State Of Washington, V. Malcolm Otha Mcgee

530 P.3d 211
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 30, 2023
Docket83043-1
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 530 P.3d 211 (State Of Washington, V. Malcolm Otha Mcgee) 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. Malcolm Otha Mcgee, 530 P.3d 211 (Wash. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 83043-1-I Respondent, DIVISION ONE v. PUBLISHED OPINION MALCOLM OTHA MCGEE

Appellant.

BIRK, J. — As the State acknowledges, a sheriff’s deputy unconstitutionally

seized Malcolm McGee, questioned him, searched him, and collected his phone

number and other information. In a later murder investigation, the State relied on

the evidence it had unconstitutionally gathered to connect McGee to the crime and

obtain at least four warrants for his phone records, cell site location information,

and, among other things, his arrest, all leading to McGee’s conviction for second

degree murder. The State asks us to hold under Washington’s attenuation

doctrine the homicide attenuated the taint of the deputy’s unconstitutional conduct.

Because the State fails to show attenuation, we reverse.

I

A

On June 3, 2017, King County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Hawley, while

working as a plainclothes narcotics detective, observed a man, later identified as

Keith Ayson, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. Hawley observed Ayson For the current opinion, go to https://www.lexisnexis.com/clients/wareports/. No. 83043-1-I/2

continually look down at a cell phone and then look around the area as if waiting

for someone. A silver Chrysler Sebring approached, and Ayson got into the front

passenger seat. The vehicle drove approximately one block, then stopped on the

side of the road. After no more than two minutes, Ayson exited the Chrysler.

Hawley saw Ayson put something small into his pocket. Ayson walked back

towards where he had been.

Hawley followed the Chrysler to an apartment complex. Hawley called for

backup support. Detective Hawley put on his marked exterior sheriff’s vest, exited

his vehicle at “about the same time” the driver “exit[ed] his vehicle.” Hawley did

not recognize the driver. Hawley “announced [himself] as law enforcement and

ordered [the driver] to stay in the vehicle.”

Detective Hawley made contact with the driver. The driver identified himself

as Malcolm McGee. Before June 3, 2017, Hawley had never met or seen McGee.

Hawley ordered McGee out of the vehicle and provided Miranda1 warnings.

Hawley explained he had “just watched” the interaction with Ayson and asked

McGee, “[W]here’s the dope?” McGee initially said it was all gone, but then

produced a “baggie” of cocaine. Hawley asked to search McGee’s car. McGee

granted permission. Hawley found a bag filled with smaller baggies. McGee said

Ayson was his supplier, and he had purchased the cocaine from Ayson during the

interaction Hawley observed. Hawley invited McGee to “work off” his possession

charge by entering into a confidential informant agreement to provide information

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

2 For the current opinion, go to https://www.lexisnexis.com/clients/wareports/. No. 83043-1-I/3

and conduct a controlled buy. McGee signed a written agreement. McGee

provided Hawley with his phone number. McGee never contacted Hawley.

Hawley returned to his original location to look for Ayson. Hawley found

Ayson and interviewed him. Ayson said he knew McGee as “TJ.” Ayson reported

he had purchased cannabis from TJ. According to Ayson, he had known TJ for

about two months, and regularly bought cocaine and cannabis from him. He

denied being a drug dealer. Ayson did not have any illegal drugs on his person.

He also did not have any items of contraband suggesting he was selling drugs,

and he had no money.

Hawley showed McGee’s latest King County Jail booking photo to Ayson,

who confirmed McGee was the person he knew as TJ. Hawley concluded McGee

was the dealer and had fabricated the story about Ayson. Hawley placed a report

from this incident into a police database. Later, Hawley completed a certification

for determination of probable cause and McGee was charged with Violation of the

Uniform Controlled Substances Act (VUCSA).

B

The next day, June 4, 2017, witness Ronald Elliott called 911. Elliott lived

on a dead-end street adjacent to a forested creek bed. Elliott testified he saw two

men walking away towards the dead-end and a car he estimated was about a 2000

Chrysler, silver or silver-gray, with tinted windows.2 After an unknown period of

2 We acknowledge the existence of inconsistencies between Elliott’s and

another witness’s reports, but these inconsistencies are not material to our analysis concerning the information Hawley learned from McGee during the June 3 stop.

3 For the current opinion, go to https://www.lexisnexis.com/clients/wareports/. No. 83043-1-I/4

time, Elliott heard gunshots and called 911. Within minutes of hearing the

gunshots, Elliott saw the silver car drive away. Police responded to Elliott’s 911

call, arriving between 4:25 p.m. and 4:29 p.m. The police searched the forested

creek bed but found nothing amiss.

C

On July 11, 2017, after investigating a concerning odor, Elliott discovered a

body in the forested creek bed. Responding police recovered a wallet containing

Ayson’s identification with the body. The King County Medical Examiner’s office

later confirmed identification of the body as Ayson. Police found a phone with the

body and recovered its SIM (subscriber identity module) card, but could not

otherwise access the phone’s contents.

Within 15 minutes of discovering Ayson’s identification, a detective

searched for Ayson’s name in a police database. This inquiry produced Hawley’s

report of his interaction with McGee and Ayson on June 3, 2017. The report

included McGee’s name, his phone number and his association with the Chrysler

he was driving on June 3, 2017. A search for McGee’s number in the database

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Bluebook (online)
530 P.3d 211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-washington-v-malcolm-otha-mcgee-washctapp-2023.