In the Matter of the Personal Restraint of: Ricardo Miquel Maldonado

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided November 18, 2021·No. 36684-7·Unpublished

Opinion

FILED

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

In the Office of the Clerk of Court WA State Court of Appeals, Division III

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION THREE

In the Matter of the Personal Restraint of )

) No. 36684-7-III RICARDO MIGUEL MALDONADO, )

)

Petitioner. ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION

STAAB, J. — In a timely personal restraint petition (PRP), Ricardo Maldonado challenges the sentence imposed for his 2017 Walla Walla County conviction of attempted second degree murder while armed with a firearm, committed at age 18. Mr. Maldonado claims he was denied effective assistance of counsel at his initial sentencing hearing because his attorney failed to hold the State to its burden of proving that his Oregon juvenile convictions were comparable to Washington felonies for offender score purposes. Following two reference hearings conducted at our request, the Superior Court determined that all of Mr. Maldonado’s Oregon convictions were comparable to Washington crimes. We disagree with the Superior Court’s analysis and find that the

PRP of Maldonado

crimes are not comparable. Having established deficiency and prejudice, we grant Mr. Maldonado’s petition and remand for a full resentencing hearing where Mr. Maldonado may raise claims of mitigation based on youthfulness.

FACTS

The facts leading to Ricardo Maldonado’s conviction are briefly recounted from this court’s opinion, No. 35182-3-III. State v. Maldonado, No. 35182-3-III (Wash. Ct. App. June 12, 2018) (unpublished).1 Mr. Maldonado traveled by car with three friends, Raul Madrigal, Leonardo Corona Venegas, and Diego Rivera. The four stopped at some grain elevators. While Rivera was urinating and had his back turned, one of his friends shot him eight times. Rivera survived, but is now paralyzed from his waist down. Based on statements made by Madrigal to police, the State charged Maldonado with attempted first degree murder while armed with a firearm. At trial, Madrigal testified he saw Maldonado fire the gun and then hand the gun to Venegas. According to Madrigal, Venegas tried to shoot Rivera but the gun was empty. Venegas then complained to Maldonado that he had used all the bullets. Rivera testified differently. He testified he turned around after he felt the second bullet and saw Venegas shooting. According to Rivera, Venegas then handed the gun to Maldonado, and Maldonado tried to shoot it.

1 http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/351823_unp.pdf.

PRP of Maldonado

The jury found Maldonado guilty of attempted second degree murder and found by special verdict that he was armed with a firearm at the time of the shooting.

The pre-sentence investigation report (PSI) indicated Mr. Maldonado’s criminal history was comprised of five Oregon juvenile convictions, including three for second degree burglary and one each for attempting to elude and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The court thus calculated Maldonado’s offender score at 2½, rounded down to 2, with a resulting standard range of 168-243 months including the 60-month firearm enhancement. Both the prosecutor and defense counsel agreed the correct score was 2 based on the Oregon convictions. Mr. Maldonado’s attorney confirmed with the court that he had no questions in that regard. There was no further colloquy about the offender score or comparability of the Oregon convictions, and the State did not produce copies of those judgment and sentences. At the sentencing hearing, defense counsel advocated for a low-end 168-month sentence. He related his own discussions with Mr. Maldonado and information contained in the PSI that Mr. Maldonado had a troubled family upbringing involving abuse and domestic violence, he had suffered several concussions before the age of 13 that affected his memory of events prior to that age, he did not have a significant criminal history and was not a gang member, he was remorseful for the crime, and he exhibited desire and likelihood for rehabilitation. Defense counsel also asked the court to consider Mr. Maldonado’s age of just 19 at the time of sentencing, and that he would be leaving behind two children of his own while in prison. Mr. Maldonado’s

PRP of Maldonado

mother also spoke on his behalf. She said that he had his attorney speak in his defense because he sustained a concussion three or four years ago that affected his ability to explain himself in a manner that would not further incriminate him. Mr. Maldonado declined to make a statement in allocution.

The State recommended a mid-range sentence based on Mr. Maldonado’s direct participation in the crime as a shooter (something that he denied) and his lack of taking responsibility for the crime (including fleeing to the east coast after the shooting). Id. at 453-54, 447, 444-45. The court imposed a midpoint 206-month sentence. Id. at 464-65.

Mr. Maldonado filed a direct appeal and this court affirmed the judgment and sentence. See Maldonado, No. 35182-3-III. The mandate was issued on July 27, 2018. Mr. Maldonado filed this personal restraint petition with the court on March 25, 2019. In the petition he claims he was denied effective assistance of counsel because his attorney failed to hold the State to its burden of proving that his five prior Oregon juvenile convictions were comparable to Washington felonies for offender score purposes. In its response, the State conceded it had failed to meet its burden of proof with regard to the out-of-state convictions and requested an evidentiary hearing be ordered to adjudicate the legal and factual comparability of the Oregon offenses.

Our Acting Chief Judge ordered an evidentiary hearing and directed the superior court to determine “(1) the existence and comparability to a Washington offense of each Oregon conviction referenced in the 2017 judgment and sentence, (2) whether, and to

PRP of Maldonado

what extent, said Oregon convictions are considered the same criminal conduct in computing the current offender score, and (3) the resulting correct offender score.” Order for Ref. at 3. An evidentiary hearing was held in April 2020. First Evid. at 5. Finding the first response insufficient, our Acting Chief Judge ordered a second evidentiary hearing. See Second Order for Ref. The order for the second evidentiary hearing requested the court make specific determinations on the following questions: “1. Does Oregon’s crime of burglary require intent to commit a crime against ‘a person or property therein,’ as opposed to intent to commit ‘any crime?’ 2. If the answer to the first question is negative, are the Oregon adjudications factually comparable to any felony crime in Washington? 3. Is the Oregon conviction for eluding factually comparable to RCW 46.61.024 when adjudged against the ‘reckless manner’ standard as defined in State v. Naillieux, 158 Wn. App. 630, 241 P.3d 1280 (2010) (‘reckless manner’ is not synonymous with ‘reckless driving’)? 4. Are Mr. Maldonado’s deferred disposition orders ‘convictions’ for purposes of RCW 9.94A.030(9) and .525(3)? 5. What is Mr. Maldonado’s offender score in light of the court’s answer’s to the preceding questions?” See Second Order for Ref. at 2-3.

At the second evidentiary hearing, the trial court outlined responses to each of these questions. Second Evid. at 90-98. In regards to the first question, the court found that there was no requirement under the Oregon statute that the crime of burglary require intent that a crime be committed against “a person or property therein.” Id. at 91.

PRP of Maldonado

However, in answering the second question, the court found the Oregon burglary adjudications were factually comparable to the felony crime of Washington burglary in the second degree (RCW 9A.52.030) and residential burglary (RCW 9A.52.025). Id. at 92-93. The court supported its finding by citing to the defendant’s admissions to the allegations contained in paragraphs one and two of the petition and a statement for probable cause. Id. at 93.

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