State Of Washington v. Andrew J. Stearman

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided April 21, 2015·No. 44884-0·Published

Opinion

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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHING , A+ ING t7P!

BY

DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 44884 -0 -II

Respondent,

v.

ANDREW JOSEPH STEARMAN, PUBLISHED OPINION

Appellant.

WoRSwIcK, J. — Andrew Stearman appeals his convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. He argues that the trial court abused its discretion by 1) denying his motion to change venue, and (2) refusing to consider his renewed motion to change venue at the close of evidence. We reverse the convictions because the trial court abused

its discretion by refusing to consider Stearman' s renewed motion to change venue and because this error was not harmless. We dismiss the convictions without prejudice to the State' s right to

refile, in the appropriate venue, the charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful

possession of a stolen firearm.

FACTS

Three burglars stole 41 operable firearms from a sporting goods store in Fife. The firearms made their way to Tacoma, then to West Seattle. One of the burglars, Soeun Sun, was acquainted with Stearman. Stearman lived in a single- family residence with his brother in King County. Several days after the burglary, the burglars sent a photo in a text message to Stearman showing multiple firearms displayed on a bed. Subsequently, Sun and another burglar, David

No. 44884 -0 -II

Bunta, brought about 10 firearms in a duffel bag to Stearman' s house. At this time, Sun owed Stearman about $ 400. Sun left the duffel bag of firearms at Stearman' s house. The firearms remained at Stearman' s house for a time, during which people purchased some of the guns directly from Sun.

Police initiated an investigation into the burglary and its aftermath. After several months, the investigation led police to Stearman. Police arrested him in West Seattle and brought him to

Fife for questioning.

During the interrogation, Stearman maintained that he neither bought nor sold the firearms Sun brought to his house. He claimed he liked one of them in particular and accepted it

as payment for the $ 400 debt Sun owed him, but he denied knowing of or participating in the trafficking of stolen firearms from his residence. He claimed that he learned of the burglary and its connection to the firearms at his house later, when he saw a news video and recognized the burglars. Stearman admitted to exchanging text messages with Sun shortly after the burglary, including receiving a photograph of the guns. But the interrogation included no discussion of any phone calls.

The State charged Stearman in Pierce County with first degree trafficking in stolen property as an accomplice,' and possession of a stolen firearm as an accomplice.2 Both of these charges bore aggravators for their connection to criminal street gang activity. The trafficking charge reflected the State' s contention that Stearman allowed the guns to remain at his house and

1 RCW 9A.82. 050( 1).

2 RCW 9A. 56. 140( 1); 9A.56. 310( 1).

No. 44884 -0 -II

assisted in their sale. The declaration of probable cause stated that one of the burglars' phones

contained text messages from Stearman referencing weapons, and that Stearman was friends on social media with one of the burglars. It also stated that Stearman lived at an address described

by one of the purchasers of firearms, suggesting that trafficking occurred at Stearman' s residence. It further stated that Sun' s cell phone records showed that the phone " pinged" off of a

tower near Stearman' s house 11 days after the burglary, corroborating the allegation that the

3

burglars were physically at Stearman' s residence. Clerk' s Papers at 6. Finally, the declaration

of probable cause summarized Stearman' s interrogation, saying that he admitted the burglars brought a duffel bag of firearms to his house after the burglary. It said Stearman owed Sun $ 400 and that he accepted one of the guns as payment.

Before the jury was empanelled, Stearman moved to change venue from Pierce County to King County. Stearman argued that " none of his alleged crimes occurred in whole or even in part in Pierce County. Further, even if there was a reasonable doubt as to where these crimes occurred, [ Stearman] has the sole discretion to pick his court of venue and wishes his case to be heard in King County." CP at 10.

In response to the motion to change venue, the State amended Stearman' s information to

add one count of conspiracy to traffic in stolen property in the first degree. The State based this count on the allegation that " those responsible for the burglary phoned [ Stearman] from Pierce

3 The declaration of probable cause discusses Sun' s phone' s " ping" near Stearman' s house. The police report, which the State attached to its brief in opposition to the motion to change venue, avers that Bunta' s phone " pinged" at Stearman' s house. Thus, this cell phone evidence showed only that the two burglars were near Stearman' s house, and did not show that the burglars were in contact with Stearman from Pierce County.

No. 44884 -0 -II

County and during the phone conversations there was an agreement that the burglars would bring the stolen firearms to [ Stearman] and sell the firearms. "4 CP at 28 -29. There was no factual support for these phone conversations in the declaration of probable cause or the police report.

At a hearing on Stearman' s motion to change venue, the trial court considered both the initial charges and the proposed conspiracy charge. The court heard argument from Stearman and the State describing the relevant facts. Stearman argued to the court that the probable cause statement showed that Stearman' s actions clearly took place in King County. He averred that, based on his review of the discovery, none of the alleged acts occurred in Pierce County.

The State informed the court that it had discovered that the burglars contacted Stearman

by a telephone call made from Pierce County to King County shortly after the burglary. The State alleged that after this phone call, the burglars proceeded to Stearman' s residence in King County to sell the weapons to Stearman. The State characterized this phone conversation as an agreement forming the basis of a conspiracy, and argued that the burglars' trip to King County was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy to traffic firearms. Thus, the State argued that the evidence showed an agreement to traffic the firearms fouuied in Pierce County.

The court denied the motion to change venue, based on the original trafficking and possession of a stolen firearm charges, as well as on the proposed conspiracy count. It found that

the State had charged Stearman with trafficking under two theories: ( 1) organizing, planning,

financing, directing, managing, or supervising the theft of property for sale to others and (2) knowingly trafficking in stolen property. It also found that, supporting the possession of stolen

firearms count, "[ t] he theft of the firearms clearly occurred in Pierce County. The fact they were

4 Conspiracy is proscribed by RCW 9A.28. 040.

No. 44884 -0 -II

stolen firearms was generated because of actions that occurred in Pierce County. [ Stearman was]

charged in Count II with possession of stolen firearms. The firearms were allegedly stolen because of actions that occurred in Pierce County." Verbatim Report of Proceedings ( VRP) ( Jul.

10, 2012) at 15. The trial court ruled that there was no reasonable doubt that at least part of each

offense charged occurred in Pierce County.

Thereafter, the State amended Stearman' s information, adding one count of first degree conspiracy to commit trafficking. 5 The amended information also charged Stearman as a principal, not an accomplice, to both trafficking and possession of a stolen firearm. Several

months later, the State again amended the information, adding one count of second degree unlawful possession of a firearm, based on a previous felony conviction.

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