State Of Washington v. Gregory Lamont Hughes Simmons, Jr.

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided November 21, 2017·No. 48576-1·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed

Washington State

Court of Appeals

Division Two

November 21, 2017

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 48576-1-II

Respondent,

v.

GREGORY LAMONT HUGHES SIMMONS, UNPUBLISHED OPINION JR. aka Gregory Lamont Hughes, Jr., Gregory Lamont Hughes, Gregory Lamont Simmons, Gregory L. Hughes, Jr., Gregory L. Hughes Simmons, Gregory L. Hughes, Gregory Lamont Hughes, Gregory L. Hughes, Gregory Lamont Simmons-Hughes, Gregory Lamont Hughes, Jr.,

Appellant.

JOHANSON, J. — Gregory Lamont Hughes Simmons Jr. appeals his theft of a motor vehicle-domestic violence conviction and sentence. Simmons raises numerous arguments. We hold that the State’s charging decision was proper, sufficient evidence supports the domestic violence designation, the trial court did not err by admitting evidence of Simmons’s prior acts once Simmons “opened the door,” and the State did not engage in prosecutorial misconduct. In addition, we hold that the trial court erred when it ordered forfeiture of property and the trial court did not err when it imposed mandatory legal financial obligations (LFOs). We affirm Simmons’s conviction but remand to strike the forfeiture condition from the judgment and sentence.

FACTS

The State charged Simmons with theft of a motor vehicle, including a domestic violence designation. At trial, the State’s evidence included third party eyewitness testimony and the victim’s testimony.

I. EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY

On August 12, 2015, Lauren Lozada’s car was stolen. Renee Brooks witnessed a man approach the car and drive it away. Brooks later identified Simmons in a photo array and also identified him as the perpetrator at trial.

II. STATE’S DIRECT EXAMINATION OF VICTIM Lozada was over the age of 16 and in a dating relationship with Simmons from some point in early to middle 2014 to February 2015. She owned a Chevy Caprice acquired when she was dating Simmons.

In July 2015, Lozada was at court for a criminal incident when a friend informed her that Simmons was at Lozada’s car. Concerned that Simmons was trying to break into her car, Lozada left the court and found him sitting on the hood of her vehicle. Lozada approached her vehicle and told Simmons that “he needed to go and leave my car alone.” 2 Report of Proceedings (RP) at 53. Simmons responded, “[T]hat’s not happening.” 2 RP at 53.

Lozada walked away and Simmons followed her, attempting to grab Lozada and take her keys. Lozada entered a café seeking help, but she and Simmons were told to leave. They went to the back of the café, and Simmons held Lozada down and took her key chain with her car remote. Lozada was “just trying to get away from him” and testified that “[t]he only way I was able to was giving him a ride to . . . his father’s house.” 2 RP at 54. Simmons gave Lozada her car key, and

Lozada provided the ride that Simmons requested. However, Simmons kept the remote to the security system.

On August 12, Lozada learned that her car was missing. She contacted the police and reported the incident. A couple of days later, Lozada went onto a website and noticed that parts of her car were being sold by a profile associated with Simmons.

Approximately a month after Lozada’s car was stolen, she saw Simmons driving in a vehicle that appeared to have Lozada’s stolen wheels. Lozada contacted law enforcement and police arrested Simmons.

III. DEFENSE CROSS-EXAMINATION OF VICTIM During Lozada’s cross-examination, defense counsel asked questions about her contact with Simmons after their February 2015 breakup. Defense counsel asked whether she continued to see him. Lozada responded, “Not too much. He would make appearances at my schools. He would make appearances at my house. He would threaten to come to my grandma’s house, and he would make it a hassle for me not to be able to get away from him.” 2 RP at 84.

In addition, defense counsel asked whether Lozada took any long trips with him. Lozada initially said no, but then described an incident in which Simmons learned of Lozada’s plans to visit Las Vegas and forced Lozada to take him with her. When defense counsel asked if Lozada “allowed” Simmons to come to Las Vegas with her, she said,

I didn’t allow him because he had beaten me up when he seen me. He had thrown me in the car, held me against my will, and made it to where he was going with me and he was making me drive.

....

. . . I wasn’t going to argue when he was physically doing damage to me.

2 RP at 85-86. Lozada also stated that she did not go to the police about the incident.

The State objected, and the jury was excused. During the break, the trial court heard argument on whether questions about the Las Vegas trip should be allowed. Defense counsel argued that the line of questioning was relevant to show “whether the relationship was somewhat congenial and that she may have often lent him that car.” 2 RP at 88. He also said that Lozada had testified that her relationship with Simmons “was over in February of ’15, yet I have knowledge that they took a long trip in . . . early August on their way to Las Vegas.” 2 RP at 88. He said that he wanted to explore the nature of Lozada and Simmons’s relationship, including whether Lozada was honestly portraying their interactions.

The State argued that the Las Vegas trip was “not really relevant at all.” 2 RP at 89.

Defense counsel responded that it was relevant because

I’m allowed to explore bias, interest, and prejudice and that she has some bias, interest, and prejudice because of an ex-lover that she may not be too happy with in alleging that he stole her car when, in fact, he may have taken it because she allowed him to take it.

2 RP at 90. The trial judge allowed the questions, saying, “I will give [defense counsel] some leeway.” 2 RP at 91.

Defense counsel continued to question Lozada about the Las Vegas trip, including why she didn’t drive away when she and Simmons stopped during the trip, and why she did not reach out to civilians or police for help along the way. Lozada said she did not contact the police about the kidnapping because “I was scared and I didn’t want them to not be able to do something and him know that I was reporting him as trying to kidnap me so he could hurt me further.” 2 RP at 97. Defense counsel responded, “Okay. But when your car was stolen, you didn’t have a problem calling the police over that?” 2 RP at 97.

Defense counsel also asked about how many times Lozada loaned her car to Simmons.

Lozada responded that she had “never handed him the keys and said it was okay for him to drive.” 2 RP at 105. Lozada stated that when she and Simmons were in a dating relationship, Simmons drove Lozada’s car without her permission a “[f]ew times” and would take the keys from her without permission, which led to arguments. 2 RP at 106. On several occasions, Simmons made keys so he could drive Lozada’s car, and Lozada changed the ignition and locks to prevent Simmons’s access to the car.

IV. STATE’S REDIRECT OF VICTIM On redirect, the State said, “[Defense counsel] asked you a lot about things you didn’t do.

With regard to the defendant, has he ever been violent with you?” 2 RP at 112. Lozada said yes, and when asked to elaborate, said that Simmons had “[h]it me, beat me up, choked me.” 2 RP at 112.

Defense counsel then objected, arguing that statements about prior crimes not yet discussed in testimony were “prejudicial and not relevant to the allegation.” 2 RP at 113. The State responded,

The door was opened, Your Honor. He inquired into a lot of things that didn’t happen [during the Las Vegas trip,] asking her and challenging her as to why she didn’t do certain things in the car, didn’t take certain steps. And I feel, especially in a domestic violence relationship and in this sort of context, this is absolutely relevant to explain the door that Counsel opened.

2 RP at 113.

The trial court overruled the objection.

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State Of Washington v. Gregory Lamont Hughes Simmons, Jr., (Wash. Ct. App. 2017).

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