State v. Dykstra

110 P.3d 758, 127 Wash. App. 1
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 8, 2005
DocketNo. 22629-8-III
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 110 P.3d 758 (State v. Dykstra) 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. Dykstra, 110 P.3d 758, 127 Wash. App. 1 (Wash. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

[5]*5¶1 —A jury convicted George Dykstra, Jr., of five counts of first degree theft for his role in an auto theft ring. He appeals and assigns error to a number of the court’s rulings, including its refusal to suppress his noncustodial statements to police, its refusal to give a unanimity instruction, and its refusal to prohibit the State from responding to comments his lawyer made during final argument. We find no error in any of these rulings. And Mr. Dykstra was not entitled to jury findings on the facts underlying his license suspension. We therefore affirm his convictions and the Department of Licensing’s action suspending his driver’s license.

Sweeney, A.C.J.

FACTS

¶2 George Dykstra, Jr., was part of an auto theft ring. Two Spokane police detectives visited Mr. Dykstra at the downtown Spokane car dealership where he worked. They told him he was under investigation and read him the standard Miranda1 rights. He agreed to an interview at the police station the following day. The next day Mr. Dykstra showed up at the station. The detectives again told him he was a suspect and again read him his rights. Mr. Dykstra waived his rights and made statements that were later admitted at trial.

¶3 The State charged him with five counts of first degree theft. Each count in the information gives the date, describes the particular vehicle stolen, and identifies the owner. Mr. Dykstra moved to suppress the statements. He said he did not understand that a free attorney would be provided before any questioning, if he needed one. The court denied his motion to suppress his statements.

¶4 Some of Mr. Dykstra’s collaborators pleaded guilty and testified that he provided the key codes they used to obtain keys. He also took some of the cars. He acted as lookout at least once. And he helped strip the stolen vehicles for parts.

[6]*6¶5 Mr. Dykstra’s lawyer pointed out several times in closing that only Mr. Dykstra was on trial. And he invited the jury to speculate why. He implied that the others had escaped prosecution altogether. His suggestion was that Mr. Dykstra should be acquitted in the spirit of fairness. The prosecutor told the jury that the State had prosecuted everyone it had evidence to prosecute. The defense objected that this was improper argument. The court overruled.

¶6 The court refused Mr. Dykstra’s request for a Petrich unanimity instruction.2 And the court instructed the jury on reasonable doubt as follows:

The defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. That plea puts in issue every element of the crime charged. The State is the plaintiff and has the burden of proving each element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendant has no burden of proving that a reasonable doubt exists.
A defendant is presumed innocent. This presumption continues throughout the entire trial unless during your deliberations you find it has been overcome by the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
A reasonable doubt is one for which a reason exists and may arise from the evidence or lack of evidence. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced of the defendant’s guilt. There are very few things in this world that we know with absolute certainty, and in criminal cases the law does not require proof that overcomes every possible doubt. If, based on your consideration of the evidence, you are firmly convinced that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged, you must find him guilty.

Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 128 (instruction 5).

¶7 A jury found Mr. Dykstra guilty of all five counts of first degree theft. The Department of Licensing revoked Mr. Dykstra’s driver’s license and refused his request for a hearing. He argued to the sentencing court that revocation was appropriate only when a vehicle was the instrumentality of the crime, not the object. The court concluded that the [7]*7convictions constituted felonies involving the use of an automobile. And they therefore triggered the mandatory driver’s license revocation provisions of RCW 46.20.285.3

DISCUSSION

Admission of Mr. Dykstra’s Statements

¶8 We review an alleged Miranda violation de novo. State v. Curtis, 110 Wn. App. 6, 11, 37 P.3d 1274 (2002).

¶9 Mr. Dykstra argues that, before custodial questioning, a criminal defendant must be advised that, if he wants an attorney before questioning and cannot afford one, the police will make the arrangements and actually produce an attorney. He contends the standard rights language on the card failed to communicate this to him.

¶10 Mr. Dykstra concedes he was not in custody. When a suspect who is not under arrest voluntarily presents himself at the police station, is read his Miranda rights, and states that he understands those rights, his statements are admissible at trial. State v. Visitacion, 55 Wn. App. 166, 171-72, 776 P.2d 986 (1989).

Prosecutorial Misconduct

¶11 During his closing argument, defense counsel told the jury that numerous people had been involved, but that only Mr. Dykstra had been prosecuted. He invited the jury to speculate on the reason for this: “Why did they charge George Dykstra and they didn’t charge these other gentlemen?” Report of Proceedings (RP) at 745. The prosecutor responded that, “all of the people who we had evidence to charge, we did charge.” RP at 746. The court ruled that the defense had opened the door for the prosecutor’s comment. [8]*8Here on appeal, Mr. Dykstra argues that the prosecutor’s comments were misconduct in the form of vouching or testifying and that the judge commented on the evidence by overruling the defense objection in front of the jury.

¶12 We review trial court rulings based on allegations of prosecutorial misconduct for abuse of discretion. State v. Finch, 137 Wn.2d 792, 839, 975 P.2d 967 (1999).

¶13 The prosecutor may reply to defense arguments even if the remarks might otherwise be improper. But the remarks may not go beyond what is necessary to respond to the defense and must not bring before the jury matters not in the record, or be so prejudicial that an instruction cannot cure them. State v. La Porte, 58 Wn.2d 816, 822, 365 P.2d 24 (1961). Defense counsel’s argument that the jury should not find Mr. Dykstra guilty because other culpable people were not charged was improper. The State’s rebuttal was, then, entirely appropriate. The court did not abuse its discretion.

Comment on the Evidence

¶14 A judge may not comment on evidence. State v. Deal, 128 Wn.2d 693, 703, 911 P.2d 996 (1996) (citing Wash. Const. art. IV, § 16).

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Bluebook (online)
110 P.3d 758, 127 Wash. App. 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dykstra-washctapp-2005.