mr. Mines had a propensity to commit sexual offenses to prove the recent overt act, the State successfully objected. Further details are given in our Instructional Error analysis.

¶8 The State’s expert and Mr. Mines’s expert are both clinical psychologists specializing in forensic psychology. Both doctors testified regarding Mr. Mines’s likelihood to reoffend. Dr. Goldberg diagnosed Mr. Mines with a rape disorder (paraphilia not otherwise specified), antisocial personality disorder, and determined that Mr. Mines is a psychopath, concluding Mr. Mines’s mental disorders made him likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if released from custody. Dr. Rosell diagnosed Mr. Mines solely with an antisocial personality disorder and did not believe that condition made him likely to reoffend.

¶9 The jury found Mr. Mines was an SVP under chapter 71.09 RCW. He appealed.

[120]*120ANALYSIS

A. RCW 71.09.020

¶10 The issue is whether the trial court erred in interpreting RCW 71.09.020 to allow proof of sexual motivation at the SVP trial. Mr. Mines contends the statute is ambiguous or, alternatively, it violates constitutional due process and equal protection.

¶11 We review questions of statutory interpretation de novo. Hanson Indus., Inc. v. Kutschkau, 158 Wn. App. 278, 287, 239 P.3d 367 (2010), review denied, 171 Wn.2d 1011 (2011). When interpreting a statute, a court’s fundamental objective is to ascertain and carry out the legislature’s intent. State v. Jacobs,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
266 P.3d 242, 165 Wash. App. 112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-detention-of-mines-washctapp-2011.