State v. Drath

431 P.3d 1098
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedDecember 27, 2018
DocketNo. 49403-5-II
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 431 P.3d 1098 (State v. Drath) 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. Drath, 431 P.3d 1098 (Wash. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

Lee, J.

¶1 Orlena R. Drath appeals her convictions for residential burglary, first degree burglary, first degree theft, theft of a firearm, first degree unlawful possession of a firearm, first degree trafficking in stolen property, and bail jumping, and the resulting sentence of 128 months of confinement. She argues that defense counsel provided ineffective assistance during the plea negotiation process by misinforming her of the potential sentencing range she faced if found guilty on all charges at trial. Drath also argues that defense counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to object to a statement the prosecutor made *1100during closing argument. Finally, Drath contends that the trial court violated her constitutional right to present a defense by limiting her cross-examination of an adversarial witness.

¶2 In the published portion of this opinion, we hold that defense counsel's failure to provide Drath with her correct sentencing range prejudiced Drath and, thus, amounted to ineffective assistance of counsel. In the unpublished portion of this opinion, we hold that defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to object to a statement the prosecutor made during closing argument and that the trial court did not violate her constitutional right to present a defense by limiting her cross-examination of an adversarial witness.

¶3 Accordingly, we reverse and remand to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FACTS

A. JUDGEMENT AND SENTENCE

¶4 Between March and April 2011, Drath and her then boyfriend, Scott Herigstad, repeatedly broke into their neighbors' home and took approximately 75 firearms and an unspecified number of knives and swords. The couple then sold some of the stolen guns and knives.

¶5 The State charged Drath with residential burglary, first degree burglary, first degree theft, theft of a firearm, first degree unlawful possession of a firearm, second degree unlawful possession of a firearm, first degree trafficking in stolen property, and bail jumping for her involvement in the burglaries. A jury found Drath guilty as charged, and she was sentenced to serve a total of 128 months in confinement. Pursuant to RCW 9.94A.589(1)(c),1 the sentencing court ordered Drath's sentences for first degree unlawful possession of a firearm and theft of a firearm to run consecutively.

B. MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL

¶6 Drath filed a pro se motion for a new trial. In her motion, Drath alleged that she was "drastically misinformed about possible sentencing ranges if [she] went to trial." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 103 (capitalization omitted). Drath had a worksheet given to her by counsel in which her counsel wrote that if found guilty on all eight charges, Drath would face a sentencing range between 87 and 116 months. The information written on the worksheet failed to show that under RCW 9.94A.589(1)(c), a sentence for theft of a firearm and first degree unlawful possession of a firearm would run consecutively. Had the worksheet applied RCW 9.94A.589(1)(c), Drath's sentencing range would have been between 103 and 136 months.

¶7 Drath was appointed new counsel, who requested an evidentiary hearing concerning Drath's ineffective assistance of counsel claim. At the hearing, the State called the five attorneys who had represented Drath over the course of her case to testify.

1. R. Sergi

¶8 As the first attorney assigned to Drath's case, Sergi represented Drath between April 2011 and October 2013. Sergi testified that in the course of his practice, he would ordinarily talk to clients about consecutive sentencing ranges. However, Sergi acknowledged that Drath's case was not "necessarily normal" because he had anticipated it would be transferred to the federal government. 10 Report of Proceedings (RP) (July 15, 2016) at 1440. And given the time that had passed, Sergi could not remember whether he had ever discussed Drath's sentencing *1101range with her. He also could not recall whether he had ever discussed a plea offer with Drath.

2. S. Taschner

¶9 Taschner represented Drath between October 7, 2013, and June 2, 2014. Taschner discussed the possibility of a plea deal with Drath at a May 2014 meeting. According to Taschner, Drath became upset at the suggestion of a plea. Because Drath was upset at the meeting, Taschner never "specifically mentioned what the bottom and top of the ranges would be on the sentence." 10 RP (July 15, 2016) at 1454. He planned to talk about the specific ranges at his next scheduled meeting with Drath, but Drath did not show up to that appointment.

¶10 During his representation of Drath, Taschner informed her that the sentences for theft of a firearm and either first or second degree unlawful possession of a firearm would run consecutively. However, Taschner brought up consecutive sentencing in the context of discussing additional charges the State could file against Drath. Taschner testified that:

In other words, I guess what I'm saying is that yes, we did discuss that some of these counts would run consecutive to one another, but that discussion also, I think, occurred in the context of trying to give her an appreciation that even more counts could be added that would also run consecutive with one another.

10 RP (July 15, 2016) at 1456.

¶11 Taschner never discussed specific sentencing ranges with Drath. Instead, he advised her that if the State were to file additional charges in her case, Drath could face more than 15 years in confinement. As to whether Drath was ever willing to consider a plea offer, Taschner testified, "I don't recall [Drath] coming out and saying that there was - that no matter what she was going to trial. That wasn't stated." 10 RP (July 15, 2016) at 1458.

3. P. Jones

¶12 Jones represented Drath between June 2, 2014, and January 27, 2015. When asked what discussions Jones had with Drath regarding consecutive sentencing in her case, Jones testified:

I can't recall every discussion specifically, although this was a year and a half ago. With that said-two years ago, really. That said, there were a number of occasions on which we had that discussion, on which we compared the offers, as I received it from [the State], to the potential of time she could otherwise do. I mentioned the story earlier about the gentleman in Stevens County who got a hundred and twenty-five years, and I had specifically related that story to her as an example of what a consecutive sentence could do as opposed to a normal one.

10 RP (July 15, 2016) at 1468.

¶13 Nonetheless, Jones could not recall telling Drath that if convicted, she faced a sentencing range between 103 and 136 months. Jones never presented Drath with this specific number because he did not believe it truly represented the high end of sentencing Drath faced since the State could have filed additional firearm charges.

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Bluebook (online)
431 P.3d 1098, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-drath-washctapp-2018.