State Of Washington, V Daniel H. Tyner

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 20, 2022
Docket56082-8
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington, V Daniel H. Tyner (State Of Washington, V Daniel H. Tyner) 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 Daniel H. Tyner, (Wash. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

September 20, 2022

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 56082-8-II

Respondent,

v.

DANIEL HOWARD TYNER, UNPUBLISHED OPINION

Appellant.

VELJACIC, J.—Daniel H. Tyner appeals his conviction for felony violation of a court

order—domestic violence and attempts to appeal his conviction for obstructing a law enforcement

officer. He contends his prior convictions that were used to support his current felony violation of

a court order conviction violate double jeopardy and therefore do not qualify as predicate offenses

to support his current conviction. He further contends sufficient evidence does not support his

obstruction conviction. Because Tyner did not timely appeal the obstruction conviction, we do

not reach his sufficiency of the evidence argument. We affirm Tyner’s felony violation of a court

order conviction.

FACTS

Police responded to a 911 call regarding a possible assault. When police arrived, Tyner

was on top of his former girlfriend, P.G.1, and had both of his hands gripping the collar of her shirt.

1 We use initials to protect the identity of the domestic violence victims in this case. 56082-8-II

When Tyner saw the police, he got up and started walking away. When one of the officers told

Tyner to come back, he refused. The officer grabbed Tyner and a struggle ensued; police

ultimately arrested Tyner.

The State charged Tyner with felony violation of a court order—domestic violence based

on assault (count one), felony violation of a court order—domestic violence based on prior

violations of a no contact order (count two), assault in the fourth degree (count three), assault in

the third degree (count four), and obstructing a law enforcement officer (count five). To establish

prior violations to support count two, the State offered evidence of two 2016 convictions for

violation of a no contact order.

The State’s evidence showed that in 2016, a municipal court issued a no contact order

stating that Tyner was to have no contact with his then girlfriend, D.W. Tyner violated that order

and in September 2016 pled guilty to felony violation of a court order and misdemeanor violation

of a court order.2 Both the felony and misdemeanor judgment and sentences state that the date of

the crime was “5/27/2016 through 05/30/2016.” Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 81, 87.

The State also offered the probable cause statement and charging documents to establish

the prior convictions. The probable cause statement states that in 2016 police were dispatched to

D.W.’s home. D.W. told the police that she allowed Tyner to come back to her house on May 24,

2016. She explained that Tyner was initially nice, but then began smoking methamphetamine and

became highly aggressive. He pushed her around the house, threatened her with various weapons,

and repeatedly raped her. D.W. stated that the last rape occurred in her house on the morning of

May 29, 2016.

2 Tyner indicated on his guilty plea statement for the felony violation of a court order offense that he was entering an “Alford Plea.” Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 106. Tyner agreed that the trial court could use the probable cause statement to establish a factual basis for this offense.

2 56082-8-II

Police obtained a statement from a mutual friend of D.W. and Tyner’s, who was staying in

D.W.’s garage. The friend stated that he was woken up by loud arguing between Tyner and D.W.,

followed by Tyner bursting into the garage and stating, “I have to get out of here, the cops are

getting called.” CP at 92. The friend then drove Tyner to the Kenmore area. The probable cause

statement indicates that police found Tyner “later in the morning on 05/30/2016 and [took him]

into custody because he had come back to [D.W’s] residence, thus violating the No Contact again.”

CP at 92.

In 2016, the State charged Tyner with rape in the first degree, felony violation of a court

order—domestic violence, assault in the second degree—domestic violence, and misdemeanor

violation of a court order—domestic violence. The information stated that both charges for

violation of a court order occurred “between May 27, 2016 and May 30, 2016.” CP at 120.

Relevant to this appeal, Tyner pled guilty to felony violation of a court order and misdemeanor

violation of a court order. In his guilty plea statement for felony violation of a court order, Tyner

stated, “Between May 24, 2016, and May 30, 2016, in King County, Washington, I knew of and

willfully violated the terms of a valid domestic violence no contact order by going to the residence

of [D.W.], my girlfriend, and intentionally touching her offensively and without her permission.”

CP at 106. And in his plea statement on the misdemeanor violation of a court order charge, Tyner

stated, “Between 5/27/16 and 5/30/16, in King County, Washington, I knowingly and willfully

violated the distance provision of a valid [domestic violence] no contact order by going to the

residence of [D.W.], my girlfriend.” CP at 116.

During the trial on his current charges, Tyner filed a motion challenging the

constitutionality of the 2016 convictions. He argued that the predicate offenses used to support

the felony violation of a court order—domestic violence charge violated double jeopardy. The

3 56082-8-II

trial court rejected Tyner’s argument, concluding that the prior convictions did not violate double

jeopardy because they were separate violations: one was for offensively touching D.W. in violation

of a court order and the other for going to her residence.

A jury found Tyner guilty of all counts in the current matter. Tyner filed a motion for a

new trial, which the trial court granted solely on the assault in the third degree conviction. Tyner

then elected to plead guilty to the lesser charge of resisting arrest. The court concluded that count

one (felony violation of a court order—domestic violence based on assault) merged into count two

(felony violation of a court order—domestic violence based on prior violations of a no contact

order) and vacated count one.

On July 23, 2021, the trial court entered a felony judgment and sentence for the felony

violation of a court order conviction. The court entered a separate misdemeanor judgment and

sentence for the assault in the fourth degree and obstructing a law enforcement officer conviction.

And the court entered another misdemeanor judgment and sentence for the resisting arrest

conviction.

Tyner solely appealed the felony judgment and sentence for the felony violation of a court

ANALYSIS

I. FELONY VIOLATION OF COURT ORDER CONVICTION

Tyner contends the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had two valid and

constitutional prior convictions for violating a court order to elevate his current violation of a court

order—domestic violence offense from a misdemeanor to a felony. We disagree.

4 56082-8-II

A. Legal Principles

Former RCW 26.50.110(5) (2020) provides, in relevant part that “violation of a court order

issued . . . is a class C felony if the offender has at least two previous convictions for violating the

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Related

State v. Summers
846 P.2d 490 (Washington Supreme Court, 1993)
State v. Mutch
254 P.3d 803 (Washington Supreme Court, 2011)
State Of Washington v. Derwin Robinson
439 P.3d 710 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019)

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