State Of Washington v. Jacob Skylar Allyn Lee

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJanuary 28, 2020
Docket51633-1
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington v. Jacob Skylar Allyn Lee (State Of Washington v. Jacob Skylar Allyn Lee) 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. Jacob Skylar Allyn Lee, (Wash. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

January 28, 2020

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 51633-1-II

Respondent,

v.

JACOB SKYLAR ALLYN LEE, UNPUBLISHED OPINION

Appellant,

LEE, A.C.J. — Jacob Skylar Allyn Lee appeals his conviction for one count of vehicular

homicide, arguing that the trial court erred in admitting statements he made to an officer at the

crash site. He also appeals his sentence, arguing that the community custody condition prohibiting

contact with surviving family members was unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, and that the

criminal filing fee and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) collection fee imposed as legal financial

obligations (LFOs) should be stricken. In a statement of additional grounds, Lee argues that the

trial court erred in admitting his statements to officers because he was in custody and was not read

his Miranda1 rights.

We hold that Lee cannot raise the voluntariness of his statements for the first time on

appeal, the community custody condition prohibiting contact with surviving family members is

not unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, but that the challenged LFOs should be stricken. We

1 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602 (1966). No. 51633-1-II

also hold that Lee was not in custody at the time he made the challenged statements. Accordingly,

we affirm Lee’s conviction but remand with instructions to strike the criminal filing fee and DNA

collection fee from Lee’s judgment and sentence.2

FACTS

Lee was drinking with Christopher Grice and Grice’s family at a tavern. Grice’s family

left the tavern before Lee and Grice. Later, Lee and Grice were in a one-car crash. Grice died,

and Lee was severely injured.

Immediately after the accident, Lee was “hunched over and staggering” into the middle of

the road. Verified Report of Proceedings (VRP) (Jan. 25, 2018) at 413. He had blood smeared on

his face, and his bone was sticking out of his arm. Lee called his mother, who described him as

incoherent and hysterical.

Deputy Brent Tulloch of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department was the first to arrive at

the scene of the accident. He applied a tourniquet to Lee’s arm to stop the bleeding and laid him

on the ground. Lee seemed confused and said he did not know where his buddy was. He smelled

of alcohol.

While medical personnel tended to Lee’s arm, Trooper Brett Robertson of the Washington

State Patrol questioned Lee for the purposes of making a collision report. Trooper Robertson

2 Lee also challenges the trial courts findings of fact XIV, XV, XVII, XVIII, XXI, and XXII in the trial court’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law after Bench Trial, but Lee presents no supporting argument or authority for any of these challenges. We will not consider an assignment of error where there is no argument in the brief in support thereof. State v. Coleman, 6 Wn. App. 2d 507, 516 n.34, 431 P.3d 514 (2018). Because Lee fails to provide any argument for these assignments of error, we do not address the issues. RAP 10.3(a)(6); Coleman, 6 Wn. App. 2d at 516 n.34.

2 No. 51633-1-II

stated that Lee was coherent. Lee had watery, bloodshot eyes and had an “obvious odor of

intoxicants from him.” VRP (Jan. 23, 2018) at 104.

In response to Trooper Robertson’s questions, Lee gave his name and date of birth. Lee

stated that he was the driver of the vehicle, was the only occupant in the vehicle, and had fallen

asleep because he was working long hours. Lee asked Trooper Robertson to look for “Chris

Harbaugh” who was possibly another occupant in the vehicle because Lee “didn’t know if he

dropped him off or not.” VRP (Jan. 23, 2018) at 103-04. And Lee stated that he was coming from

Eatonville Cutoff and that Chris lived on Eatonville Cutoff.

After Lee was placed into the ambulance, Trooper Robertson asked him if he’d had

anything to drink. Lee’s response was that he did not, but when asked again, Lee said he had a

rum and coke. Trooper Robertson also asked Lee if he had consumed any drugs, and Lee said

“No.” VRP (Jan. 23, 2018) at 105. Trooper Robertson then asked Lee to take a breath test, but

Lee said he was having trouble breathing. Trooper Robertson terminated his encounter with Lee

at that time. Trooper Robertson testified that he asked Lee questions to fill out a collision report.

The State charged Lee with one count of vehicular homicide. The State also alleged that

the crime was aggravated by the defendant being under community custody at the time of the

commission of the crime.

A. CRR 3.5 HEARING

Lee filed a CrR 3.5 motion challenging the admissibility of the statements he made to

Trooper Robertson after the car crash. At the Cr.R 3.5 hearing, Lee argued that because he was

too injured to leave the scene, he was in custody for Miranda purposes. Lee contended that he

was in custody when he spoke to Trooper Robertson because his freedom of movement was

3 No. 51633-1-II

restricted while medical personnel were tending to him. He also argued that Trooper Robertson

did not advise Lee of his Miranda rights and that Trooper Robertson should have informed him of

his Miranda rights after asking “what happened and he was told by Mr. Lee that he had fallen

asleep driving because he was working long hours.” VRP (Jan. 23, 2018) at 124. Lee did not argue

that his statements were involuntary because he was severely injured and intoxicated.

The court ruled that the statements Lee made to Trooper Robertson prior to being placed

in the ambulance were admissible, but that the statements made in response to Trooper Robertson’s

questions about drinking and using drugs when Lee was in the ambulance were not admissible.

B. BENCH TRIAL

Lee’s case was tried to the bench. The trial court found Lee guilty of vehicular homicide

for Grice’s death.

C. SENTENCING

At the sentencing hearing, the State asked the court to impose as a condition of community

custody no contact with the victim’s family. Grice’s mother testified about her grief, stating that

“I have had to seek grief counseling, Christian counseling. I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I

can’t sleep more than two hours without having nightmares.” VRP (March 16, 2018) at 756.

Grice’s brother, Scott Johnson-Temores, wrote a letter to the court describing his close relationship

with his brother, explaining that he was at the tavern with Lee and Grice before the crash, and

stating he was the one who convinced Grice and Lee to stay out longer. Grice’s brother-in-law,

Brandon Johnson-Temores, also wrote a letter to the court describing his husband’s close

relationship with Grice, and explaining that he also was present at the tavern with Grice and Lee

4 No. 51633-1-II

before the crash. He wrote, “We are forever changed and have to find some way to carry on

without Chris.” Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 125.

The trial court imposed a sentence of 280 months of confinement and 18 months of

community custody. The trial court also imposed a criminal filing fee and a DNA collection fee.

In the judgment and sentence, the court ordered a community custody condition prohibiting Lee

from having contact with Grice’s surviving family members.

Lee appeals his conviction and sentence.

ANALYSIS

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