State Of Washington, V. Anthony S. Person

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 21, 2023
Docket84631-1
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington, V. Anthony S. Person (State Of Washington, V. Anthony S. Person) 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
State Of Washington, V. Anthony S. Person, (Wash. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

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

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 84631-1-I

Respondent,

v. UNPUBLISHED OPINION

ANTHONY SHRONE PERSON,

Appellant.

BOWMAN, J. — A jury convicted Anthony Shrone Person of 18 counts of

sexually assaulting his minor daughters. Person argues the trial court erred by

denying several of his pretrial motions and the prosecutor committed misconduct

by improperly commenting on his constitutional right to prearrest silence. Person

also claims cumulative error deprived him of his right to a fair trial. We affirm.

FACTS

In 2011, Person and his wife Ramona Jones1 lived in Shelton. Together

they have 11 children, including Jones’ daughter from a previous relationship,

A.A. That June, two of their daughters, 15-year-old O.P. and 14-year-old M.P.,

began working at a Burger King on the Fort Lewis military base, Joint Base

Lewis-McChord (JBLM).

1 Jones divorced Person in 2018.

This opinion bases the citations and pin cites on the Westlaw online version of the cited material. No. 84631-1-I/2

In August 2011, Person filed a missing person report after O.P. ran away

from home. Soon after, the military found O.P in the barracks at JBLM and

investigated two soldiers for sexually assaulting both O.P. and M.P. During their

interviews, the soldiers claimed that O.P. and M.P. disclosed sexual abuse by

Person. The military police did not ask O.P. and M.P. about the allegations, but

they referred the case to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). 2

Child Protective Services (CPS) contacted O.P. and M.P., but the girls did not

disclose any sexual abuse by Person. CPS then referred the matter to the

Shelton Police Department (SPD). SPD sent detectives to Person’s home, but

O.P. and M.P. “refused to cooperate.”

Several years later in February 2018, A.A., O.P., and M.P. reported to

police that Person sexually assaulted them as children. In April 2020, the State

charged Person with 12 counts of sexual assault. As to A.A., the State charged

Person with one count each of first and second degree child molestation and

second degree incest. As for O.P., the State charged Person with one count

each of first, second, and third degree rape of a child; first, second, and third

degree child molestation; and first degree incest. And for M.P., the State

charged Person with one count each of second degree child molestation and

second degree incest.

2 In her report, the special agent with the military police who investigated the matter and referred it to DSHS said that Person hired an attorney from Connolly Law Offices to represent the children, so she “can[ ]not talk with them.” She also noted that “dad is a very slick talker.”

2 No. 84631-1-I/3

In June 2020, the trial court issued a warrant for Person’s arrest. In July,

police found him living under a different name in Michigan. Police arrested and

extradited Person to Mason County. The court arraigned Person and set bail at

$250,000.

On September 18, 2020, the State amended the information to add six

more counts. For the charges related to A.A., the State added one count each of

first, second, and third degree rape of child, third degree child molestation, and

first degree incest. And for O.P., the State added one count of second degree

incest.

Pretrial Motions

In November 2020, Person moved to represent himself. The court

granted his motion but also appointed standby counsel. Twice, Person asked the

court to waive his bail and release him on his personal recognizance. The court

denied both motions, finding each time that Person was a flight risk because he

resides in Michigan and a community safety risk because of the seriousness and

number of charges against him.

Person then sought to interview Jones, A.A., O.P., and M.P. Jones, A.A.

and M.P. agreed to the interviews but would not agree to Person interviewing

them. O.P. also agreed to an interview but refused to have Person present

during her interview. So, Person drafted questions for his standby counsel and

court-appointed investigator to ask during the interviews. Person did not attend

O.P.’s interview. Person planned to attend Jones’ and A.A.’s interviews, but he

cancelled the morning of the interviews, telling jail staff he was sick. Person’s

3 No. 84631-1-I/4

standby counsel and investigator conducted each interview and later provided

summaries of the questions and answers to Person.3

After the interviews, Person moved to depose the witnesses, arguing that

they refused to discuss the case and that “their testimony is material and

necessary.” Person also moved to dismiss the charges for “government

misconduct,” arguing that the prosecutor suppressed documents related to the

2011 sex abuse investigation. He argued the 2011 investigation showed that the

witnesses previously denied any physical or sexual abuse, contradicting their

later statements to police in 2018.

On December 30, 2020, the court heard both motions. It denied Person’s

motion to dismiss, concluding that the State provided Person with all known

documents related to the 2011 investigation. As to Person’s motion to depose,

the trial court noted that it did not have enough information to address whether

the witnesses refused to answer material questions during their interviews. The

court denied Person’s motion without prejudice so that he could “supplement his

request by providing specifically what it is that’s being refused.”

In a hearing on January 5, 2021, Person renewed his motion to depose

and reasserted the same arguments. The court noted that Person seemed to

have a “very thorough understanding” of the details of the 2011 investigation, so

3 The record suggests that Person never interviewed M.P. At a hearing on December 30, 2020, the State noted that “three of the four State witnesses . . . have given a pretrial interview voluntarily to standby counsel and a private investigator.” In February 2021, the State told the court it was trying to arrange the “fourth and final interview.” And at trial, Person asked for a continuance so that his private investigator could interview M.P. But at that time, M.P. declined the interview.

4 No. 84631-1-I/5

it was unclear what information he would gain by deposing the witnesses. The

court determined that the information was not material and denied the motion.

On January 19, 2021, Person filed a “Motion for Dismissal on Grounds of

Spoliation of Evidence” under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S. Ct. 1194, 10

L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963). The court heard the motion in February. Person claimed

that the Mason County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), SPD, DSHS, and CPS

possessed additional documents related to the 2011 investigation. And he

argued that the State violated its obligations under Brady by failing to preserve

and disclose the information. The State again told the court it gave Person “all

the evidence it has in its possession” and knew existed. The State explained that

after submitting public disclosure requests, it gave Person 160 pages of

investigative documents from the military, CPS, and SPD. In March 2021, the

court denied Person’s motion in a memorandum decision, explaining that he did

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Brady v. Maryland
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United States v. Richard Aichele
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State v. Lewis
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State v. Burke
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State v. Davila
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State v. Mankin
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State v. Finch
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State Of Washington, V. Anthony S. Person, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-washington-v-anthony-s-person-washctapp-2023.