State Of Washington v. Isiah Martin

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 7, 2019
Docket50675-1
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington v. Isiah Martin (State Of Washington v. Isiah Martin) 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. Isiah Martin, (Wash. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON Division Two DIVISION II May 7, 2019 STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 50675-1-II

Respondent, UNPUBLISHED OPINION v.

ISIAH D. MARTIN,

Appellant.

GLASGOW, J. — Isiah Martin appeals from his conviction for first degree unlawful

possession of a firearm and the resulting sentence. He asserts that (1) the State failed to present

sufficient evidence to support the conviction, (2) the prosecutor made several improper

arguments during closing argument, (3) the trial court abused its discretion when ordering him to

register as a felony firearms offender, and (4) the trial court erred by imposing certain

discretionary legal financial obligations. We affirm Martin’s conviction but remand for

resentencing solely for consideration of discretionary legal financial obligations in light of new

law.

FACTS

In the middle of the night, Tacoma police officers Gerald Bratcher and Ryan Bradley

went to the Pacific Lanes Bowling Alley in Tacoma in response to a call about a person in a

Camaro “throwing garbage everywhere.” Report of Proceedings (RP) at 324. Martin was alone

in a Camaro, sitting in the driver’s seat. Martin told the officers that he was paralyzed from the

waist down.

Bratcher saw fast food garbage and what appeared to be a catheter bag containing urine

on the ground next to the driver’s side of the Camaro. Bratcher asked Martin to pick up the

garbage. Martin braced himself by holding the steering wheel with his right hand before leaning No. 50675-1-II

out of the vehicle and grabbing the garbage with his left hand. Martin placed the garbage near

his feet in front of the driver’s seat. Bradley saw that a pistol was located directly under where

Martin was placing the garbage and alerted Bratcher. Bratcher ordered Martin to place his hands

on the steering wheel, and Martin complied. Bratcher then removed the pistol from the vehicle.

Bratcher ran a records check and found that Martin had previously been convicted of a

felony. Because his prior conviction made it illegal for him to possess a firearm, the officers

detained Martin in his vehicle and called an ambulance to take him to the Pierce County Jail.

While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the officers saw a vehicle park at the far end of the

parking lot. A woman got out of the passenger seat and ran toward the officers, yelling. She was

later identified as True Treasure Bonds, Martin’s girlfriend, caregiver, and the mother of his

child.

The State charged Martin with first degree unlawful possession of a firearm.1 At trial,

Bratcher and Bradley testified consistently with the facts stated above. The parties stipulated

that Martin had previously been convicted of a serious offense, and the trial court read the

stipulation to the jury.

Bonds testified that she had provided care for Martin on a daily basis as his licensed

home care aide since he became paralyzed from the chest down in 2015. She explained that

Martin was able to drive with the use of driving sticks, which allowed him to operate the gas and

brake pedals with his hands. Bonds also said that Martin was not able to open a car door on his

own. He needed someone to open the door for him and “pretty much pick him up like a baby

and put him in his seat.” RP at 442.

1 The State also charged Martin with three counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. These charges were dismissed with prejudice and are not part of this appeal. 2 No. 50675-1-II

Bonds testified that she owned the Camaro that Martin was driving on the date of his

arrest, as well as a second vehicle that was inoperable. She further testified that Martin drove her

Camaro only in emergencies. Bonds reported that she had a concealed pistol license and owned

several firearms, including the pistol found in her Camaro. Bonds said she was aware that

Martin was prohibited from possessing firearms, so she stored them in locations in their home

that he could not physically access. She left her pistol in the Camaro on the day Martin was

arrested.

Bonds testified that she had been at a party in University Place on the night that Martin

was arrested. A friend had driven her to the party and had planned to drive her home, but the

friend changed her mind and ultimately would only bring Bonds halfway home. Bonds

explained that she had attempted to call people after midnight to ask if they could pick her up

halfway, but Martin was the only person available. Martin agreed to meet her at the bowling

alley, which was a 10 minute drive from the party. Bonds acknowledged that someone would

have had to help Martin into the car. When Bonds arrived at the bowling alley, she saw police

surrounding her Camaro.

During the State’s closing argument, the prosecutor discussed whether Martin had

dominion and control over the vehicle and therefore, the firearm. The prosecutor argued that

Bonds could drive and operate the vehicle and this gave him dominion and control. And the

prosecutor argued that if Martin maneuvered himself into the car that night, he would have seen

the firearm. Martin objected, asserting that the argument misstated the evidence, and the trial

court overruled the objection. The State continued, “If the defendant can do all of those things, if

he can maneuver that car safely over the roadway, then he’s got dominion and control.” RP at

549. Martin again objected, asserting that the State was misstating the law, and the trial court

3 No. 50675-1-II

again overruled the objection. The State continued, “Why is that? Because he’s got control over

the contents of, over the driving sticks that are inside the vehicle that’s inside of it, the catheter

bag that’s by his feet and, guess what, the pistol that’s also at his feet.” RP at 549.

Later, the State argued that Bonds’s testimony about why Martin was at the bowling alley

was not credible, suggesting that Bonds could have driven her second vehicle or that there were

plenty of people Bonds could have asked for a ride home, rather than waking up Martin and

requiring him to get assistance getting into the car in the middle of the night. Martin objected,

asserting that the State was misstating the evidence, and the trial court overruled the objection.

The State also argued:

[Martin] is in the driver’s seat here. He can close those doors, he can keep those closed, he can lock those doors, he can drive away. That, ladies and gentlemen, is an ability to exclude others from possession of that gun. . . . If you find no more than that, you’re finding that he’s in constructive possession of the gun.

RP at 553-54. Martin made an argument to the court about the burden to prove knowledge but did

not formally object to this argument.

Finally, the State argued:

He’s got the capacity to maneuver those sticks, to maneuver that steering wheel, and that’s actually probably tougher than what you and I do on a daily basis with two hands on the wheel and a foot on the pedals because he’s got to do both of those with his hands. He’s got that dexterity.

RP at 554-55. The State also pointed out Bonds’s lack of familiarity with the vehicle’s features:

Miss Bonds, who claimed to own the car and drive it regularly, didn’t know if it had power steering, didn’t know if it had power locks, didn’t remember much about it at all, including the year. . . .

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State Of Washington v. Isiah Martin, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-washington-v-isiah-martin-washctapp-2019.