State v. Ahluwalia

22 P.3d 1254
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in State v. Ahluwalia. Read the opinion of the Court — 143 Wash. 2d 527
Washington Supreme Court·Decided May 17, 2001·No. 69792-2·Published

Opinion

22 P.3d 1254 (2001)
143 Wash.2d 527

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Jatinder Singh AHLUWALIA, Petitioner.

No. 69792-2.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued February 13, 2001.
Decided May 17, 2001.
Reconsideration Denied July 13, 2001.

*1255 Washington Appellate Project, Gregory Charles Link, Seattle, for Petitioner.

Norm Maleng, King County Prosecutor, Catherine Marie McDowall, Deputy, Seattle, for Respondent.

SMITH, J.

Petitioner Jatinder Singh Ahluwalia seeks review of an unpublished decision of the Court of Appeals, Division One, which affirmed his King County Superior Court conviction for second degree murder under RCW 9A.32.050(1)(a) upon retrial after a mistrial following a trial for first degree murder (on which he was found "not guilty") and second degree murder (on which the jury could not reach a verdict).[1]

The Court of Appeals concluded the second degree murder instruction given by the trial court was proper; the double jeopardy provisions of the United States and Washington constitutions were not violated when Petitioner was retried for second degree murder after the mistrial; there was sufficient evidence to support the second degree murder conviction; and the community placement sentence was not ambiguous.[2]

Petitioner raises only the double jeopardy question before this court.[3] We granted review.[4] We affirm.

QUESTION PRESENTED

The question presented in this case is whether the double jeopardy provisions of the United States and Washington constitutions and RCW 10.43.050 prohibit retrial of Petitioner for murder in the second degree after a mistrial was declared when the jury acquitted him on the charge of murder in the first degree but was unable to reach a verdict on the lesser offense of murder in the second degree.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On December 7, 1993 Petitioner Jatinder Singh Ahluwalia was charged by information in the King County Superior Court with one count of second degree murder under RCW 9A.32.050(1)(a) and on June 27, 1997 by amended information with one count of first degree murder under RCW 9A.32.030(1)(a) instead of second degree murder.[5] The case proceeded to trial before a jury on October 1, 1997.[6] The Honorable Steven G. Scott instructed the jury on second degree murder as a lesser included offense to first degree murder.[7] On October 10, 1997 the jury found Petitioner "not guilty" of first degree murder, but was unable to agree upon a verdict on the second degree murder charge.[8] Another trial on the second degree murder charge was begun on December 30, 1997 before the Honorable John M. Darrah.[9] The instructions given by Judge Darrah to the jury included the following:

Number 4

A person commits the crime of murder in the second degree when with intent to cause the death of another person but without premeditation, he or she causes the death of such person.

Number 5

To convict the defendant of the crime of murder in the second degree, each of the following elements of the crime must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt:
(1) That on or about the 12th day of October, 1993, the defendant shot Gurjant Pal;
*1256 (2) That the defendant acted with intent to cause the death of Gurjant Pal;
(3) That Gurjant Pal died as a result of defendant's acts; and
(4) That the acts occurred in the State of Washington.
If you find from the evidence that each of these elements has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, then it will be your duty to return a verdict of guilty.
On the other hand, if, after weighing all the evidence, you have a reasonable doubt as to any of these elements, then it will be your duty to return a verdict of not guilty.[10]

The jury found Respondent "guilty" of second degree murder on January 8, 1998.[11]

The charge in this case arose from a shooting on the evening of October 12, 1993 in front of the Greyhound Bus Station on Stewart Street between 8th and 9th Avenues in Seattle.[12]

A witness, Jaswinder Singh Bisal, a taxicab driver, testified that on October 8, 1993 he was in the taxicab line at the Greyhound Bus Station when he observed two other drivers in line, Gurjant Pal and Petitioner Ahluwalia.[13] He testified that five or six taxicabs were lined up at the bus station.[14] He said that usually the driver first in line would pick up the first passenger and that he was the first driver in line that day[15] and Petitioner Ahluwalia was in line behind Mr. Pal with his taxicab.[16] Mr. Bisal testified he was approached by some persons seeking transportation to Wenatchee, Washington.[17] While he was negotiating the fare, Mr. Pal approached the passengers and tried to take the fare.[18] He did not want to fight with Mr. Pal and told him he could take the fare.[19] Petitioner then approached Mr. Pal and told him not to take the fare.[20] Then Mr. Pal swore at Petitioner and hit him on the head, knocking him to the ground causing his turban to fall off.[21] Petitioner did not fight or make any threats to Mr. Pal.[22] Petitioner then left the bus station.[23]

Several days later, on October 12, 1993, Mr. Bisal saw Mr. Pal at the Greyhound Bus Station.[24] After talking with Mr. Pal he drove some customers on a short trip.[25] When he returned to the bus station it was surrounded by police.[26]

On October 12, 1993 Shaunn Eric McClennan was working as a security guard at the Greyhound Bus Station.[27] He testified he walked past two turbaned men with full beards who were speaking in normal tones in a language other than English.[28] As he passed the two men he heard shots—two or three rounds—turned around and saw a man holding a .38 caliber revolver with blued dark finish out from his body about shoulder height, run to a red taxicab with black lettering, get into it and drive away.[29] When he heard the shots he could see the back of the *1257 man who was shot.[30] He was able to partially identify the license number of the taxicab but did not give it to the police officers because someone else had already done so.[31]

Another witness, Robert Bellgardt, was sitting in his parked pickup truck facing the bus station when he heard "three sudden pops" and saw the silhouette of a person falling.[32] He testified that he saw another man walk back to a taxicab, get in and drive down an alley at a rapid speed.[33] He said the man was wearing a red shirt or jacket, a turban, and had a full beard.[34] Later Mr.

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State v. Ahluwalia, 22 P.3d 1254 (Wash. 2001).

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State v. Ahluwalia
22 P.3d 1254 (Washington Supreme Court, 2001)