State v. Bankes

57 P.3d 284
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 5, 2002
Docket19990-8-III, 20770-6-III
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 57 P.3d 284 (State v. Bankes) 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 v. Bankes, 57 P.3d 284 (Wash. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

57 P.3d 284 (2002)
114 Wash.App. 280

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Raymond A. BANKES, Appellant.

Nos. 19990-8-III, 20770-6-III.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 3, Panel Nine.

November 5, 2002.

*286 William D. Edelblute, Attorney at Law, Spokane, WA, for Appellant.

Joseph M. Golden, Gabriel E. Acosta, Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys, Walla Walla, WA, for Respondent.

*285 SWEENEY, J.

A convicted sex offender appeals his exceptional sentence. He assigns error to the court's use of his Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA) evaluation to support its findings of aggravating factors underlying an exceptional sentence. We agree that, without appropriate warnings, a defendant's admissions of prior conduct made during a SSOSA psychological evaluation cannot be used against him at sentencing. We therefore reverse the sentence and remand for resentencing.

FACTS

Raymond Bankes walked into the Walla Walla Police Department and confessed to unspecified sexual misconduct with a minor. The victim, a 16-year-old boy, confirmed that Mr. Bankes had been molesting him for about a year. The State charged Mr. Bankes with second degree rape. After plea bargaining, the State reduced the charges to one count of third degree child molestation before the victim turned 16, and one count of third degree rape after he turned 16.[1] Mr. Bankes pleaded guilty.

Mr. Bankes had no prior convictions. His standard range was, therefore, 15 to 20 months. The State recommended 15 months. The presentence investigation report (PSI) recommended 20 months.

SSOSA Report. At Mr. Bankes's request, the court ordered a SSOSA evaluation. The State reserved any recommendation on SSOSA pending the evaluation.

Ronald D. Page, PhD, evaluated Mr. Bankes and wrote a report. He gave the report to defense counsel, who kept it. The prosecutor asked the court to order production of the report. The court held a hearing. Defense counsel argued that he had requested the psychological evaluation solely to plan defense strategy at sentencing, and not for the benefit of the court. The court ordered counsel to file the report with the court. Counsel complied.

Sentencing Hearing. At the sentencing hearing, the court allowed the defense to examine Dr. Page.

Defense counsel elicited Dr. Page's opinion that Mr. Bankes was manifestly unsuitable for SSOSA. Also Dr. Page found that Mr. Bankes exhibited a "predatory pattern" in his sexual conduct and had a long history of bisexuality, and that, statistically, bisexuals and homosexuals have a higher recidivism rate. Report of Proceedings (RP) at 34-35. Dr. Page recommended against SSOSA, but had no opinion as to whether Mr. Bankes might benefit from sex offender treatment in prison. Dr. Page also admitted that, a year earlier, he had been retained as an expert by the plaintiff in a civil suit filed against Mr. Bankes. The suit followed allegations of Mr. Bankes's misconduct with a patient that resulted in the loss of Mr. Bankes's nursing license.

The court imposed exceptional sentences of 60 months on each of the two counts to be served consecutively.

Aggravating Factors. The court found two substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence. First, the court cited the statutory aggravating factor of an ongoing pattern of multiple incidents of sexual abuse of the same victim over a prolonged period of time. Former RCW 9.94A.390(2)(g) (1999).[2] Second, the court invoked the non-statutory factor of future dangerousness, based upon findings that "there were similar acts of this nature and *287 that he is not amenable to treatment." RP at 87.

"Criminal" History. The record contains abundant accounts of episodes from Mr. Bankes's sexual history. These accounts form the basis for the sentencing court's finding of prior "similar criminal acts." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 133. The primary source of this information is Mr. Bankes's admissions to Dr. Page.

Mr. Bankes told Dr. Page he had sex with his (Bankes's) mother, starting at age 17. He was molested by a strange man in a park when he was 8 or 9 years old, and by a Walla Walla College professor as an adult. He admitted that 24 years earlier, at age 18 or 19, he had molested his 10-year-old stepbrother. At age 18, he had sex in Brussels, Belgium, with a couple of men. He had numerous anonymous homosexual encounters over the years, mostly at truck stops during an intermittent career as a driver. Because of the anonymous nature of these contacts, Mr. Bankes could not swear that none of them had involved minors. He had used pornography, including internet gay chat rooms. Dr. Page reported that Mr. Bankes had a history of "excessive" masturbation and frequent casual sexual encounters with both men and women. CP at 57. As a nurse, Mr. Bankes admitted to several homosexual contacts with colleagues, patients, and visitors at the medical center. He was fired and lost his license in 1995 when a patient complained. He was unfaithful to his wife during his 10-year marriage.

The record contains various other admissions by Mr. Bankes, including statements to the PSI investigator. Also included are numerous pages of dubious admissibility, including depositions and psychological evaluations in connection with the 1995 civil action against Mr. Bankes. There are also letters to the judge from Mr. Bankes's ex-wife and relatives of the hospital patient.

The court found evidence of prior similar criminal acts in the misconduct with the hospital patient and "other incidents of a sexual nature" in high school, Brussels, and at rest stops. RP at 89. Also it found "a lengthy history of sexual abuse and activity," including activity with his mother, the incident in Europe, the business with the Walla Walla professor, and the hospital patient and others at the hospital. RP at 89-90. The court also considered the 10-year-old stepbrother, the possibility of sexual contact with other minors at rest stops, and the internet pornography and chat rooms. RP at 90.

The court based its finding of nonamenability to treatment on the fact that Mr. Bankes abused the victim in this case despite the problems his prior sexual conduct had caused him in his marriage, employment, and professional standing. The court also noted that Mr. Bankes had already received treatment. RP at 90-91.

Findings and Conclusions. The court entered written findings of fact (FF) and conclusions of law. In addition to finding the elements of the charged offenses, FF(a) through (g), (k), (l), and (w), the court found that Mr. Bankes was an admitted sex addict who had "for years[ ] engaged in homosexual illicit anonymous sexual acts,"[3] FF(h). The court found that Mr. Bankes had "almost no impulse control regarding his own sexual behavior,"[4] FF(i); that his previous voluntary sexual offender treatment had been inadequate, FF(j); that he admitted sexually abusing his stepbrother, FF(m); that he had been sexually abused by others and "willingly became involved in illicit sexual behavior, including intercourse with his mother,"[5] FF(n); that he had engaged in homosexual conduct at the hospital with the patient, a staff member, and a patient's brother, FF(o

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57 P.3d 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bankes-washctapp-2002.