State Of Washington v. James Bradley Anderson

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 30, 2018
Docket75834-9
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington v. James Bradley Anderson (State Of Washington v. James Bradley Anderson) 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.

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State Of Washington v. James Bradley Anderson, (Wash. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON F- 0.3 0 5;--Itit rnt) STATE OF WASHINGTON, ) T.' ) No. 75834-9-1 7 j :c- Respondent, oo otil ) ) DIVISION ONE cfi ¶2 ••••••

v. ) ) JAMES BRADLEY ANDERSON, ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION ) Appellant. ) FILED: July 30, 2018 )

BECKER, J. —Appellant, tried and convicted on five counts of child rape

and molestation, was exposed to double jeopardy by jury instructions that did not

prevent the jury from basing two convictions on the same act of oral-genital

intercourse. He claims that defense counsel was ineffective for proposing the

deficient instructions. We reject this argument because appellant has not shown

a reasonable likelihood that the trial outcome would have been different had

counsel's error not occurred.

FACTS The State charged appellant James Anderson with one count of second

degree child molestation, two counts of first degree child molestation, one count

of second degree child rape, and one count of first degree child rape. The

alleged victim, KJ, was 20 years old when the trial occurred in 2016. She No. 75834-9-1/2

testified about a sexual relationship with Anderson that he initiated when she was

9 and he was around 18. At the time, NJ was living in Everett with her

grandmother and her grandmother's partner, who was Anderson's father.

Anderson often stayed there, and he later resided with them when they lived in

Mukilteo. Anderson was often left in charge of NJ and other young children in the

house. NJ testified that Anderson secretly had sex with her on a regular basis,

including oral sex and vaginal intercourse. NJ described certain instances in

detail.

When NJ was 13, she moved back in with her mother and her mothers

partner. She told them about her history with Anderson. She was initially

unwilling to share details with police. Four years later, after undergoing therapy,

NJ decided to talk to a detective.

The defense presented testimony from NJ's grandmother, Anderson's

father, and other family members. They denied ever witnessing suspicious

interactions between NJ and Anderson. Anderson did not testify. The defense

strategy was to cast doubt on NJ's version of events.

In closing, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, the prosecutor

matched particular incidents described by NJ to each of the five counts. Count 1,

second degree child molestation, had a charging period of May 12, 2008, to May

11, 2010. The State elected the couch" incident to support this count. KJ

testified about a time when she was 11 and she and Anderson had penile-vaginal

Intercourse on the living room couch in the middle of the day when no one else

2 No. 75834-9-1/3

was home. She did not have any clothes on. She testified, "I was on top, and

we were sitting." She recalled that it felt good.

Counts 2, 3, and 4—the first degree rape count and the two counts of first

degree molestation—shared the same charging period of May 12, 2005, to May

11, 2008. For count 2, first degree rape, the State elected "the trampoline"

incident. KJ testified about a time that she performed oral sex on Anderson in

the kitchen of their house while her friends were in the backyard jumping on a

trampoline. She was 11.

Count 3, first degree child molestation, was "the teddy bear incident. KJ

testified that one night when she was 10, Anderson appeared by her bedside,

naked. He told KJ to call him "teddy bear," and he put her hand on his penis.

Count 4, the second count of first degree molestation, was "the pink

nightgown" incident. KJ testified that the first time she and Anderson had penile-

vaginal sex, when she was 11, she was wearing a pink nightgown and the sex

was painful.

Count 5, second degree child rape, had a charging period of May 12,

2008, to May 11,2010. The State elected "the garage" incident. KJ testified

about a time, when she was 12, that she performed oral sex on Anderson while

they were in the garage playing video games.

The jury convicted Anderson as charged. The court imposed a minimum

sentence of 280 months' imprisonment. Anderson appeals the judgment and

sentence.

3 No. 75834-9-1/4

TO-CONVICT INSTRUCTION—COUNT 1 The to-convict instruction for count 1, second degree child molestation,

required the State to prove that KJ was "at least twelve years old" when the

molestation occurred. Neither party objected to this instruction. To support

count 1,the State invoked KJ's testimony about having vaginal sex with

Anderson on a couch. But KJ testified that she was 11 when that incident

occurred.

On appeal, Anderson contends that his conviction for second degree child

molestation must be reversed given the discrepancy between KJ's testimony and

the age requirement in the to-convict instruction. The State concedes that the

conviction on count 1 should be reversed. We accept the State's concession.

The lower age limit of 12 years old, though included in the statute for

second degree child molestation, is not an essential element of the crime. State

v. Goss, 186 Wn.2d 372, 378-82, 378 P.3d 154(2016). But elements in a to-

convict instruction that are not objected to become the law of the case"; the

State must prove those elements beyond a reasonable doubt to prevail. State v.

Hickman, 135 Wn.2d 97, 99,954 P.2d 900(1998). In this case, therefore, the

State was required to prove that KJ was at least 12 at the time of the molestation.

KJ testified about other sexual encounters with Anderson that occurred

when she was 12 or older. But it is not apparent that the jury unanimously

agreed to base the conviction for second degree molestation on one of these

other events. Questions sent by the jury during deliberations suggest confusion

about whether they were bound by the prosecutor's election of the couch incident

to support count 1. In response to these inquiries, the court referred the jury to 4 No. 75834-9-1/5

their instructions. The instructions did not advise jurors that they had to agree

unanimously on a particular act to support count 1, a requirement in the absence

of a valid election by the State. State v. Petrich, 101 Wn.2d 566, 572,683 P.2d

173(1984).

On this record, we conclude that the State did not meet its obligation,

imposed by the to-convict instruction, to prove the lower age limit. We cannot be

sure that the jury rejected the State's election of the couch incident, which did not

provide sufficient evidence on the age element of the crime, as defined by the to-

convict instruction, and we cannot be sure that the jury unanimously agreed on

some other act to support count 1. Ambiguities in a jury verdict must be resolved

in the defendant's favor. State v. Kier, 164 Wn.2d 798, 811, 194 P.3d 212

(2008). The appropriate remedy is to reverse the conviction for second degree

molestation and dismiss the charge with prejudice. Hickman 135 Wn.2d at 99.

INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE—DOUBLE JEOPARDY Anderson claims that his right to effective counsel was violated by

counsel's proposal of jury instructions that did not protect him from double

jeopardy. He must establish both deficient performance and prejudice. State v

Jones, 183 Wn.2d 327, 330, 352 P.3d 776(2015). The first prong requires a

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