State v. Brown

940 P.2d 546, 132 Wash. 2d 529, 1997 Wash. LEXIS 556
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 24, 1997
DocketNo. 61320-6
StatusPublished
Cited by607 cases

This text of 940 P.2d 546 (State v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Brown, 940 P.2d 546, 132 Wash. 2d 529, 1997 Wash. LEXIS 556 (Wash. 1997).

Opinions

Smith, J.

Appellant Cal Coburn Brown upon direct review appeals his conviction and sentence for aggravated first degree murder. A jury in the King County Superior Court, after a finding of "guilty,” determined he did not merit leniency. The trial court then on January 18, 1994 sentenced Appellant to death as required by statute. We affirm the conviction and sentence.

QUESTIONS PRESENTED

The following questions are presented by this appeal:

(1) Whether, under RCW 10.95, the capital punishment statute, (a) there was sufficient evidence to justify the affirmative finding by the jury that there were not sufficient mitigating circumstances to merit leniency; (b) the sentence of death is excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the [540]*540crime and the defendant; (c) the sentence of death was brought about by passion or prejudice; or (d) the defendant was mentally retarded;

(2) Whether the proportionality review mandated by RCW 10.95.130 is void for vagueness under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and article I, sections 3 and 14 of the Washington Constitution;

(3) Whether statements made by prosecuting attorneys during the guilt and penalty phases of the trial constituted prosecutorial misconduct which denied Appellant a fair trial;

(4) Whether the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of Ms. Susan J. Schnell, surviving victim in a criminal encounter with Appellant in California;

(5) Whether the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of Ms. Jan M. Gray and Ms. Brieanna C. West, who had noncriminal encounters with Appellant in California and Washington;

(6) Whether Appellant was adequately advised of his Miranda rights before making statements to Palm Springs, California police detectives;

(7) Whether Appellant’s statements to Palm Springs, California police, which were recorded without his knowledge as permitted by California law, violated Washington’s Privacy Act, RCW 9.73, and thus were inadmissible in Washington courts;

(8) Whether there is before this court a record of "sufficient completeness” for adequate appellate review of the issues presented in Appellant’s appeal;

(9) Whether the trial court erred in allowing prospective jurors to be "death qualified” during voir dire examination;

(10) Whether certain prospective jurors were properly excused for cause;

(11) Whether the terms "premeditation” and "intent” were sufficiently explained in the trial court’s instructions to the jury;

[541]*541(12) Whether the trial court properly instructed the jury concerning the aggravating factors in the case;

(13) Whether the trial court erred in refusing to give the jury certain instructions proposed by the defense in the penalty phase;

(14) Whether Appellant was properly served with the Notice of Special Sentencing Proceeding required by RCW 10.95.040(2);

(15) Whether Criminal Rule 4.7 (CrR 4.7) mandates reciprocal pretrial discovery of evidence relevant to the penalty phase in a capital case; and

(16) Whether the trial court erred in refusing to admit victim impact evidence in the penalty phase of the trial.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On May 27, 1991, Memorial Day, King County police, following a telephone call from police detectives in Palm Springs, California, discovered the body of a twenty-one-year-old woman, Ms. Holly C. Washa, in the trunk of her 1985 blue Oldsmobile automobile parked in space 266 of a Budget Park and Ride lot near the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. She was wearing a leather jacket covered with blood, and the strap of her purse was tied and knotted tightly around her neck. The strap was sunken into the cavity of a deep slash wound across her neck.

The events surrounding Ms. Washa’s death began on May 18, 1991 when the appellant in this case, Cal Coburn Brown, was in La Jolla, California at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. While in the hotel lounge, Appellant met Ms. Jan M. Gray from the Seattle area, who was in La Jolla with her mother on vacation. While socializing with Ms. Gray and her mother, Appellant told them he was an architect who built houses. He also told them he had trouble meeting single women. Ms. Gray mentioned that she had a single friend named Brieanna West who also lived in the Seattle area and who had similar problems meeting single men. After some coaxing by Appellant, Ms. Gray tele[542]*542phoned Ms. West and arranged a blind date for them in Seattle.

On May 20, 1991, Appellant traveled by air to Seattle. En route, there was a scheduled stop in Ontario, California, where Ms. Susan J. Schnell boarded for a business trip to Lewiston, Idaho. Appellant and Ms. Schnell, who were sitting near each other, began talking during the flight. She found him friendly and interesting. He told her he was a "home designer” and spoke with an Australian accent. He also told her he wanted to see her again. She gave him her home and business telephone numbers and the name of the hotel where she would be staying in Lewiston. That same evening Appellant met with Ms. Brieanna C. West for drinks at the Seattle-Tacoma Red Lion Inn. She found him physically unattractive and did not want to see him again. Appellant stayed at the Red Lion Inn that night and Ms. West returned to her apartment.

Appellant telephoned Ms. Susan J. Schnell in Idaho at 9:00 p.m. the next evening and asked her if she could spend some time with him in Seattle. She told him she planned to fly back to California the next day, May 22, 1991, and would be in Seattle on a brief layover. She and Appellant made plans to meet at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport during her layover. Appellant then telephoned the Shadow Motel in the airport area and made arrangements to leave his luggage there. He told an employee of the motel he had met a woman and was going to fly to Palm Springs to meet with her again.

On May 22, 1991, Appellant met with Ms. Schnell at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport for dinner. They discussed getting together in Palm Springs for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Without making definite plans, Ms. Schnell took her flight back to Ontario, California. Later that evening, Appellant telephoned Ms. Schnell in California and arranged to spend Memorial Day weekend with her in Palm Springs.

[543]*543 Appellant’s Statement to Police

On May 27 and 28, 1991, Appellant made statements to police detectives in Palm Springs, California in three interviews which were recorded without his knowledge. In his statements he related in calm, deliberate, clear, graphic and specific detail a narrative of his activities, with few questions from the detectives, who courteously allowed him to relate his story.1 His statements may fairly be characterized as admissions or confessions.2

On the morning of May 23, 1991, Ms. Holly C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
940 P.2d 546, 132 Wash. 2d 529, 1997 Wash. LEXIS 556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-brown-wash-1997.