State Of Washington v. Heath Landon McMillian

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided February 12, 2021·No. 53247-6·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed

Washington State

Court of Appeals

Division Two

February 12, 2021

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 53247-6-II

Respondent,

v.

HEATH LANDON MCMILLIAN, UNPUBLISHED OPINION Appellant.

CRUSER, J. – Heath Landon McMillian pled guilty to two counts of third degree rape of a child. He appeals the sentencing court’s denial of his request for a special sex offender sentencing alternative (SSOSA) sentence, several community custody conditions, and the imposition of a community custody supervision fee. He argues that the sentencing court abused its discretion by not giving great weight to the minor victim TTC’s opinion about the SSOSA request as required under RCW 9.94A.670(4). He further argues that two community custody conditions are not crime related, that one condition is vague, and that because he is indigent the sentencing court erred when it required him to pay community custody supervision fees. In addition, McMillian raises several claims in his statement of additional grounds for appeal (SAG).

We (1) hold that the sentencing court gave great weight to both the minor victim’s and the victim’s mother’s opinions, (2) accept the State’s concessions that the curfew and hitchhiking conditions were not crime related and that the requirement that McMillian report “any romantic

relationships” was impermissibly vague, (3) hold that the community supervision fee was properly imposed, and (4) reject McMillian’s SAG claims because they either lack merit or cannot be considered on this record. Accordingly, we affirm the convictions and the trial court’s denial of McMillian’s SSOSA request, but we remand for the sentencing court to strike the curfew and hitchhiking community custody conditions and to revise the romantic relationship reporting requirement.

FACTS

I. GUILTY PLEAS

The State originally charged McMillian with four counts of third degree rape of a child involving the same victim, his step-daughter TTC. McMillian pleaded guilty to the amended charges of two counts of third degree rape of a child.

McMillian’s plea statement advised him that he was giving up any “speedy” trial rights and that his right to appeal his guilty plea was “limited.” Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 7-8. The plea statement further provided that the State would recommend a SSOSA sentence, but it also cautioned McMillian that the trial court did not have to follow the sentencing recommendation.

McMillian also initialed the following special provision in the plea statement that related to the SSOSA:

In addition to other eligibility requirements under RCW 9.94A.670, to be eligible for the special sex offender sentencing alternative, I understand that I must voluntarily and affirmatively admit that I committed all of the elements of the crime(s) to which I am pleading guilty. I make my voluntary and affirmative admission in my statement in paragraph 11 [of the plea statement].

Id. at 13.

McMillian provided the following statement:

The judge has asked me to state what I did in my own words that makes me guilty of this crime, including enhancements and domestic violence relationships if they apply. This is my statement: On or between February 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017, on two separate and distinct occasions, I did engage in sexual intercourse (digital penetration of her vagina) with T.T.C., who did not consent to such sexual intercourse because there were no actual words or conduct indicating freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse, and such lack of consent was clearly expressed by T.T.C.’s conduct. This plea is also being made pursuant to In re Barr,[1] as the specific acts that occurred may not directly implicate the elements of the crime, but I wish to take advantage of the State’s offer

Id. at 16. McMillian signed the plea agreement, acknowledging that he had read the entire agreement and understood it in full.

At the change of plea hearing, the superior court acknowledged that the State was recommending a SSOSA sentence. The court also asked McMillian if he understood that the court “doesn’t need to follow any recommendation but can impose any sentence allowed under the law.” Report of Proceedings (RP) (Jan. 7, 2019) at 7. McMillian confirmed that he understood. After finding a factual basis for the pleas, the court accepted the guilty pleas and ordered the Department of Corrections (DOC) to conduct a presentence investigation (PSI).

II. SENTENCING

A. PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION AND PSYCHOSEXUAL EVALUATION Before the sentencing hearing, the DOC submitted the PSI report. As part of the PSI, the investigator asked TTC’s mother what type of sentence McMillian should receive. The PSI investigator described this conversation as follows:

In closing, I asked [TTC’s mother] what type of sentencing [McMillian] should receive. I explained to her the difference between receiving a SSOSA and being sentenced to prison. She feels that he should pay for what he has done. She believes

1 In re Pers. Restraint of Barr, 102 Wn.2d 265, 267, 684 P.2d 712 (1984).

he has inflicted a lot of emotional pain on T.T.C and the family. She feels deceived and manipulated by [McMillian]. On the other hand, she said her and [McMillian]

have a daughter in common. She wants the daughter to have contact with her father.

She said that [McMillian] has contributed financially to her and the children and she would lose that income.

CP at 24.

The PSI investigator expressed concern about whether McMillian was admitting to or taking responsibility for his actions, noting that his admission merely mirrored his plea statement and that McMillian was still asserting that any sexual contact was accidental, that TTC had initiated the massages that had led to the sexual contact, and the he was merely pleading guilty so TTC would not have to testify. The investigator further noted that TTC’s mother characterized McMillian’s behavior as “grooming” and had stated that McMillian was “deceptive” and “manipulative.” Id. at 28. The investigator recommended that the sentencing court deny the SSOSA request under these circumstances.

McMillian also underwent a psychosexual evaluation (PSE). In the PSE report, the evaluator also noted that McMillian had denied engaging in any sexual activity with TTC and that he asserted that the touching that had occurred was at TTC’s request. The evaluator concluded, however, that “[d]enial is not necessarily a preclusion to successful treatment” and that “[t]here is nothing other than this to indicate [McMillian] is not an acceptable candidate for the [SSOSA] program.” Id. at 39. B. SENTENCING HEARING At sentencing, the sentencing court2 reviewed the PSI and the PSE. The State advised the sentencing court that the parties had agreed to recommend a SSOSA sentence.

2 The sentencing took place before a different judge than the one who entered the guilty plea.

The sentencing court then invited TTC’s mother to speak. TTC’s mother characterized McMillian as manipulative, commented on his abuse of trust, and described the significant negative impact his actions had on TTC and TTC’s half-sister.

TTC’s mother also commented about McMillian’s sentence:

[TTC] doesn’t want him to go to prison because she loves him and because she still feels like it’s her fault that he did this to her. And I feel so many emotions about that alone that I don’t know how to breathe sometimes. And it was my responsibility to protect her, and I have -- I feel like I have a pretty good BS meter, and there were a lot of times in our marriage and even after we separated where I would call Mr. McMillian on things, and it just didn’t feel right. And -- and I always just let it -- let it be a benefit of the doubt, oh, he’s just a kind of awkward but nice guy. He would never hurt us.

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State Of Washington v. Heath Landon McMillian, (Wash. Ct. App. 2021).

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