State of Washington v. Richard Michael Payne

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided July 28, 2015·No. 32096-1·Unpublished

Opinion

I !

! i FILED 1 JULY 28, 2015 In the Office of the Clerk of Court W A State Court of Appeals, Division III

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

STATE OF WASHINGTON, ) No. 32096-1-111 ) Respondent, ) v. ) 1\ RICHARD MICHAEL PAYNE, ) ) 1 ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION Appellant. )

BROWN, J. - Richard Payne appeals his conviction for two counts of first degree

child molestation and one count of felony indecent exposure. He contends the trial

court erred by (1) admitting his 2001 conviction for attempted first degree child

molestation under ER 404(b); (2) rejecting his offer to stipulate to the existence of the

2001 conviction; (3) denying him public funds to pay for defense counsel's out-of-state

travel costs; (4) violating the appearance of fairness doctrine; (5) violating his right to

confront his accuser; (6) denying his KnapstacJ1 motion for one molestation count; (7)

denying his motion to dismiss for governmental misconduct; (8) violating his right to be

I i I present at a show cause concerning his counsel's contempt; (9) refusing to give a

missing witness jury instruction; and (10) admitting his statements. We reject Mr.

I Payne's contentions and thus do not reach his cumulative error contention. We find no

1 State v. Knapstad, 107 Wn.2d 346, 729 P.2d 48 (1986).

1,

i No. 32096-1-111 State v. Payne

merit in Mr. Payne's pro se statement of additional grounds for review (SAG), including

his lifetime sentencing and evidence sufficiency concerns. Accordingly, we affirm.

FACTS

Around 8:00 p.m. on June 21,2012, officers responded to a call at Northtown

Mall in Spokane regarding a male who had exposed himself and touched AR.H., a five­

year-old girl. Officers were told the incident occurred at Bumpers arcade. Bumpers'

video surveillance captured the incident on camera. A Bumpers employee identified Mr.

Payne as the male in the surveillance video.

Approximately two hours earlier that evening, AR.H., accompanied by her 19­

year-old brother and his girlfriend, B.C., and B.C.'s 11-year-old sister K.C., went to

Bumpers while AR.H.'s mom, Heather Holland, and K.C.'s grandmother went shopping.

AR.H. and K.C. left their older siblings to playa game. According to K.C.'s testimony at

trial, Mr. Payne came up to the girls and said he was going to watch them play. K.C.,

believing this behavior was "kind of stalkerish," told A.R.H. they should "get away." 5

Report of Proceedings (5 RP) at 838. The girls went to a skateboarding game; K.C.

was on the game while AR.H. stood next to her. K.C. saw Mr. Payne standing behind

AR.H., rubbing AR.H.'s leg, pulling up her skirt, and touching her buttocks while his

penis was out. K.C. was uncomfortable; she took AR.H. and walked away. K.C.

testi'fied while Mr. Payne touched AR.H., AR.H. "[got] really pale like she was freaking

out" and was speechless. 5 RP at 841. K.C. and AR.H. found B.C. and told her what

happened. AR.H.'s brother noted AR.H. was "blank" and K.C. was shocked and

No. 32096-1-111 State v. Payne

. scared. B.C. noted K.C. was crying, shaking, and pale. A.R.H.'s brother failed to find

Mr. Payne before reporting the incident to mall security.

Ms. Holland was notified of the incident. When she got to Bumpers, she noticed

K.C. was "stressed and not herself." 5 RP at 708. Ms. Holland watched the

surveillance video. When she first watched the video, she thought she saw Mr. Payne

pull his penis out of his pants; this caused her to scream and cry. Upon reviewing the

video, she said she did not see Mr. Payne pull his penis out but he did fondle himself.

She maintained Mr. Payne had his hand on A.R.H.'s backside. A.R.H.'s brother, after

watching the video, testified he saw Mr. Payne pull his penis out of his pants. K.C. also

watched the video in the presence of Ms. Holland, A.R.H.'s brother, B.C., and her

grandmother; she noted everybody was "disgusted and crying." 5 RP at 849. She

stated she did not see Mr. Payne's penis on the video because he was behind a big

pillar. Ms. Holland, A.R.H.'s brother, B.C., and K.C. testified at trial.

Detective Jerry Hensley investigated the case. After identifying the man in the

surveillance video as Mr. Payne, he and Detective Paul Lebsack went to Mr. Payne's

address. The detectives were dressed in plain clothes, but their guns were visible.

Upon arrival, Detective Hensley walked directly to the front door and rang the doorbell;

there was no response. Detective Lebsack, thinking somebody might be working in the

backyard given the nice weather, went to the driveway and noted the six foot vinyl fence

surrounding the backyard. He could see over the fence from the driveway and saw a

man; Detective Lebsack walked along the side of the fence, verbally identified himself,

No. 32096-1-111 State v. Payne

and asked the man to come talk to them. Mr. Payne readily came over, exited the gate,

and talked with the detectives while standing in his driveway.

After identifying himself, Detective Hensley read Mr. Payne his constitutional

rights; Mr. Payne waived his rights and agreed to talk. Mr. Payne was calm,

cooperative, did not appear to be under the influence of anything, and gave appropriate

and responsive answers. Payne admitted to being at the mall on the day in question.

After being told there was a video of the incident, Mr. Payne repeatedly said, '''I should

not have been there.'" 5 RP at 763. After being advised witnesses said he removed his

penis from his shorts, Mr. Payne admitted to touching a girl on the thigh and buttocks

while his penis was out. He claimed it was just a random act.

While talking with the detectives, Mr. Payne's girlfriend arrived. The detectives

introduced themselves and told her she was welcome to stay. Mr. Payne then looked at

her and said, '''I touched a girl.'" 5 RP at 767. In response to a direct question, Mr.

Payne admitted he did this for sexual grati'fication. In the erR 3.5 hearing, Mr. Payne

argued these statements were the product of coercion and were obtained via an illegal

search and seizure. The trial court concluded Mr. Payne's statements to the detectives

were freely and voluntarily made, legally obtained, and could be introduced at trial. At

trial, Mr. Payne denied touching anyone or exposing his penis.

There were numerous other pre-trial proceedings. The trial court admitted

evidence of Mr. Payne's 2001 attempted first degree child molestation conviction as a

charged element elevating count III, indecent exposure, to a felony. The court admitted

No. 32096-1-111 State v. Payne

the prior conviction under ER 404(b) to show proof of a common scheme or plan,

motive or intent, and to refute a claim of accident or mistake. At trial, the victim of the

2001 conviction and her mother testified. Defense counsel was found in contempt of

court before trial concerning his failure to appear at a hearing, a subject of a separate

appeal; the show cause hearing was held without Mr. Payne's presence.

Mr. Payne was charged and convicted of two counts of first degree child

molestation and one count of felony indecent exposure. He was sentenced as a

persistent sex offender to life in prison without the possibility of release. He appealed.

ANALYSIS

A. ER 404(b) Ruling

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