State v. Bustamante-Davila

983 P.2d 590
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 9, 1999
Docket67320-9
StatusPublished
Cited by76 cases

This text of 983 P.2d 590 (State v. Bustamante-Davila) 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. Bustamante-Davila, 983 P.2d 590 (Wash. 1999).

Opinion

983 P.2d 590 (1999)
138 Wash.2d 964

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Jorge Luis BUSTAMANTE-DAVILA, Petitioner.

No. 67320-9.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued June 15, 1999.
Decided September 9, 1999.

*591 John Hays, Longview, for Petitioner.

Hon. James Stonier, Cowlitz County Pros., Christopher Mahre, Deputy, Edwin Norton, Deputy, Kelso, for Respondent.

SMITH, J.

Petitioner Jorge Luis Bustamante Davila seeks discretionary review of an unpublished decision of the Court of Appeals, Division II, affirming his conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree under RCW 9.41.040(1)(b). The Court of Appeals concluded the firearm was not seized illegally by police officers who permissively entered Petitioner's mobile home with an Immigration and Naturalization Service agent, under a presumptively valid deportation order, although Petitioner was not informed he had a right to refuse entry into his home. We affirm.

QUESTION PRESENTED

The question presented in this case is whether, under State v. Ferrier,[1] a firearm was illegally seized from Petitioner's mobile home after he granted entry to a United States Immigration and Naturalization Service agent accompanied by local police officers to serve a deportation order issued by an immigration judge when Petitioner was not advised of his right to refuse entry.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On March 5, 1997, an agent of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) went to Petitioner's mobile home in Kelso, Cowlitz County, to arrest him under a "removal order" issued by an immigration judge.[2] At the time, the INS agent did not know Petitioner had filed a timely appeal on February 27, 1997[3] and that a stay had been *592 granted.[4] The agent did not know why notification of the appeal had not reached him.[5] He had no arrest warrant, but was "going on the order of the immigration judge."[6] The State was not certain whether the INS agent had authority to arrest Petitioner for the immigration violation, although the agent in good faith believed he did have authority when he went to Petitioner's residence.[7]

The INS agent testified it was his normal practice to ask for "backup" from local law enforcement officers.[8] He had requested assistance that day because he had a number of cases in the area.[9] He was accompanied to Petitioner's residence by at least four law enforcement officers from the Cowlitz County Sheriff's office and Longview Police Department.[10] At least one officer testified he had been told Petitioner was to be deported.[11]

The INS agent knocked at the door of Petitioner's residence (a single-wide mobile home).[12] When Petitioner came to a window, the agent showed him his badge.[13] Petitioner testified he recognized the agent.[14] Petitioner testified he also saw police officers from the window.[15] Petitioner opened the door.[16] At the suppression hearing in the Cowlitz County Superior Court on April 14, 1997 the Honorable Don L. McCulloch made a finding of fact that the INS agent "asked permission to enter and the defendant responded affirmatively stepping back."[17] The agent also testified that "at least two other County officers" were standing with him when he asked for consent to enter.[18] Petitioner testified he replied, "Yeah. You can come."[19] Petitioner stepped aside, and the INS agent and law enforcement officers entered.[20] After hearing voices inside the mobile home, the police officer at the rear of the home came to the front and entered.[21]

After the INS agent entered the residence, he told Petitioner he was under arrest for an immigration violation.[22] The agent told Petitioner *593 to gather any belongings he might want because he would probably not be returning to his home.[23] As the agent followed Petitioner back to his bedroom, he noticed a rifle leaning against a wall of the living room.[24] The agent knew Petitioner was not a United States citizen, had been deported, and had unlawfully reentered the country, and therefore was not lawfully permitted to possess a firearm.[25] A Longview police officer who entered with the agent also observed "the rifle standing against the west living room wall in plain view."[26] He called it to the attention of the officer who had initially been outside at the rear of the residence but later entered it.[27] This officer "asked the defendant if the rifle was his and Petitioner acknowledged it was."[28] This officer "knew that the defendant was both an alien and a convicted felon."[29]

Petitioner was initially charged on March 5, 1997 with unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree (by a convicted felon). The prior felony conviction was for rape of a child in the third degree.[30] The charge was later amended on May 12, 1997 to unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree under RCW 9.41.040(1)(b).[31]

RCW 9.41.040(1)(a) and (b) read:

Unlawful possession of firearms— Ownership, possession by certain persons. (1)(a) A person, whether an adult or juvenile, is guilty of the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree, if the person owns, has in his or her possession, or has in his or her control any firearm after having previously been convicted in this state or elsewhere of any serious offense as defined in this chapter.
(b) A person, whether an adult or juvenile, is guilty of the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, if the person does not qualify under (a) of this subsection for the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree and the person owns, has in his or her possession, or has in his or her control any firearm:
(i) After having previously been convicted in this state or elsewhere of any felony not specifically listed as prohibiting firearm possession under (a) of this subsection, or any of the following crimes when committed by one family or household member against another, committed on or after July 1, 1993: Assault in the fourth degree, coercion, stalking, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass in the first degree, or violation of the provisions of a protection order or no-contact order restraining the person or excluding the person from a residence (RCW 26.50.060, 26.50.070, 26.50.130, or 10.99.040).

. . . .

The amended Information filed by the Prosecuting Attorney on May 13, 1997 read:

COMES NOW JAMES J. STONIER, Prosecuting Attorney of Cowlitz County, State of Washington, and by this Information accuses the above-named defendant(s) of violating the criminal laws of the State of Washington as follows:

UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM IN THE SECOND DEGREE

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
983 P.2d 590, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bustamante-davila-wash-1999.