State Of Washington, V. A.T

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided September 4, 2024·No. 58097-7·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed

Washington State

Court of Appeals

Division Two

September 4, 2024

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 58097-7-II

Respondent,

v.

A.T., UNPUBLISHED OPINION Appellant.

VELJACIC, A.C.J. — A.T. appeals the juvenile court’s order adjudicating her guilty of two counts of assault in the third degree and one count of interference with a health care facility. A.T. argues that the evidence was insufficient to support the guilty finding on the assault charges because the State failed to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt and because the State failed to prove that A.T. assaulted a health care provider as defined by statute. A.T. also argues that her adjudication for interfering with a health care facility must be reversed because the State failed to prove she made true threats under the recent constitutional standard articulated in Counterman.1 Finally, A.T. argues we should remand for the juvenile court to strike the DNA collection fee.

We affirm the juvenile court’s adjudication that A.T. is guilty of two counts of assault in the third degree. We reverse the juvenile court’s adjudication that A.T. is guilty of interfering with a health care facility. Further, we remand to the juvenile court to strike the $100 DNA collection fee.

1 Counterman v. Colorado, 600 U.S. 66, 143 S. Ct. 2106, 216 L. Ed. 2d 775 (2023).

FACTS

On January 12, 2023, Deputy Isaac Ingle responded to Centralia High School because A.T.

was refusing to leave the school. When A.T. made comments about self-harm and suicide, Ingle determined that A.T. needed to be involuntary detained in a medical facility for her safety. A.T. was transported to the emergency department at Centralia Providence Hospital. When A.T. was admitted, she was told she needed to change into scrubs. A.T. resisted changing her clothes and was kicking and screaming. Ultimately, hospital staff, hospital security, and Ingle restrained A.T. to the hospital bed and changed her clothes. Later, two nurses informed Ingle that they had been assaulted by A.T. The State charged A.T. with two counts of assault in the third degree and one count of interference with a health care facility.

At the factfinding hearing, Ingle testified that he responded to Centralia High School because A.T. was refusing to leave the school. Ingle met with A.T. and learned that A.T.’s father had previously responded to the school but had left to return to work. A.T. said she did not want to go with her father and she did not feel safe. Ingle contacted A.T.’s father and he returned to the school to have another conversation with A.T. A.T. started to leave with her father, but then began making comments regarding self-harm and wanting to die.

Footage from Ingle’s body camera was also admitted at the factfinding hearing. The initial body camera footage showed A.T. waiting calmly on a gurney in a hallway before she was admitted to the hospital. The second part of the body camera footage begins with Ingle entering the treatment room to speak with A.T. because she was resisting the hospital staff’s instructions. Ingle began explaining why A.T. was brought to the emergency room and A.T. shouted, “Yeah, I know, cause [sic] I said I was going to kill myself so I could get the f**k away from my dad.” Ex. 1 (video 443_6) at 00:36-00:41. In the video, A.T. is wearing a bra, a crop top, and leggings. Ingle

explained that A.T. was not in any criminal trouble and encouraged A.T. to comply with the hospital staff’s directions.

A.T. asked why she should comply with the hospital staff’s directions. A nurse and Ingle told A.T. that if she did not comply they would have to restrain her. The nurse also told A.T. that she was disrupting the emergency room and A.T. responded, “That sucks doesn’t it?” Ex. 1 (video 443_6) at 02:17-02:18. The nurse asked if A.T. was going to cooperate with changing her clothes. A.T. responded that the hospital staff was not going to cut her clothes off. Security personnel entered the room and A.T. refused to change while security was in the room. The nurse said security would turn around but they would stay in the room because A.T. had made threats that the hospital staff had to take seriously. When A.T. continued to resist the hospital staff’s instructions, the nurse told A.T. they were done discussing things. Ingle was outside the room at this time, but his body camera recorded A.T. screaming.

A.T. screamed, “f***ing bitch” and that she would “f***ing kill all of you.” Ex. 1 (video 443_6) at 03:52-03:56. A.T. continued screaming. Hospital staff requested that Ingle reenter the room. Staff in the room stated they had been kicked and were going to file charges. A.T. continued screaming continuously as her clothes were cut off. Another hospital staff member in the room ordered medication and told A.T. they were trying to help her and the medication would calm her down. A.T. continued screaming as hospital staff restrained her to the hospital bed. While hospital staff attempted to put the scrubs on her, A.T. screamed, “This bitch is going to pull my knee out,” and then screamed, “This bitch, I’m gonna [sic] f**k you up.” Ex. 1 (video 443_6) at 06:23-06:28. Hospital staff repeatedly encouraged A.T. to calm down. A.T. continued to scream for several minutes while hospital staff got her dressed in medical scrubs.

Tiffany Zwiefelhofer testified that she was a registered nurse in the hospital emergency department. On the day A.T. was admitted to the emergency department, Zwiefelhofer was working as a float nurse and was assigned to check in A.T. when she arrived. Zwiefelhofer explained that when a patient has been detained by law enforcement, hospital policy requires the patient to change out of their normal clothing into hospital scrubs so they can be identified if they are seen out of their room. Zwiefelhofer also noted there were safety reasons such as ensuring the patient did not have anything that could be used to harm themselves or others.

When Zwiefelhofer entered A.T.’s room, A.T. appeared agitated and tense. Zwiefelhofer testified that A.T. did not want to change into scrubs. Zwiefelhofer tried to calm A.T., but A.T. continued to be resistant to changing into the scrubs. At one point, A.T. threatened to kill Zwiefelhofer. Zwiefelhofer told A.T. that it was illegal to threaten to kill her. Ultimately, Zwiefelhofer told A.T. that changing into scrubs was a requirement, and if A.T. continued to refuse to change, she would be restrained.

The charge nurse came into the room and asked Ingle to come back in the room to speak to A.T. Security was also called into the room. When A.T. continued to refuse to change her clothes, she was restrained. Security restrained A.T.’s upper body by bending her forward on the hospital bed. Zwiefelhofer testified that A.T. was flailing her legs and A.T. kicked Zwiefelhofer in the hand while Zwiefelhofer was removing A.T.’s clothes.

Zwiefelhofer testified that A.T.’s conduct interfered with her and others’ ability to do their jobs. Zwiefelhofer also explained that A.T. required immense resources, which prevented those staff from treating other patients.

Autumn Deal testified that she was a certified nursing assistant working as an emergency department technician at the hospital. Deal testified that she heard A.T. yelling in her room and

went to help with the process of getting A.T. changed into scrubs. Deal testified that psychiatric patients were required to wear scrubs for safety because normal hospital gowns had ties that could be used as ligatures.

When Deal entered the room, A.T. was yelling and the nurse was trying to explain to A.T.

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State Of Washington, V. A.T, (Wash. Ct. App. 2024).

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