State Of Washington v. Kevin Lee Garrison

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedApril 16, 2018
Docket75895-1
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington v. Kevin Lee Garrison (State Of Washington v. Kevin Lee Garrison) 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. Kevin Lee Garrison, (Wash. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

FLED COURT OF APPEALS OW STATE OF WASHINGTON

2016 APR 16 ill 8:35

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

STATE OF WASHINGTON, ) No. 75895-1-1 ) Appellant, ) (Consolidated with ) No. 75885-3-1) v. ) ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION KEVIN LEE GARRISON, ) ) Respondent. ) FILED: April 16, 2018 ) LEACH, J. — This is the second appeal challenging Kevin Lee Garrison's

sentence. Both Garrison and the State appeal his sentence. The State

challenges the trial court's conclusion that a 1981 Texas conviction for voluntary

manslaughter is not comparable to a "most serious offense" in Washington and,

therefore, it could not sentence Garrison as a persistent offender. Garrison

challenges two provisions in his judgment and sentence about a curfew and sex

offender registration.

We agree that the Texas offense is not legally comparable to

manslaughter in the second degree. We do not reconsider our earlier

conclusion, which is the law of this case, that the Texas offense is not factually

comparable to manslaughter in the first degree or assault in the second degree.

For these reasons, we affirm the trial court's conclusion that it could not sentence No. 75895-1-1/ 2

Garrison as a persistent offender.

We remand, however, so the trial court can strike the community custody

provision imposing a curfew and amend the sex offender registration notice. We

otherwise affirm.

BACKGROUND

A jury found Garrison guilty of child molestation in the second degree, as

charged.1 At sentencing, the State presented evidence of three earlier felony

convictions, including a 1981 Texas manslaughter conviction. The trial court

found the Texas manslaughter conviction comparable to the Washington crime of

manslaughter in the first degree, a "most serious offense" in Washington. The

trial court relied on this conclusion to sentence Garrison as a persistent offender

to life without the possibility of release.

On appeal, we reversed.2 We decided that the Texas offense is not

legally comparable to Washington's offense of manslaughter in the first degree

or, for purposes of a "most serious offense" analysis, to Washington's assault in

the second degree.3 We also concluded that the Texas offense is not factually

The facts of the crime are not relevant to this appeal. They are set forth in detail in our opinion in State v. Garrison, No. 71134-2-1, slip op. at 2-5 (Wash. Ct. App. Sept. 8, 2015)(unpublished), http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/ pdf/711342.pdf. 2 Garrison, slip op. at 1. 3 Garrison, slip op. at 23, 28-31. -2- No. 75895-1-1 / 3

comparable to these Washington offenses.4 Finally, after noting that the parties

agreed that the Texas offense is comparable to Washington's manslaughter in

the second degree, we held that the offense had "washed out" and could not be

counted as a "most serious offense."5 Thus, we held that Garrison lacked the

prior convictions necessary to sentence him as a persistent offender and

remanded for resentencing.6

On remand, the State produced evidence to show that the Texas

conviction had not washed out. The trial court decided, however, that the Texas

offense was not comparable to second degree manslaughter in Washington and

did not reach the washout issue. Because the court decided that the Texas

conviction was not comparable to a "most serious offense" in Washington, it did

not sentence him as a persistent offender. The court imposed a standard range

sentence.

The State appeals Garrison's sentence. It claims that the trial court

should have sentenced him as a persistent offender. Garrison also appeals,

challenging issues related to his sentence. This court consolidated the appeals.

4 Garrison, slip op. at 23, 31. 5 Garrison, slip op. at 31-33; RCW 9.94A.525(2). 6 Garrison, slip op. at 33. -3- No. 75895-1-1 /4

ANALYSIS

Persistent Offender Sentencing

First, the State challenges the trial court's conclusion that Garrison's

Texas manslaughter conviction is not comparable to a "most serious offense" in

Washington. We agree with the trial court.

A "persistent offender" is an offender who:

(a)(i) Has been convicted in this state of any felony considered a most serious offense; and

(ii) Has, before the commission of the offense under (a) of this subsection, been convicted as an offender on at least two separate occasions, whether in this state or elsewhere, of felonies that under the laws of this state would be considered most serious offenses and would be included in the offender score under RCW 9.94A.525.rn

To be a strike offense for persistent offender sentencing, an earlier

conviction must be included in the defendant's offender score and must be a

"most serious offense" as defined by RCW 9.94A.030.8 To decide whether to

count an out-of-state conviction, Washington courts use a two-part test.9 A court

first considers whether the offenses are legally comparable by comparing the

elements of the foreign offense with those of the Washington offense.1° When

the elements of the foreign offense are broader than the Washington offense, the

7 RCW 9.94A.030(38). 8 State v. Morley, 134 Wn.2d 588, 603,952 P.2d 167 (1998). 9 State v. Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d 409, 415, 158 P.3d 580 (2007). 10 Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 415. -4- No. 75895-1-1/ 5

court must decide if the offenses are factually comparable." The State has the

burden of proving out-of-state convictions are comparable to Washington

crimes.12 We review the classification of an out-of-state conviction de novo.13

Here, the law of the case doctrine prevents us from reconsidering our

previous holding about factual comparability of Washington's manslaughter in the

first degree and assault in the second degree. We also decide that the Texas

offense is not legally comparable to manslaughter in the second degree. Thus,

the State has failed to show that the Texas offense was a "most serious offense."

The trial court properly decided that Garrison was not a persistent offender.

Manslaughter in the First Degree

First, the State asks us to reconsider our earlier holding that the Texas

offense is not factually comparable to manslaughter in the first degree. Following

the law of the case doctrine, we do not reconsider this decision. "The law of the

case doctrine provides that once there is an appellate court ruling, its holding

must be followed in all of the subsequent stages of the same litigation."14 The

doctrine "seeks to promote finality and efficiency in the judicial process."15

11 Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 415. 12In re Pers. Restraint of Cadwallader, 155 Wn.2d 867, 876, 123 P.3d 456 (2005); see also Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 421 (Sanders, J., concurrin g). 13 State v. Beals, 100 Wn. App. 189, 196, 997 P.2d 941 (2000). 14 State v.

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