Personal Restraint Petition Of Calvin Artie Eagle

195 Wash. App. 51, 2016 WL 3919686
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 18, 2016
Docket69593-2-I
StatusPublished

This text of 195 Wash. App. 51 (Personal Restraint Petition Of Calvin Artie Eagle) 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
Personal Restraint Petition Of Calvin Artie Eagle, 195 Wash. App. 51, 2016 WL 3919686 (Wash. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Trickey, A.C.J.

¶1 Calvin Artie Eagle filed this personal restraint petition challenging his convictions of one count of first degree rape of a child and two counts of second degree rape of a child. He claims that the trial court violated his federal and state constitutional rights to an open and public trial when it arraigned him on an amended information in chambers prior to trial. He also claims that his appellate counsel was constitutionally ineffective for failing to raise this claim on direct appeal.

¶2 We hold that the in-chambers arraignment on the amended information violated Eagle’s right to a public trial. But, because Eagle fails to demonstrate actual and substantial prejudice from the violation to support his direct claim, and because Eagle fails to show that his appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to raise the claim on direct appeal, we conclude that Eagle is not entitled to collateral relief. Accordingly, we deny Eagle’s petition.

FACTS

¶3 In late 2009, a jury convicted Eagle of one count of first degree rape of a child and two counts of second degree rape of a child. The facts underlying these convictions are set forth in this court’s prior, unpublished opinion. State v. Eagle, noted at 162 Wn. App. 1008, 2011 WL 2179261, 2011 Wash. App. LEXIS 1280. In March 2010, the trial court sentenced Eagle to an indeterminate sentence of 216 months to life.

*56 ¶4 Eagle appealed to this court. He argued, among other things, that a conference in chambers regarding jury instructions violated his right to a public trial, his trial attorney provided ineffective assistance of counsel, and the failure to give a unanimity or Petrich 1 instruction violated his right to a unanimous jury verdict. Eagle, 2011 WL 2179261, at *1,2011 Wash. App. LEXIS 1280, at *1. On May 31, 2011, this court issued its opinion affirming Eagle’s convictions. The Supreme Court denied Eagle’s petition for review. State v. Eagle, 173 Wn.2d 1002, 271 P.3d 248 (2011). The mandate issued on December 14, 2012.

¶5 Eagle subsequently filed this personal restraint petition. He raised three claims regarding his right to a public trial. He claimed that his right to a public trial was violated when the trial court (1) conducted voir dire of individual jurors in chambers and sealed juror questionnaires, (2) conducted a hearing in chambers regarding text messages that Eagle received during trial, and (3) arraigned Eagle on an amended information in a closed hearing in chambers. Eagle also claimed that appellate counsel was constitutionally ineffective for failing to raise these issues on direct appeal.

¶6 On September 10, 2013, this court dismissed Eagle’s claim regarding voir dire and juror questionnaires. It stayed Eagle’s remaining claims pending resolution of two Supreme Court cases—State v. Shearer, 181 Wn.2d 564, 334 P.3d 1078 (2014) (plurality opinion) and State v. Frawley, 181 Wn.2d 452, 334 P.3d 1022 (2014) (plurality opinion).

¶7 On August 4, 2015, this court lifted the stay and dismissed all of Eagle’s claims with the exception of whether the arraignment proceeding violated Eagle’s right to a public trial, which it referred to a panel of judges for determination on the merits. At this court’s request, the parties provided supplemental briefing on this issue.

*57 ANALYSIS

Right to a Public Trial

¶8 Eagle argues that the trial court violated his constitutional rights to an open and public trial when it arraigned him on an amended information in chambers. We agree with Eagle that the trial court violated his right to a public trial when it conducted the in-chambers arraignment on the amended information. However, because Eagle fails to show actual and substantial prejudice from this error, we reject this claim.

¶9 Both the state and federal constitutions guarantee criminal defendants the right to a public trial. 2 U.S. Const. amend. VI; Wash. Const. art. I, § 22. The Washington Constitution also guarantees the right of an open trial to the public. 3 Wash. Const. art. I, § 10. “These related constitutional provisions ‘serve complementary and interdependent functions in assuring the fairness of our judicial system,’ ” and “are often collectively called the ‘public trial right.’ ” State v. Love, 183 Wn.2d 598, 605, 354 P.3d 841 (2015) (quoting State v. Bone-Club, 128 Wn.2d 254, 259, 906 P.2d 325 (1995)), cert. denied, 136 S. Ct. 1524 (2016).

¶10 “The right to public trial is not absolute.” State v. Wise, 176 Wn.2d 1, 9, 288 P.3d 1113 (2012). The trial court may close the courtroom so long as it “justifies the closure by conducting an on-the-record balancing of several factors, commonly referred to as the Bone-Club factors.” State v. Njonge, 181 Wn.2d 546, 553, 334 P.3d 1068, cert. denied, 135 S. Ct. 880 (2014).

*58 ¶11 “A three-step framework guides our analysis in public trial cases. First, we ask if the public trial right attaches to the proceeding at issue.” Love, 183 Wn.2d at 605. Second, if the right attaches, we ask whether a closure occurred. Love, 183 Wn.2d at 605. Third, we ask whether the closure was justified. Love, 183 Wn.2d at 605. If we conclude that the right to a public trial does not apply to the proceeding at issue, we need not reach the remaining steps of the analysis. State v. Smith, 181 Wn.2d 508, 519, 334 P.3d 1049 (2014).

¶12 “[N]ot every interaction between the court, counsel, and defendants will implicate the right to a public trial or constitute a closure if closed to the public.” State v. Sublett, 176 Wn.2d 58, 71, 292 P.3d 715 (2012) (plurality opinion). To determine whether the public trial right attaches to a particular proceeding, courts utilize the two-part “experience and logic” test. Sublett, 176 Wn.2d at 72-75. The “experience” prong of this test asks “ ‘whether the place and process have historically been open to the press and general public.’ ” Sublett, 176 Wn.2d at 73 (quoting Press -Enter. Co. v. Superior Court, 478 U.S. 1, 8, 106 S. Ct. 2735, 92 L. Ed. 2d 1 (1986)). “The logic prong asks ‘whether public access plays a significant positive role in the functioning of the particular process in question.’ ” Sublett, 176 Wn.2d at 73 (quoting Press-Enter., 478 U.S. at 8).

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Related

Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Waller v. Georgia
467 U.S. 39 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Smith v. Doe
538 U.S. 84 (Supreme Court, 2003)
State v. Bone-Club
906 P.2d 325 (Washington Supreme Court, 1995)
State v. Petrich
683 P.2d 173 (Washington Supreme Court, 1984)
State v. McFarland
899 P.2d 1251 (Washington Supreme Court, 1995)
State v. Koss
241 P.3d 415 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2010)
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100 P.3d 279 (Washington Supreme Court, 2004)
State of Washington v. Dallin David Fort
190 Wash. App. 202 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2015)
State v. Hurd
105 P.2d 59 (Washington Supreme Court, 1940)
In re the Personal Restraint of Snively
320 P.3d 1107 (Washington Supreme Court, 2014)
State v. Bone-Club
906 P.2d 325 (Washington Supreme Court, 1995)
In re the Personal Restraint of Dalluge
152 Wash. 2d 772 (Washington Supreme Court, 2004)
In re the Personal Restraint of Orange
100 P.3d 291 (Washington Supreme Court, 2004)
State v. Grier
171 Wash. 2d 17 (Washington Supreme Court, 2011)
State v. Wise
288 P.3d 1113 (Washington Supreme Court, 2012)
In re the Personal Restraint of Morris
288 P.3d 1140 (Washington Supreme Court, 2012)
State v. Paumier
288 P.3d 1126 (Washington Supreme Court, 2012)
State v. Sublett
292 P.3d 715 (Washington Supreme Court, 2012)

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195 Wash. App. 51, 2016 WL 3919686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/personal-restraint-petition-of-calvin-artie-eagle-washctapp-2016.