State Of Washington, V Juan Jose Gomez Vasquez

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided July 8, 2014·No. 43422-9·Unpublished

Opinion

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CURT@ F APPEALS

DIVISION II

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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 43422 -9 -II

Respondent,

v.

JUAN JOSE GOMEZ VASQUEZ, UNPUBLISHED OPINION

Appellant.

Consolidated with Nos. 44485 -2 -II, In re Personal Restraint of 44616 - -II, 44607 -3 -II

2

JUAN JOSE GOMEZ VASQUEZ,

Petitioner.

JOHANSON, C. J. — A jury found Juan Jose Gomez Vasquez guilty of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance contrary to RCW 69. 50. 401( 2)( b). Gomez Vasquez appeals his

conviction, contending that ( 1) he received ineffective assistance of counsel, ( 2) the State

committed prosecutorial misconduct, and ( 3) that the trial court erroneously denied Gomez

Vasquez' s right to representation.

self - Gomez Vasquez also filed two statements of additional

grounds ( SAG) and three personal restraint petitions ( PRP) which are consolidated with this

Consol. Nos. 43422 -9 -II / 44485 -2 -II / 44616 -2 -II / 44607 -3 -II

appeal. 1 We hold that ( 1) Gomez Vasquez' s ineffective assistance of counsel claims fail because he is unable to demonstrate resulting prejudice, ( 2) the prosecutor' s misconduct was not flagrant

and ill intentioned and incurable by instruction, ( 3) that Gomez Vasquez waived his right to self -

representation by proceeding through trial with counsel, and ( 4) that Gomez Vasquez' s SAG arguments fail. We also deny Gomez Vasquez' s PRPs. Accordingly, we affirm his conviction.

FACTS

I. BACKGROUND

Kevin Gordon used drugs for over 25 years. In June 2011, police pulled Gordon over and found an ounce of methamphetamine in Gordon' s possession. Officer Don Walkinshaw arrived

at the scene and inquired as to Gordon' s willingness to work for the police. Aware that he was

facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted on his charges, Gordon agreed to plead guilty when offered a more lenient sentence in exchange for his work as a confidential informant ( CI).

Shortly thereafter, Gordon began to conduct " reliability buys" for Officer Walkinshaw. 2 Report of Proceedings ( RP) at 197.

In August 2011, Officer Walkinshaw put Gordon in contact with Officer James Buchanan. On August 18, Gordon went to the police station and, in the presence of Officer Buchanan, called and spoke to Gomez Vasquez reaching an agreement to exchange cash for drugs at a location in Pierce County. Before taking Gordon to the meeting location, Officer Buchanan conducted a standard prebuy search which required Gordon to empty his pockets and submit to a thorough search, frisk, and pat down of his person. Officer Buchanan provided

Gordon with a scale and prerecorded money to purchase a quarter ounce of methamphetamine.

1 The Stated filed a motion to strike the exhibits attached to Gomez Vasquez' s PRPs. A commissioner of our court denied that motion.

Consol. Nos. 43.422 -9 -II / 44485 -2 -II / 44616 -2 -II / 44607 -3 - II

Gordon went to the location where he and Gomez Vasquez agreed to meet while Officer Buchanan and other members of his investigation team conducted surveillance. But because the

technology unit was unavailable, Officer Buchanan was unable to record audio or video of the day' s events. Gordon arrived at the location and entered a van in which Gomez Vasquez was a passenger. Gordon gave Gomez Vasquez the money and Gomez Vazquez left on a bicycle returning a few minutes later with a package that needed to be " weigh[ ed] out," but Gordon

discovered that the scale he had been given was not functioning, so he was taken to Gomez Vasquez' s residence to complete the transaction. Members of Officer Buchanan' s surveillance

team followed the van from the original location back to Gomez Vasquez' s home as Gordon relayed the changing plans to Officer Buchanan via text message. Gordon arrived at Gomez

Vasquez' s residence where Gordon was given a quarter ounce of methamphetamine. After the

transaction, Officer Buchanan retrieved Gordon who produced a baggie of what was later confirmed to be methamphetamine. Officer Buchanan again searched Gordon. On August 30,

Officer Buchanan applied for a search warrant.

On September 7, Officer Buchanan and several other members of the Tacoma Police Department executed the search warrant at the residence where Gordon purchased the methamphetamine. During the ensuing search, police recovered marijuana, prescription pills, a gun, a scale, and documents with Gomez Vasquez' s name on them. But the officers did not find

methamphetamine or any of the marked money Gordon used to buy the drugs. During the Miranda2

search, Officer Kenneth Smith read Gomez Vasquez warnings. Afterwards, Gomez

Vasquez agreed to speak to Officer Buchanan. Gomez Vasquez initially claimed that he. only

2 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694 ( 1966).

Consol. Nos. 43422 -9 -II / 44485 -2 -II / 44616 -2 -II / 44607 -3 -II

consumed drugs, but when he was advised that police had observed the earlier controlled buy, Gomez Vasquez admitted to selling methamphetamine and heroin.

II. PROCEDURE

The State initially charged Gomez Vasquez with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, second degree unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of possession

of a legend drug, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. But the State amended the

charges to one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance.

A. PRETRIAL MOTIONS

Either by agreement of both parties or for administrative necessity, Gomez Vazquez' s trial date was continued a total of five times. Although his counsel agreed to continue the case,

Gomez Vasquez himself objected to any continuance during his omnibus hearing, desiring that the record reflect the assertion of his speedy trial rights. Gomez Vasquez refused to sign each

subsequent order continuing the trial date.

Gomez Vasquez also moved to suppress the admissions he made during the execution of the search warrant on grounds that he did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to remain silent. Notwithstanding some evidence that Gomez Vasquez appeared tired or possibly high on drugs, the trial court ruled that the statements were made after Gomez Vasquez

voluntarily waived his Miranda rights. Additionally, Gomez Vasquez filed a motion in which he claimed to waive his right to counsel and contended that he wished to represent himself pro se. But Gomez Vasquez was represented by counsel throughout trial and did not bring this motion to the trial court' s attention until the day he was scheduled to be sentenced.

Consol. Nos. 43422 -9 -II / 44485 -2 -II / 44616 -2 -II / 44607 -3 - II

B. TRIAL TESTIMONY AND POST -TRIAL PROCEEDINGS

At trial, Officer Buchanan testified on behalf of the State. On redirect examination, the

prosecutor asked Officer Buchanan to describe the items found in the house and elicited the

following testimony:

THE STATE:] So [ defense counsel] was asking you about some of the things you found in the house. Did you find a scale in the house?

OFFICER BUCHANAN:] Yes.

THE STATE:] Did you find a gun in the house?

OFFICER BUCHANAN:] Yes.

THE STATE:] Did you find bullets in the house?

OFFICER BUCHANAN:] Yes.

2 RP at 208. Then, in closing argument, the State utilized a " peg theory," arguing that the various little " pegs" supported Gordon' s version of the events and showed Gomez Vasquez' s

guilt. Responding to testimony that no methamphetamine was found during the search of Gomez Vasquez' s residence, the prosecutor stated,

Ask yourselves, think about this, why did Mr. Gordon tell you that they went to this house? What did they need? You remember. He said, a scale, right? What did Officer Buchanan tell you that he found in that house? A scale. I' m going to hang up another little peg for Mr. Gordon, right. Everything keeps supporting what he told you. You didn' t find any methamphetamine, no, but I found some other drugs. You didn' t find any methamphetamine, but I found a loaded handgun.

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