State Of Washington, V. Ryan Mckenna Hall

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 28, 2025
Docket58297-0
StatusUnpublished

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Bluebook
State Of Washington, V. Ryan Mckenna Hall, (Wash. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

May 28, 2025

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 58297-0-II

Respondent,

v. UNPUBLISHED OPINION RYAN MCKENNA HALL,

Appellant.

MAXA, P.J. – Ryan Hall appeals his convictions of felony harassment and misdemeanor

harassment and his sentence. After his arrest for an unrelated incident, Hall used threatening

language against both his arresting officer and a nurse at the hospital where he received

treatment.

The jury was instructed on the definition of “threat” based on existing Washington law

that subsequently was rendered erroneous by a United States Supreme Court case, Counterman

v. Colorado, 600 U.S. 66, 143 S. Ct. 2106, 216 L. Ed. 2d 775 (2023). Hall appeared at pretrial

hearings and at sentencing from an in-court holding cell in a jail courtroom. At sentencing, the

trial court determined without a jury finding that Hall was on community custody when he

committed the offenses, adding one point to his offender score.

We hold that (1) the State provided sufficient evidence to convict Hall for felony

harassment and misdemeanor harassment under the trial court’s jury instructions; (2) the court’s No. 58297-0-II

harassment jury instructions were rendered erroneous by Counterman, but the error was harmless

beyond a reasonable doubt; (3) we decline to consider for the first time on appeal Hall’s

argument that the trial court violated his due process rights under State v. Luthi, 3 Wn.3d 249,

256, 549 P.3d 712 (2024), when it restrained him in an in-court holding cell during pretrial

hearings and sentencing because Hall cannot show manifest error; (4) the trial court’s finding at

sentencing that Hall was on community custody when he committed his offenses was

permissible despite the holding in Erlinger v. United States, 602 U.S. 821, 144 S. Ct. 1840, 219

L. Ed. 2d 451 (2024); (5) Hall’s statement of additional grounds (SAG) claims are based on

evidence outside the record and are unreviewable; and (6) as the State concedes, the crime victim

penalty assessment (VPA) and the jury demand fee must be stricken from the judgment and

sentence.

Accordingly, we affirm Hall’s convictions and sentence, but we remand for the trial court

to strike the VPA and the jury demand fee from the judgment and sentence.

FACTS

Background

On February 5, 2023, the Kelso Police Department took Ryan Hall into custody on an

unrelated charge.1 While he was being transported to jail, Hall told Officer Ralph Hines he had

ingested fentanyl pills. He then was rerouted to a hospital. Hines was assigned to guard Hall as

he was checked out medically.

During Hall’s examination, nurse Brittany Lealao cut off his shirt to allow the doctor to

conduct an ultrasound of his chest. This agitated Hall and he proceeded to repeatedly berate

1 The State initially charged Hall with fourth degree assault – domestic violence. The State eventually decided to not pursue this charge because the victim was uncooperative.

2 No. 58297-0-II

Lealao, insulting her, calling her offensive names, and referring to her using racial slurs. Hall

continued to yell at other hospital staff and told another nurse that when he got out the next day

he would “see them on the streets.” Report of Proceedings (RP) at 188. After Lealao left the

room, Hannah Cathcart, an emergency room technician, heard Hall say, “I will slit her throat, the

one that cut my shirt off.” RP at 160. Nurse Joshua Bockman heard Hall make a similar threat

about Lealao: “I’ll cut your throat, you n***** bitch.” RP at 178. Cathcart later told Lealao

about the threat Hall had made. Further, Hall threatened to knock out both Hines and Bockman.

Hines, Cathcart, and Lealao all testified that they did not believe Hall was intoxicated.

Hall denied drinking anything. The doctor discharged him and stated in his evaluation that he

did not see any mental issues.

Once Hall was released, Hines transported him to the Cowlitz County Jail. According to

Hines, Hall guaranteed that Hines would be dead in 14 days. The State played the video from

Hines’s body camera, but some of the words Hall said were indiscernible. Hines recounted the

following in his report:

[Hall] said, “You will take your last breath within two weeks. In 14 days, you will no longer be on this Earth.” When I asked Hall what he meant by that, he said, “You will be deceased in 14 days. Guaranteed.”

RP at 144.

After they arrived at the jail, Hall again threatened Hines, stating, “You’re going to be

dead within two weeks . . . I swear to God.” RP at 145. Following this second incident, Hines

told Hall that he would charge him for the threats.

The State charged Hall with felony harassment – criminal justice participant for his

statements to Hines, felony harassment – threat to kill for his statements toward Lealao, and

interference with health care facility.

3 No. 58297-0-II

Pretrial Proceedings

At Hall’s first appearance, he appeared from an in-court holding cell in a jail courtroom

inside of the Cowlitz County Jail. The trial court did not undertake an individualized inquiry

into the necessity of the holding cell. But Hall did not object to appearing in the holding cell.

The prosecutor informed the court of the alleged death threats and the fact that Hall had 18 prior

warrants, nine prior felonies, and 17 prior misdemeanors. Hall requested bail be set at $5,000,

but the court set bail at $40,000.

Hall appeared from the in-court holding cell again at an arraignment on new information

and at a trial readiness hearing. The trial court again did not conduct an individualized inquiry

into the necessity of the holding cell on either occasion. Hall did not object to either of these

appearances.

Trial and Sentencing

At trial in April 2023, Hines, Lealao, Cathcart, and Bockman testified to the facts stated

above.

Hines testified that he was placed in reasonable fear that Hall’s threats would be carried

out because Hall would be getting out of jail. Hines stated that although he had been threatened

before, this instance stood out because Hall repeated the threat more than once and swore to God

about it.

Lealao testified that Hall’s threat that he was going to slit her throat left her “[f]earful,

terrified, traumatized.” RP at 190. She stated that she was in reasonable fear that Hall would

carry out the threat.

The trial court instructed the jury that a person commits the crime of felony harassment

when they “threaten[] to cause bodily injury immediately or in the future to another person,” the

4 No. 58297-0-II

person is placed “in reasonable fear that the threat will be carried out,” and the threat involves a

threat to kill the person. Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 72. The court gave jury instruction 10 regarding

the legal definition of a threat:

To be a threat, a statement or act must occur in a context or under such circumstances where a reasonable person, in the position of the speaker, would foresee that the statement or act would be interpreted as a serious expression of intention to carry out the threat rather than as something said in jest or idle talk.

CP at 75 (emphasis added).

The jury found Hall guilty of felony harassment involving Hines, guilty of the lesser

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Related

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United States v. Moore
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State v. Jones
149 P.3d 636 (Washington Supreme Court, 2006)
State v. SCHALER
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Elonis v. United States
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State v. Williams
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State v. Wheeler
34 P.3d 799 (Washington Supreme Court, 2001)
State v. Kilburn
84 P.3d 1215 (Washington Supreme Court, 2004)
State v. Jones
159 Wash. 2d 231 (Washington Supreme Court, 2006)
State v. Alvarado
164 Wash. 2d 556 (Washington Supreme Court, 2008)
State v. O'Hara
167 Wash. 2d 91 (Washington Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Schaler
169 Wash. 2d 274 (Washington Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Robinson
171 Wash. 2d 292 (Washington Supreme Court, 2011)
State v. Allen
294 P.3d 679 (Washington Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Bergstrom
502 P.3d 837 (Washington Supreme Court, 2022)
Counterman v. Colorado
600 U.S. 66 (Supreme Court, 2023)

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