State v. Birgen

651 P.2d 240, 33 Wash. App. 1, 1982 Wash. App. LEXIS 3265
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 20, 1982
Docket10461-6-I
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 651 P.2d 240 (State v. Birgen) 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. Birgen, 651 P.2d 240, 33 Wash. App. 1, 1982 Wash. App. LEXIS 3265 (Wash. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinions

Ringold, J.

Robert Birgen was charged in separate counts with third degree rape and statutory rape in the third degree, arising out of a single act of sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old young lady. Following trial, the jury returned verdicts of guilty on each count. The trial court entered judgment on the verdicts and sentenced Birgen to [3]*3prison terms of 5 years on each count, to be served concurrently.

Birgen appeals the judgment and sentence, arguing that multiple convictions for the same offense constitute double jeopardy. Although the claimed error was not raised below, claims of "manifest error affecting a constitutional right" may be raised for the first time on appeal. RAP 2.5(a)(3). We find that the Legislature did not intend that a defendant be convicted of both nonconsensual rape and statutory rape for a single act of intercourse, and accordingly we vacate the judgment and sentence and remand for sentencing on a single conviction.

Concurrent Sentences and Double Jeopardy

The double jeopardy clause of the fifth amendment to the federal constitution, made applicable to the states through the fourteenth amendment, serves three primary purposes: it prohibits a second prosecution for the same offense following acquittal, it prohibits a second prosecution for the same offense after a conviction, and it prohibits multiple punishments for the same offense arising out of a single prosecution. North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 23 L. Ed. 2d 656, 89 S. Ct. 2072 (1969). See also Const. art. 1, § 9.

The State argues that under Washington law Birgen has not been subjected to "multiple punishment" for purposes of the double jeopardy clause because he received concurrent sentences on his two convictions. We are constrained to agree. See, e.g., In re Rice, 24 Wn.2d 118, 163 P.2d 583 (1945); State v. Johnson, 92 Wn.2d 671, 600 P.2d 1249 (1979); State v. Johnson, 96 Wn.2d 926, 639 P.2d 1332 (1982); State v. Mason, 31 Wn. App. 680, 644 P.2d 710 (1982); State v. Turner, 31 Wn. App. 843, 644 P.2d 1224 (1982). We note, however, that the concurrent sentence rule fails to take into account the many punitive aspects of a criminal conviction besides the possible maximum sentence. For example: punitive effects arising from the social and legal stigma of the conviction itself, the effect of multiple [4]*4convictions on the minimum sentence set by the parole board, State v. Johnson, 92 Wn.2d at 679, and the potential use of the multiple convictions for impeachment of Birgen's credibility, should he choose to put it in issue in the future.

The United States Supreme Court likewise summarized the collateral effects of a criminal conviction in holding that a criminal case does not become moot even after the sentence is served, noting

the obvious fact of life that most criminal convictions do in fact entail adverse collateral legal consequences. The mere "possibility" that this will be the case is enough to preserve a criminal case from ending "ignominiously in the limbo of mootness." Parker v. Ellis, 362 U. S. 574, 577 (1960) (dissenting opinion).

(Footnote omitted.) Sibron v. New York, 392 U.S. 40, 55, 20 L. Ed. 2d 917, 88 S. Ct. 1889, 1912 (1968). And in Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S. 784, 791, 23 L. Ed. 2d 707, 89 S. Ct. 2056 (1969), the Court held that the concurrent sentence doctrine does not state a jurisdictional rule barring consideration of double jeopardy challenges to multiple convictions where concurrent sentences were imposed, though it "may have some continuing validity as a rule of judicial convenience." The Benton Court cited Sibron to illustrate the punitive consequences of a criminal conviction even in the context of a double jeopardy challenge to concurrent convictions, but steered shy of relegating the concurrent sentence doctrine to the judicial junk heap because of "special circumstances in this case" not necessitating such a holding. Benton, at 792. The Benton Court then proceeded to find a double jeopardy violation and remanded the case for further proceedings despite the fact that concurrent sentences had been imposed.

Regardless of the continued vitality of the concurrent sentence doctrine in Washington, however, it is of limited applicability outside the review of multiple punishments under the double jeopardy clause. In State v. Eppens, 30 Wn. App. 119, 633 P.2d 92 (1981), for example, [5]*5another division of this court declined to apply the rule, even though concurrent sentences had been imposed, in a case where the issue was not double jeopardy but the validity of multiple convictions where several of the charges had been added following the running of the statute of limitations. Likewise, we would not apply the doctrine to limit review of alleged prejudicial error relating to one of multiple convictions, even though the sentences were concurrent, where the error did not depend on a finding of multiple punishment, i.e., review of evidentiary rulings, instructions, etc. In State v. Johnson, 96 Wn.2d 926, 930-31, 639 P.2d 1332 (1982), the Supreme Court stated the rule as follows:

The rule in this state has long been that where there are several charges against a person for the same act or transaction and convictions are obtained on all counts, if his sentences are made to run concurrently and do not exceed the penalty for one of the offenses of which he was properly convicted, he is being punished "but once for his unlawful act." In re Rice, 24 Wn.2d 118, 124, 163 P.2d 583 (1945).

(Italics ours.) The fact that a defendant has been punished just once for a single act should not preclude review of convictions for non-double jeopardy reasons merely because the sentences were concurrent. Birgen's convictions are therefore reviewable despite the concurrent sentences. For the following reasons, we conclude that his multiple convictions of rape and statutory rape for a single act of intercourse cannot stand.

Legislative Intent To Permit Multiple Convictions Arising From a Single Act

The power to decide "what shall be offenses against the law" rests with the legislative branch of the government. Morgan v. Devine, 237 U.S. 632, 59 L. Ed. 1153, 35 S. Ct. 712 (1915); State v. Mundy, 7 Wn. App. 798, 502 P.2d 1226 (1972). Absent constitutional problems, the courts are required to apply penal statutes as written. Penal statutes are strictly construed against the State, and a court cannot [6]

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Bluebook (online)
651 P.2d 240, 33 Wash. App. 1, 1982 Wash. App. LEXIS 3265, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-birgen-washctapp-1982.