State Of Washington v. Mark Hudson

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedDecember 29, 2014
Docket70147-9
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington v. Mark Hudson (State Of Washington v. Mark Hudson) 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. Mark Hudson, (Wash. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 70147-9-1 Respondent, DIVISION ONE cr- .— —*

v. n CI -r;

UNPUBLISHED OPINION MARK CURTIS HUDSON,

Appellant. FILED: December 29, 2014

Trickey, J. — Mark Hudson appeals his convictions for attempting to elude,

domestic violence misdemeanor violations of a court order, and residential burglary. He

raises several arguments, one of which challenges the trial court's admission of a

subsequently reversed conviction for witness tampering. Following the United States

Supreme Court's decision in Loper v. Beto. 405 U.S. 473, 92 S. Ct. 1014, 31 L. Ed. 2d

374 (1972) and our decision in State v. White. 31 Wn. App. 655, 644 P.2d 693 (1982), we

reverse Hudson's convictions, holding that the erroneous admission of Hudson's witness

tampering conviction was not harmless error, and remand for retrial.

FACTS

Mark and Rebecca Hudson1 had been married for over 13 years. They have three

children together. At some point in 2010, Hudson became unemployed and his

relationship with Rebecca began to deteriorate.

Previous Charges against Hudson

In September 2010, Hudson allegedly attacked Rebecca with a knife. Rebecca

called the police. The State charged Hudson with felony assault and felony harassment.

1 We refer to Rebecca Hudson by her first name when appropriate for ease of reference. We mean no disrespect. No. 70147-9-1/2

State v. Hudson, noted at 179 Wn. App. 1002, 2014 WL 231925, at *1. The trial court

entered a no-contact order prohibiting Hudson from contacting Rebecca.

From jail, while awaiting trial, Hudson made several telephone calls to Rebecca's

telephone number. Hudson. 2014 WL 231925, at *1. During one call, Hudson asked the woman who answered to tell the prosecutor that the woman had relocated, and instructed

her to refrain from answering telephone calls or responding to e-mails. Hudson. 2014WL 231925, at *1. According to Rebecca, as a result of Hudson's urging, she did not show up in court to testify against Hudson. The trial court dismissed the charges without prejudice because Rebecca was unavailable to testify as a witness. Hudson. 2014 WL 231925, at *1.

In April 2012, the State charged Hudson by amended information with tampering with a witness, domestic violence misdemeanor violation of a court order, and second degree assault. Hudson. 2014 WL 231925, at *1. The assault charge was the same alleged assault that took place in September 2010. The other charges were also for acts occurring in 2010. Rebecca appeared as a witness at that trial, but gave false testimony. Hudson. 2014 WL 231925, at *1-2. Hudson had coached Rebecca on hertestimony and she testified accordingly. The jury convicted Hudson of witness tampering and violation of a court order. Hudson. 2014 WL 231925, at *2.

Charges in Present Case

On April 27, 2012, the trial court entered another protection order, identifying Rebecca as the protected party.

Rebecca testified that on May 29, 2012, she and Hudson were living together. This formed the basis for count III, domestic violence misdemeanor violation ofthe April

2012 no-contact order. No. 70147-9-1 / 3

Hudson was incarcerated from May 29, 2012 until June 17, 2012. Rebecca

testified that on June 17, 2012, the day Hudson was released, she drove to the airport to

pick him up. The State charged this act as count IV, domestic violence misdemeanor

violation of the April 2012 no-contact order.

According to Rebecca's testimony, laterthat day, Hudson accused her ofchanging

her passwords to all of her financial and personal accounts. Rebecca testified that

Hudson struck her on the head, pushed her on the bed, pinned her down with his knees,

and struck her again. Rebecca testified that she made a comment that further angered him, and he obtained a belt and tried to place it around her neck. Shortly after this incident, according to Rebecca, she observed redness on her neck and shoulders, and her ear began to ring. The alleged act of domestic violence this day was the basis for count I, domestic violence felony violation of the April 2012 no-contact order. The next day, on June 18, Rebecca notified her sister about Hudson's purported act of domestic violence on the previous day. Rebecca's sister then called the police,

requesting that they perform a welfare check on Rebecca. On June 19, 2012, Seattle Police Officer Todd Jones and his partner drove to

Rebecca's residence on Bangor Street. Officer Jones observed a green BMW car parked in the driveway. He discovered that the license plate was registered to Hudson. Officer Jones also learned of the existence of the April 2012 no-contact order.

The officers then knocked on the front door. Hudson answered the door and

identified himself. Officer Jones asked if Rebecca was inside the house. Hudson

responded that she was not inside and that he had not seen her. Officer Jones returned to his car, viewed a photograph of Hudson, and confirmed that Hudson was the man with whom he had just spoken. No. 70147-9-1/4

Later that morning, Officer Jones called Rebecca. After speaking with her, he

returned to her residence on Bangor Street to arrest Hudson for felony violation of a no-

contact order. When Officer Jones arrived at the residence for the second time, the BMW

was no longer there and no one answered the door. Officer Jones contacted Rebecca,

whotold him that she was walking toward her house. Officer Jones soon located Rebecca

on a street close to her house. As he approached Rebecca, he observed Hudson's green

BMW driving toward him in the opposite lane of travel.

As the BMW passed him, Officer Jones saw Hudson driving the vehicle and noticed the license plate matched the same one he had previously identified. Officer Jones testified that as he passed Hudson, he was unable to determine whether anyone

else was riding in the car with him. Rebecca also was unable to see who elsewas in the car.

Officer Jones made a U-turn and signaled his lights and siren for Hudson to stop.

Traveling at a high rate of speed, Hudson ran a stop sign, pulled into the oncoming lane of traffic, and sped away. Officer Jones lost sight of Hudson's vehicle. On these facts, the State charged Hudson with count II, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle. A video of the pursuit was admitted into evidence and played for the jury at trial. Officer Jones drove back to meet with Rebecca. When he approached her, she

was speaking on her cellular telephone with Hudson. Rebecca told Officer Jones that their three-year-old daughter was in the car with Hudson. The State charged this fact as an enhancement to count II.

Officer Jones escorted Rebecca to her residence. Rebecca provided a statement to the officers. Throughout the interview, Rebeca's cell phone rang approximately eight No. 70147-9-1/5

times. Officer Jones testified that he saw Hudson's name appear on Rebecca's cell

phone when it rang. At trial, Rebecca confirmed that it was Hudson who was calling her. Officer Jones noticed, and took photographs of, the swelling and redness on

Rebecca's face. Rebecca also reported to Officer Jones that she had pain and bruising

in her upper chest area. She told Officer Jones that Hudson had assaulted her on June 17. The photographs were later admitted as evidence at trial.

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State Of Washington v. Mark Hudson, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-washington-v-mark-hudson-washctapp-2014.