State v. DeRosia

124 Wash. App. 138
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 9, 2004
DocketNo. 28467-7-II
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 124 Wash. App. 138 (State v. DeRosia) 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. DeRosia, 124 Wash. App. 138 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

¶1

Hunt, J.

— David DeRosia appeals his Alford1 plea conviction for second degree felony murder predicated on second degree child assault. He argues that In re Personal [141]*141Restraint of Andress2 compels vacation of his conviction and withdrawal of his plea. The State counters that State v. Majors3 binds DeRosia to his guilty plea, notwithstanding Andress’s subsequent change to Washington’s felony murder law.

¶2 Because DeRosia’s Alford plea neither conferred a benefit on him nor recited a factual basis to support a lesser included offense conviction, we hold that (1) Majors does not apply, and (2) Andress compels vacation of DeRosia’s conviction and withdrawal of his plea. Accordingly, we reverse and remand without prejudice to the State’s refiling any lawful charge, including first degree manslaughter.

FACTS

I. Child Homicide

¶3 L.D.S., a 22-month-old toddler, was left by his mother in David DeRosia’s care. When the mother returned, she found that L.D.S. had suffered a severe beating with massive trauma to his head and spine; he died the next day. Doctors determined that L.D.S.’s injuries must have been intentionally inflicted. DeRosia gave contradictory versions about what had happened, but he consistently denied having harmed the child.

II. Alford Plea

¶4 On December 4, 2001, DeRosia entered an Alford plea to second degree felony murder predicated on second degree child assault.4 His statement on plea of guilty reads, “Based upon the evidence presented against me, I believe that a judge or jury could find me guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and I wish to get this matter behind me as quickly as possible.” Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 20. Although DeRosia’s [142]*142guilty plea statement admits no facts, it does recite the elements of the charged crime, in pertinent part, as follows:

I am charged with: Murder in the Second Degree.

(a) The elements are: That he, David Eugene DeRosia II, being a person over the age of eighteen years, . . . , while committing or attempting to commit the crime of Assault of a Child in the Second Degree, . . ., did cause the death of L.D.S. (male, dob: 7/29/99), a human being under the age of thirteen years and not a participant in such crime, ... , to wit: being a person over eighteen years of age, did intentionally assault L.D.S. (male, dob: 7/29/99) a human being under thirteen years of age and did thereby recklessly inflict substantial bodily harm upon L.D.S., thereby causing the death of L.D.S. (male, dob: 7/29/99)... in violation of RCW 9A.32.050(l)(b) and 9A.36.130(l)(a).

CP at 12-13. DeRosia’s guilty plea statement also acknowledged a standard range sentence of 123 to 220 months, with 24 to 48 months community custody, and a potential maximum term of life in prison.

¶5 The State offered DeRosia no reduction in charges or penalties and made no promises in exchange for his guilty plea. Rather, DeRosia pleaded guilty in hopes of seeking leniency from the sentencing court. Having determined that DeRosia was entering his Alford plea voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently, the trial court accepted the plea and imposed an exceptional sentence of 340 months.

III. Appeal

¶6 DeRosia appealed the exceptional sentence. The State responded with a motion on the merits.

¶7 Thereafter, our Supreme Court issued In re Personal Restraint of Andress, 147 Wn.2d 602, 56 P.3d 981 (2002), holding that second degree felony murder cannot be predicated on assault under the felony murder statute, RCW 9A.32.050(l)(b), as amended in 1976, the same statute at [143]*143issue here.5 Our commissioner denied the State’s motion on the merits and requested supplemental briefing on Andress. We ordered additional supplemental briefing on the effect, if any, of State v. Majors, 94 Wn.2d 354, 616 P.2d 1237 (1980), on DeRosia’s case and set the case for oral argument before a panel of judges.

¶8 Having heard oral argument, we now address the following issues:

I. In pleading guilty, did DeRosia waive his ability to appeal his conviction?
II. If not, does Andress compel vacation of DeRosia’s Alford plea conviction for second degree felony murder, predicated on second degree child assault?
III. If not, should we set aside the plea or remand for the trial court to resentence him on the lesser included offense of first degree manslaughter?

ANALYSIS

I. Right To Appeal

¶9 By pleading guilty, a defendant generally waives the right to appeal.6 But “a plea of guilty does not preclude an appeal where collateral questions, such as the validity of the statute, the sufficiency of the information, the jurisdiction of the court, or the circumstances under which the plea was made, are raised.” Fisher v. Bowman, 57 Wn.2d 535, 536, 358 P.2d 316 (1961).7 If the success of a [144]*144collateral challenge depends on contesting certain facts to which the defendant stipulated as part of a negotiated plea agreement, however, the collateral challenge may be barred. Majors, 94 Wn.2d at 357-58.

¶10 DeRosia argues that because he pleaded guilty to a charge later invalidated by Andress, his appeal falls within an exception to the general rule that he waived the right to appeal his guilty plea conviction. The State counters that, (1) as in Majors, DeRosia “has received the benefits of his plea bargain,” (2) he should be held to his guilty plea because he made it knowingly and voluntarily, and (3) a factual basis supports the plea. We disagree with the State and agree with DeRosia that Andress, not Majors, controls our decision in this case, and DeRosia may appeal.

A. Majors

¶11 Majors pleaded guilty to second degree murder and stipulated to his habitual offender status in exchange for the State’s reducing the charge from first degree murder and dismissal of other charges. Majors, 94 Wn.2d at 355-56. But the felonies that supported his habitual offender status occurred after the murder, rather than before; thus, the stipulated facts did not satisfy the elements for habitual offender status.8 Majors, 94 Wn.2d at 357.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 Wash. App. 138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-derosia-washctapp-2004.