State v. Davis

104 P.3d 11
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJanuary 5, 2005
Docket53043-7-1
StatusPublished

This text of 104 P.3d 11 (State v. Davis) 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. Davis, 104 P.3d 11 (Wash. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

104 P.3d 11 (2004)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Adrian Martel DAVIS, Appellant.

No. 53043-7-1.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

December 13, 2004.
Publication Ordered January 5, 2005.

David Koch, Nielsen Broman & Koch, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

Carla Carlstrom, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Seattle, WA, for Respondent.

PER CURIAM.

Adrian Davis pleaded guilty to one count of delivery of cocaine. After the trial court pronounced a sentence of 47 months confinement, Davis moved to withdraw his guilty plea. The trial court refused to consider the merits of Davis's motion, concluding that judgment had occurred, and CrR 4.2(f) constituted a procedural bar. Davis appeals the *12 trial court's refusal to consider his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. He also appeals the order compelling a DNA sample pursuant to RCW 43.43.754. Because judgment does not occur under CrR 4.2(f) until the written judgment and sentence are filed, we remand for consideration of Davis's motion to withdraw his guilty plea. We also hold that Davis's constitutional right to privacy was not violated by the compelled DNA sample.

I.

Adrian Davis was charged with one count of delivery of cocaine. The trial court held a competency hearing and found that Davis was capable of understanding the nature of the proceedings and competent to stand trial. Davis pleaded guilty to one count of delivery of cocaine before the matter went to trial. The court scheduled sentencing on June 6, 2003.

During the sentencing hearing, the court announced it would impose a 47-month jail sentence. But Davis refused to sign the notification of ineligibility for firearms and would not fingerprint the judgment and sentence, so the court ordered that sentencing continue on a later date. Davis then asked, "[d]idn't I just get sentenced?" to which the court replied, "[n]o, not done with sentencing until you give your fingerprints." Davis again refused to sign or provide his fingerprints at the second hearing.

Davis was before the court a third time in early July, at which time he indicated that he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea pursuant to CrR 4.2(f). Davis was apparently standing in the back of the courtroom, however, and would not approach the bench. He said he did not want to approach the bench because he did not want "to give jurisdiction over [him]self." The court equated Davis's actions to a nonappearance and deferred the matter until July 10. Before doing so, the court noted that Davis had been sentenced and it would compel production of his fingerprints by order if he did not offer them willingly.

On July 10, Davis reiterated his motion to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming that his attorney had coerced him and that he was under duress when he entered the plea. His attorney requested to withdraw because Davis's motion involved a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. The court responded: "We're not at the point where Mr. Davis can make that motion. He has been sentenced. If he wants to make a motion to set aside the judgment pursuant to criminal rule 7.8 he can do that but [not] until he gets his fingerprints on the judgment and sentence — that's the only reason we're here today...." Davis refused to fingerprint the judgment.

The following week, Davis was again before the court to finalize the judgment and sentence. His attorney explained Davis's opposition to the fingerprinting. Davis apparently believed that under the Uniform Commercial Code, his name and image were his property and therefore the court had no jurisdiction over him unless he offered them freely. Davis recognized the court's power to compel his fingerprints, but thought by not volunteering them that he was preserving his legal argument for appeal.

An order compelling Davis's fingerprints was entered on July 25, and the judgment and sentence was filed on August 5.

II.

Davis makes three arguments on appeal. First, he argues that the trial court erred by refusing to hear his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. He claims that the court was required to consider the motion because judgment had not yet occurred under CrR 4.2(f). He argues that judgment occurs when the judgment and sentence are signed and entered with the clerk. The State responds that the trial court correctly declined to rule on the merits of Davis's motion because judgment occurred when the court pronounced Davis's sentence. Davis's second argument is a corollary of his first. He claims that the court deprived him of his right to counsel by precluding his CrR 4.2(f) motion because there is no post-judgment right to counsel on a CrR 7.8 motion. Third, Davis argues that a compelled DNA sample violated his Fourth Amendment right to privacy. He argues that RCW 43.43.754(1) is per se unconstitutional. Alternatively, Davis claims that cheek swabbing is not a lawful means of *13 acquiring DNA under RCW 43.43.754(1) because the rules implementing the statute only permit blood sampling. Davis also submitted a statement of additional grounds for review, but he did not raise other meritorious grounds for relief from judgment.

A. Whether the Court Erred By Not Addressing the Merits of Davis's Motion to Withdraw His Guilty Plea

CrR 4.2 protects criminal defendants by mandating that guilty pleas be entered into voluntarily and requiring the trial court to ensure that pleas are supported by facts. CrR 4.2(f) provides for motions to withdraw guilty pleas prior to judgment. It requires the court to allow a defendant to withdraw a plea to correct a manifest injustice. If a motion for withdrawal is made after "judgment," however, it is governed by CrR 7.8.[1]

CrR 7.8 provides procedures for requesting relief from final judgment. A post-judgment request to withdraw a guilty plea is a collateral attack on the judgment.[2] Under CrR 7.8, judgment means either: "(a) The date it is filed with the clerk of the trial court; (b) The date that an appellate court issues its mandate disposing of a timely direct appeal from the conviction; or (c) The date that the United States Supreme Court denies a timely petition for certiorari...."[3] Defendants have up to one year after judgment to bring a CrR 7.8 motion.[4] The motion must be in writing and supported by affidavits stating precise facts or errors.[5] In contrast, a motion to withdraw a guilty plea under CrR 4.2(f) requires only that the defendant make a motion, oral or written, before judgment.[6]

A defendant is entitled to counsel at all critical stages of a criminal prosecution, which includes a motion under CrR 4.2(f) to withdraw a guilty plea.[7] Under CrR 7.8, a defendant is only entitled to counsel if the motion is appealed directly to this court as a personal restraint petition.[8] If Davis had filed a motion under CrR 7.8 with the superior court, he would not have been entitled to counsel.[9]

The controlling issue on Davis's appeal is the meaning of "judgment" under CrR 4.2. If, as the State argues, judgment occurs when the sentence is pronounced, then the trial court correctly refused to consider Davis's motion and did not act arbitrarily in refusing to consider the motion.

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Bluebook (online)
104 P.3d 11, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-davis-washctapp-2005.