State Of Washington, V Raymond U. Arndt, Jr.

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 4, 2014
Docket43717-1
StatusPublished

This text of State Of Washington, V Raymond U. Arndt, Jr. (State Of Washington, V Raymond U. Arndt, Jr.) 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.

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State Of Washington, V Raymond U. Arndt, Jr., (Wash. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

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2014 FEB - 4 ACS 9* 16

STATE OF WASHINGTON

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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON,

Respondent, No. 43717 -1 - II

V.

RAYMOND UWE ARNDT, JR., PUBLISHED OPINION

Appellant.

MAXA, J. — Raymond Arndt, Jr. appeals his sentence following his conviction for

vehicular assault. He asserts that the sentencing court sentenced him based on an inflated

offender score because the court erroneously included points for five prior Oregon convictions. We hold that the State met its burden to prove that the Oregon conviction for unauthorized use of

a vehicle was comparable to a Washington offense. However, we hold that the State failed to

prove that Arndt' s Oregon convictions for attempted second degree assault, driving while under

the influence of intoxicants ( DUII), and third degree rape were legally or factually comparable to

Washington offenses. Therefore, the sentencing court should not have included the Oregon

attempted second degree assault, DUII, and third degree rape convictions in Arndt' s offender

score. Accordingly, we remand for resentencing. No. 43717 -1 - II

FACTS

Arndt pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular assault, but he disputed the State' s

computation of his offender score at sentencing. Specifically, he argued that five prior Oregon

convictions —attempted second degree assault, unauthorized use of a vehicle, DUII (two), and

third degree rape — should not be included in his offender score because the State failed to prove

comparability. The sentencing court performed a legal and factual comparison on the record and

found that the Oregon convictions at issue were comparable to Washington offenses, which

resulted in an offender score of 8. The sentencing court sentenced Arndt to a mid - range sentence

of 62 months. Arndt appeals his sentence.

ANALYSIS

A. USE OF PRIOR CONVICTIONS IN OFFENDER SCORE

Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981 ( SRA), chapter 9. 94A RCW, the sentencing

court uses the defendant' s prior convictions to determine an offender score, which along with the

seriousness level' " of the current offense establishes his or her presumptive standard

sentencing range. State v. Ford, 137 Wn.2d 472, 479, 973 P. 2d 452 ( 1999) ( quoting State v.

Wiley, 124 Wn.2d 679, 682, 880 P. 2d 983 ( 1994)). We review a sentencing court' s calculation

of an offender score de novo. State v. Bergstrom, 162 Wn.2d 87, 92, 169 P. 3d 816 ( 2007).

The State must prove the existence of prior felony convictions) used to calculate an

offender score by a preponderance of the evidence. Ford, 137 Wn.2d at 479 -80; see also RCW

Generally, only felonies are included in the offender score. State v. Larkins, 147 Wn. App. 858, 862 -63 & n. 7, 199 P. 3d 441 ( 2008). But where the current conviction is for a felony traffic

offense, a sentencing court may include serious misdemeanor traffic offenses, such as driving under the influence in the offender score. Larkins, 147 Wn. App. at 862 -63 & n. 7; see RCW

9. 94A.525 (11).

F) No. 43717 -1 - II

9. 94A. 500( 1). If the convictions are from another jurisdiction, the State also must prove that the

conviction would be a felony under Washington law. Ford, 137 Wn.2d at 480. " The existence

2 of a prior conviction is a question of fact." In re Pers. Restraint ofAdolph, 170 Wn.2d 556,

566, 243 P. 3d 540 ( 2010).

Where the defendant' s offenses resulted in out - state convictions, RCW 9. 94A.525( 3) of -

provides that such offenses " shall be classified according to the comparable offense definitions

and sentences provided by Washington law." This statute requires the sentencing court to make

a factual determination of whether the out - - tate conviction is comparable to a Washington of s

conviction. State v. Morley, 134 Wn.2d 588, 601, 952 P. 2d 167 ( 1998) ( citing former 9. 94A.360

1996), recodified as RCW 9. 94A.525 by LAWS of 2001, ch. 10, § 6). Only if the convictions

are comparable can the out -of state conviction be included in the offender score. State v. -

Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d 409, 415, 158 P. 3d 580 ( 2007).

Our Supreme Court has adopted a two - part analysis for determining whether an out-of-

state conviction is comparable to a Washington conviction. Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 414 -15.

First, the sentencing court determines whether the offenses are legally comparable —whether the

elements of the out -of - tate offense are substantially similar to the elements of the Washington s

offense. Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 415. If the elements of the out - state offense are broader of -

2 Arndt does not challenge the existence and felony classification of his Oregon convictions. And the State presented certified copies of the judgment of each of those convictions. Accordingly, the State proved their existence by a preponderance of the evidence. No. 43717 -1 - II

3 than the elements of the Washington offense, they are not legally comparable. In re Pers.

Restraint ofLavery, 154 Wn.2d 249, 258, 111 P. 3d 837 ( 2005).

Second, even if the offenses are not legally comparable, the sentencing court can still

include the out - - tate conviction in the offender score if the offense is factually comparable. of s

Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 415; Lavery, 154 Wn.2d at 255. Determining factual comparability

involves analyzing whether the defendant' s conduct underlying the out - state conviction would of -

have violated the comparable Washington statute. Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 415. The sentencing

court may " look at the defendant' s conduct, as evidenced by the indictment or information, to

determine if the conduct itself would have violated a comparable Washington statute." Lavery,

154 Wn.2d at 255. In making this factual comparison, the sentencing court may rely on facts in

the out -of - tate record only if they are admitted, stipulated to, or proved beyond a reasonable s

doubt. Thiefault, 160 Wn.2d at 415. But the elements of the charged crime must remain the

cornerstone of this inquiry because " `[ f]acts or allegations contained in the record, if not directly

related to the elements of the charged crime, may not have been sufficiently proven in the

trial.'" Lavery, 154 Wn.2d at 255 ( quoting Morley, 134 Wn.2d at 606).

In the factual comparability analysis, the sentencing court is not allowed to consider

evidence not presented in the out - - tate proceeding. The facts must be admitted or proved of s

beyond a reasonable doubt in the of state conviction. out - - Lavery, 154 Wn.2d at 258. For

example, in State v. Ortega, the issue was whether a prior Texas conviction for second degree

indecency with a child, which required the child victim to be under 17 years old, was comparable

to a Washington offense that required the child victim be under 12 years old. 120 Wn. App. 165,

3 We use the elements of the Washington offenses in effect at the time the out - - tate crime was of s committed in our analysis. In re Pers. Restraint ofLavery, 154 Wn.2d 249, 255, 111 P. 3d 837 2005). 4 No. 43717- 1- 11

168 -69, 173 - 74, 84 P. 3d 935 ( 2004), vacated on remand, 131 Wn. App. 591, 128 P.3d 146

2006). At sentencing, the State offered testimony of a Texas official and the Texas indictment,

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