State Of Washington v. Ronald Brownell Martin

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJanuary 14, 2019
Docket77003-9
StatusUnpublished

This text of State Of Washington v. Ronald Brownell Martin (State Of Washington v. Ronald Brownell Martin) 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. Ronald Brownell Martin, (Wash. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTONN cfr C., DIVISION ONE •,,,'7,.14 ,, %..c:•

THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, ) No. 77003-9-1 = 9,-17717-rt ) .,c. .......,-,:::- Respondent, ) ti)rnc-t ) =x... =T- -.:: -, ,- • v. ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION co •• c•-, ...„,,,„.-f.-, . ) C.i.1 Cft RONALD BROWNELL MARTIN, ) ) Appellant. ) FILED: January 14, 2019

SCHINDLER, J. — The trial court found Ronald Brownell Martin guilty of felony

harassment, misdemeanor stalking, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer in the

discharge of his duties. Martin appeals only the conviction for obstruction of law

enforcement officer Stephen Cloninger. Martin contends the State violated Brady v.

Maryland, 373 U.S. 83,83 S. Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963), by suppressing

favorable impeachment evidence and the court violated his right to confrontation by

limiting cross-examination. Because Martin cannot show prejudice or an abuse of

discretion, we affirm.

FACTS

Dawn Jordan is a social worker at YWCA at Opportunity Place. Opportunity

Place provides services and housing to men and women. No. 77003-9-1/2

During summer 2016, Ronald Brownell Martin was the guest of a resident at

Opportunity Place. Other residents expressed "concerns" about Martin. In October,

Jordan removed Martin from the "guest list." Jordan told him he was "not allowed in our

lobby" and "not allowed up to the resident floors." Martin told Jordan that she "could not

tell him what to do, that he didn't have to listen to us,[and that] we weren't in charge of

him." Although Martin eventually left, he "kept coming back persistently."

Martin started following Jordan from the building. Jordan said Martin told her he

"knew where I lived, he was going to kill my family," and "he would kill me." Martin

"talked about robbing" and "beating" Jordan. Jordan made a "safety plan" and told a

friend to "meet me at my work every day.. . and escort me home."

By November, Jordan had "daily, interactions" with Martin. Martin told Jordan she

would "get on his team eventually" and "he would make sure I got on his team."

In late November, Martin followed Jordan onto a bus. While on the bus, Martin

made a "gun gesture" with two fingers pointed at Jordan and "pull[ed] it" like "a trigger."

Jordan got off the bus early and "just kept walking."

Between October and December, Jordan called the police at least 12 times.

Jordan told Martin "on multiple occasions" she was calling the police. Martin would

react by "antagonizing her further." Each time Jordan called, Martin left before the

police arrived. In December, Jordan obtained a no-contact order.

On December 29, Jordan saw Martin "talking to one of our residents" outside the

building. The resident was "repeatedly trying to get away from" him. Opportunity Place

desk receptionist Hannah Young told Martin he "needed to leave." Jordan told Martin

he "needed to stay away from the building." In response, Martin told Jordan he "knows

2 No. 77003-9-1/3

people who know what to do with a bitch with a big mouth." Martin then stood "right

outside of our windows at our front lobby, looking in, knocking."

Because of poor reception, Jordan had to walk outside to use her cell phone to

call the police. Jordan told Martin, "'You can't be here, you need to leave.'" Martin had

a "weird, leering smile" and said he would "wait until I get off work and rip my panties

off." Martin told Jordan,"Go ahead, call the cops, bitch," and said he "was going to kill

me and that he was going to rob my fat ass."

When Martin "tried to enter the YWCA," Young told him he had "to leave the

property." Martin became "verbally abusive" to Young. Martin told Young "to follow him

down the street, he would show me something." Young "believed that he was going to

physically harm me" and "grabbed my mace for protection."

Jordan called 911 again. While she was on the phone, Martin stood near Jordan,

yelled at her, and walked in circles around her.

Seattle Police Officer Stephen Cloninger and Officer Kent Loux responded to the

911 call. When Young saw the police car arrive, she "immediately ran outside." Young

saw Martin standing at the corner down the street. Young knocked on the patrol car

window and "yelled at the officers 'you need to grab that guy,' while pointing down the

road" toward Martin. At the same time, Martin started walking away.

Officer Cloninger asked Young "what was going on." Young said Martin

"threatened to shoot her or someone else." Officer Cloninger and Officer Loux began

walking toward Martin "in order to catch up with him." But when they turned the corner,

Martin "was no longer in sight." After walking further down an alleyway, the officers saw

Martin "about half a block away, or approximately 200 feet from them." Martin "turned"

3 No. 77003-9-1/4

and "looked at the officers." Officer Cloninger and Officer Loux were wearing police

uniforms that "included numerous markings identifying them as law enforcement

officers." As Martin "was making eye contact with the officers, Officer Cloninger yelled

at him,'Stop, Police.'" Officer Cloninger continued to yell, "'Stop, Police' "multiple

times. Martin "immediately turned and ran away." The officers pursued Martin on foot.

The officers "called for assistance over radio" and Officer Cloninger described Martin as

a black male in a "black down jacket." "[N]umerous additional officers arrived" to pursue

Marlin. Officer Cloninger and Officer Loux followed Martin to Westlake mall but lost

sight of him.

Officer Tad Willoughby was "working in the bicycle unit." After hearing "the

pursuit" was "coming my direction on foot," Officer Willoughby rode his bike a block

south of Westlake to the monorail elevator "in case somebody comes out of that

elevator." Officer Willoughby saw "a black male in a fuzzy collar, with a dark jacket, run

across the street and run into the Bartelffs." Officer Willoughby informed dispatch.

Officer Willoughby saw the man initially go "to the back of the store and then eventually

started walking towards the front of the store."

Officer Ryan Beecroft and Officer James Kellet entered Bartell Drugs with Officer

Willoughby and arrested Martin.

The State charged Martin with felony harassment of Jordan on December 29,

2016 in violation of RCW 9A.46.020(1) and (2)(b), count 1; misdemeanor stalking of

Jordan "between October 1, 2016 and December 29, 2016" in violation of RCW

9A.46.110, count 2; misdemeanor harassment of Young in violation of RCW

9A.46.020(1), count 3; and obstruction of law enforcement officer Stephen Cloninger on

4 No. 77003-9-1/5

December 29, 2016 in violation of RCW 9A.76.020(1), count 4. Martin pleaded not

guilty. Martin waived his right to a jury trial.

Jordan, Young, Officer Cloninger, Officer Loux, and Officer Willoughby testified at

trial. Jordan testified that "[a]t first," Martin's behavior "didn't bother me that much."

Jordan said, "I'm sort of used to people not being happy when they are hearing

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Related

Brady v. Maryland
373 U.S. 83 (Supreme Court, 1963)
United States v. Bagley
473 U.S. 667 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Kyles v. Whitley
514 U.S. 419 (Supreme Court, 1995)
Strickler v. Greene
527 U.S. 263 (Supreme Court, 1999)
Crawford v. Washington
541 U.S. 36 (Supreme Court, 2004)
United States v. Richard Aichele
941 F.2d 761 (Ninth Circuit, 1991)
State v. Johnson
950 P.2d 981 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1998)
State v. Kunze
988 P.2d 977 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1999)
State v. Russell
882 P.2d 747 (Washington Supreme Court, 1994)
State v. Kaiser
254 P.3d 850 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2011)
State v. Lord
165 P.3d 1251 (Washington Supreme Court, 2007)
State v. Darden
41 P.3d 1189 (Washington Supreme Court, 2002)
State v. Luvene
903 P.2d 960 (Washington Supreme Court, 1995)
State v. Koslowski
209 P.3d 479 (Washington Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Luvene
127 Wash. 2d 690 (Washington Supreme Court, 1995)
State v. Darden
145 Wash. 2d 612 (Washington Supreme Court, 2002)
State v. Lord
161 Wash. 2d 276 (Washington Supreme Court, 2007)
State v. Koslowski
166 Wash. 2d 409 (Washington Supreme Court, 2009)

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