State Of Washington v. Jarray Fransiscus White

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided November 12, 2013·No. 69064-7·Unpublished

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON^

o

STATE OF WASHINGTON, DIVISION ONE

Respondent,

No. 69064-7-1

v.

UNPUBLISHED OPINION

JARRAY FRANSISCUS WHITE,

Appellant. FILED: November 12, 2013

Dwyer, J. — Jarray White appeals from the judgment entered on a jury's verdict finding him guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the

first degree. White contends that his conviction should be reversed both because a witness uttered the phrase "DOC hearing" even though the use of the

terms "DOC" and "Department of Corrections" was prohibited by the trial court's in limine ruling and because, in White's view, the prosecutor engaged in misconduct by improperly shifting the burden of proof in closing argument to the

jury. In his statement of additional grounds, White also contends that the trial court erred by (i) denying his Knapstad1 motion, (ii) by denying his motion to suppress evidence of the firearm as being the product of a pretextual stop,

unlawful seizure, and unlawful search, and (iii) by imposing legal financial obligations as part of his sentence. Finding no error, we affirm.

State v. Knapstad. 107 Wn.2d 346, 729 P.2d 48 (1986).

Around 1:30 a.m. on August 24, 2011, White was driving a white Chevrolet El Camino on 64th Avenue S. in an unincorporated area of King County known as Skyway. King County Sheriff's Deputies Robert Nishimura and Joseph Eshom, on patrol on 64th Avenue S., observed White fail to signal before making a left turn. Deputy Nishimura made a u-turn and initiated a traffic stop of White's vehicle. Both deputies then exited the patrol vehicle, with Deputy Eshom assuming a cover position at the rear of the El Camino after determining that there were no passengers in that car.

Deputy Nishimura approached the driver's side of the vehicle and informed White of the reason he had been pulled over. Deputy Nishimura then asked White for his driver's license. After White gave Deputy Nishimura his license, White began reaching into his right vest pocket. Deputy Nishimura asked White what he was doing, but White did not respond. Deputy Nishimura

requested that White stop reaching into his pocket; White again did not respond, but instead kept reaching into his pocket and blankly stared straight ahead.

Deputy Nishimura believed that White might be reaching for a weapon. Concerned for his safety, Deputy Nishimura asked White to step out of the vehicle. Deputy Nishimura opened the car door and asked White if he had any weapons on him. White responded, "What did I do?"

Deputy Nishimura attempted to putWhite's hands behind his back in order

to perform a pat-down. According to Deputy Nishimura, White let out an "animalistic" scream, and assumed a fighting stance with his fists raised. Deputy

Nishimura grabbed White by the collar and attempted to throw him to the ground, but White escaped the deputy's grasp, turned around, and took off running.

Deputies Nishimura and Eshom pursued White on foot, yelling for him to stop. White again reached into his right vest pocket while he ran. Deputy Eshom saw White pull a gun from his vest pocket, and shouted, "Gun." Deputy Eshom

witnessed White throw the gun aside, and saw the gun hit a fence.2 Deputy Nishimura, upon hearing his partner's warning, fired his stun gun, already in his

hand, at White. White continued to struggle with the deputies, but the deputies eventually subdued and handcuffed him. Deputy Eshom retrieved the firearm, a loaded semi-automatic .380 caliber pistol, from near the fence.

The State charged White with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree, with predicate offenses of assault in the second

degree and burglary in the first degree, serious offenses under RCW 9.41.010.3 White filed a Knapstad motion to dismiss for insufficient evidence, contending

that the 1996 burglary and assault convictions could not serve as predicate offenses because White was not given notice at the time of the entry of judgment

2 Deputy Nishimura also saw the gun hit the fence, but did notsee itleave White's hand.

' "A person, whether an adult or juvenile, is guilty of the crime of unlawful possession of a 3 ...

firearm in the first degree, if the person owns, has in his or her possession, or has in his or her control any firearm after having previously been convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity in this state or elsewhere of any serious offense as defined in this chapter." RCW 9.41.040(1 )(a). "'Serious offense' means any of the following felonies or a felony attempt to commit any of the following felonies, as now existing or hereafter amended: (a) Any crime of violence." RCW 9.41.010(16).

The State initially planned to introduce evidence of a 1992 conviction for assault in the second degree; however, itopted not to use that conviction as a predicate offense because the attached fingerprints could not be verified. White was also convicted of assault in the second degree in 1996 and it is this assault conviction that the State used as a predicate offense, along with the burglary conviction. Reference to the 1996 assault conviction appears in the judgment and sentence for the burglary conviction, a copy of which was admitted into evidence.

that he had lost his right to possess firearms.4 The trial court, relying on State v. Carter. 127 Wn. App. 713, 112 P.3d 561 (2005), denied the motion, holding that White did in fact have notice that he no longer had the right to possess firearms, as he had been so advised when he was convicted of other felonies between 1996 and 2011.5 Prior to trial, White moved to suppress evidence of the firearm, contending that the traffic stop was pretextual, that Deputy Nishimura unlawfully seized White when he asked him to step out of the vehicle, and that Deputy Nishimura lacked a sufficient basis to lawfully frisk White. After a hearing on the motion, the trial court made the following pertinent findings of fact:

d) Deputy Nishimura and Deputy Eshom observed the defendant make a left turn without signaling.

e) Deputy Nishimura's attention was initially drawn to the vehicle because 1-2 days earlier he had seen a similar car "duck him,"

meaning he had seen a car that he was looking for a traffic stop [sic] and was considering pulling the car over but the car had escaped his line of sight by the time he was able to attempt a traffic stop.

f) Upon seeing the defendant fail to signal the turn, Deputy Nishimura immediately turned his patrol car around to pursue the defendant.

g) Deputy Eshom ran the defendant's license plate.

I) Deputy Nishimura advised the defendant of the reason for the traffic stop and asked him for his driver's license and proof of insurance.

n) The defendant was repeatedly reaching in his right vest pocket, o) Deputy Nishimura told the defendant to stop reaching in his pocket and asked the defendant "What are you reaching for?"

4Judgment was entered for both convictions at the same hearing.

5 The trial court also held that notice is an affirmative defense that White could raise at trial. Defense counsel opted not to pursue that affirmative defense.

q) Deputy Nishimura ordered the defendant to step out of the car and asked the defendant if he had a gun.

The trial court also made the following pertinent conclusions of law:

a) The officers were justified in making a traffic stop of the defendant based on probable cause to believe the defendant had committed the infraction of failing to signal a turn, as required by RCW 46.61.305.

b) Deputy Nishimura was subjectively and objectively concerned for his safety based on the defendant reaching into his pocket, ignoring the officer's demands to stop and ignoring the officer's request, "What are you reaching for?"

c) Deputy Nishimura reasonably ordered the defendant out of the vehicle based on his reasonable concern for his safety.

f) The traffic stop was not pretextual as it was justified at its inception.

The trial court therefore denied White's motion to suppress.

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