State Of Washington, V Guadalupe Solis Diaz

376 P.3d 458, 194 Wash. App. 129
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 17, 2016
Docket46002-5-II
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 376 P.3d 458 (State Of Washington, V Guadalupe Solis Diaz) 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 Guadalupe Solis Diaz, 376 P.3d 458, 194 Wash. App. 129 (Wash. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

[132]*132Bjorgen, C.J.

¶1 — Guadalupe Solis-Diaz Jr., tried and sentenced as an adult for crimes committed while a juvenile, appeals his sentence of 1,111 months (92.6 years) in prison on six counts of first degree assault with firearm enhancements, one count of drive-by shooting, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Solis-Diaz argues, and the State concedes, that the sentencing court erred by refusing to consider whether application of the multiple offense policy warranted an exceptional downward sentence. He also argues that the trial court erred by refusing to consider his youth as a mitigating factor and by imposing a 1,111-month prison term on a juvenile offender in violation of constitutional prohibitions on cruel and unusual punishment. Finally, Solis-Diaz asks us to disqualify the sentencing judge from hearing the case if we remand for resentencing, arguing that the judge’s statements at the previous sentencing hearing created the appearance of bias.

¶2 We agree with Solis-Diaz that the sentencing court erred by failing to consider an exceptional sentence below the standard range in mitigation of consecutive sentences imposed under the multiple offense policy. We also hold that the sentencing court erred by failing to consider Solis-Diaz’s age as a basis for a sentence below the standard range. Accordingly, we vacate Solis-Diaz’s sentence and remand for resentencing. On remand, the sentencing court must conduct a meaningful, individualized inquiry into whether Solis-Diaz’s youth should mitigate his sentence. Because we remand on other grounds, we do not consider whether Solis-Diaz’s sentence violates the constitutional prohibitions on cruel and unusual punishment. We decline to mandate the sentencing judge’s disqualification, but we acknowledge that Solis-Diaz is free to move for disqualification on remand.

[133]*133FACTS

¶3 Solis-Diaz was 16 years old in 2007, when he participated in a gang related drive-by shooting in Centraba. He was charged with six counts of first degree assault, each with a firearm sentencing enhancement; one count of drive-by shooting; and one count of second degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He was tried as an adult pursuant to former RCW 13.04.030(l)(e)(v)(A) (2005) and former RCW 9.94A.030(46)(v) (2006). The jury found him guilty on all counts, and the trial court imposed a standard-range sentence of 1,111 months in prison. Judge Nelson Hunt presided over the original sentencing.

¶4 Solis-Diaz brought a personal restraint petition challenging his sentence in this court. In an unpublished opinion, we reversed the sentence for ineffective assistance of counsel and remanded for resentencing. In re Pers. Restraint of Solis Diaz, noted at 170 Wn. App. 1039, 2012 WL 5348865, at *1, 2012 Wash. App. LEXIS 2217, at *2. Among the grounds for concluding that Solis-Diaz received ineffective assistance was his counsel’s failure to properly inform the trial court that Solis-Diaz’s case was automatically declined to adult court. 2012 WL 5348865, at *1, 2012 Wash. App. LEXIS 2217, at *4. We did not decide whether a 1,111-month fixed term sentence violated the federal constitutional prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment or the state constitutional prohibition of cruel punishment. U.S. Const, amend. VIII; Wash. Const, art. I, § 14.

¶5 Judge Hunt also presided over the resentencing. Solis-Diaz requested an exceptional downward sentence on grounds that the multiple offense policy of the Sentencing Reform Act of 19811 (SRA) operated to impose a clearly excessive sentence and that Solis-Diaz’s age indicated diminished capacity to understand the wrongfulness and consequences of his actions. [134]*134Judge Hunt denied the request and again imposed a standard-range sentence of 1,111 months in prison.

¶6 In making his ruling, Judge Hunt “ha[d] some comments to make about the finding that [Solis-Diaz’s counsel at the original sentencing] was ineffective.” Report of Proceedings (RP) at 34. He called the reasoning underlying our holding

an insult to all the trial judges in this state. To postulate that a judge would be so ignorant, lazy or stupid as to not know or inquire at some point why this 17-year-old was in adult court is incredible to me. . . .
In my case, it’s particularly insulting as [counsel] well understood my background, which consists of 17 years in prosecution, nine years in private practice . . . , and at the time three years on the bench. . . .
... [I] t is simply ludicrous to think that I would not have known what [counsel] meant when he said the defendant was auto-declined.

RP at 34-35. Judge Hunt then outlined at length his reasons for imposing a sentence at the top of the standard range:

The sentence is precisely what the Legislature intended and is frankly the only result which would withstand a legal analysis.
... I believe the original sentence accurately reflects what the legislative intent for this situation is, and there are no substantial and compelling reasons to deviate from the standard range.
... [T]he legislative intent is clear, and under the Sentencing Reform Act, punishment and accountability are the primary foci of sentencing, and serious violent crimes will be punished severely, particularly if there are multiple counts. Older teenagers will be treated as adults. And, finally, if you commit serious violent offenses while armed with a firearm, you’ll receive a severe sentence.
. . . One of the purposes of sentencing is the message that is sent to others contemplating a similar offense. . . .
[135]*135I don’t know where the people live who made the claim that assaults in Lewis County have remained relatively steady, but for those of us who do live here, we know this. There had been many similar incidents of gang-related violence in Centraba with the use of firearms. From the day this sentence was pronounced, there have been no similar crimes in Centraba. Gang-related violence with firearms have been virtually eliminated from Centraba.

RP at 37-44.

¶7 Judge Hunt rejected Solis-Diaz’s request to impose an exceptional sentence below the standard range. He explained that under an earlier, now reversed, decision of Division Three of our court, State v. Graham, 178 Wn. App. 580, 314 P.3d 1148 (2013) (Graham I), rev’d, 181 Wn.2d 878, 337 P.3d 319 (2014) (Graham

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Bluebook (online)
376 P.3d 458, 194 Wash. App. 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-washington-v-guadalupe-solis-diaz-washctapp-2016.