State v. Gonzalez-Lopez

132 P.3d 1128
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in State v. Gonzalez-Lopez. Read the opinion of the Court — 132 Wash. App. 622
Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided May 1, 2006·No. 53592-7-I·Published

Opinion

132 P.3d 1128 (2006)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Andres GONZALEZ-LOPEZ, Appellant.

No. 53592-7-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

May 1, 2006.

*1129 Eric Broman, Nielsen Broman & Koch, Seattle, for Appellant.

Mary K. Webber, Snohomish County Prosecutors Office, Everett, for Respondent.

*1130 COX, J.

¶ 1 At issue is whether the penalty classifications of bail jumping are essential elements of that crime. Specifically, we decide whether the penalty classifications (class A, B, or C felony or misdemeanor) of bail jumping must be included in an information or a "to convict" jury instruction. Andres Gonzalez-Lopez contends that the omission of a statement that his bail jumping charge was a class A felony from the information and the "to convict" instruction were constitutional errors requiring reversal. Because such a statement is not an essential element of that crime, we disagree and affirm.

¶ 2 In February 2002, the State charged Gonzalez-Lopez with attempted first degree child molestation. Later that year, Gonzalez-Lopez posted bail and the court entered an order directing his release pending trial. He failed to appear for trial, and the court issued a bench warrant. Following his apprehension, the State added bail jumping and first degree child molestation charges in an amended information.

¶ 3 At trial, Gonzalez-Lopez did not object either to the amended charge for bail jumping or to the State's proposed "to convict" instruction for bail jumping.[1] The jury acquitted him of the child molestation charges but convicted him of bail jumping.

¶ 4 Gonzalez-Lopez appeals.

SUFFICIENCY OF THE INFORMATION

¶ 5 For the first time on appeal, Gonzalez-Lopez argues that his conviction for bail jumping should be reversed because the amended information merely alleges that the underlying charge for bail jumping was attempted first degree child molestation, a felony. Specifically, he claims that it must also allege that the underlying charge of child molestation is a "class A felony." He bases this claim on the assertion that "class A felony" is an essential element of bail jumping and that its omission from the information was constitutional error that requires reversal. We disagree.

Express Essential Element

¶ 6 In every prosecution, the defendant must be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation.[2] A charging document must allege facts supporting every element of the offense, and must adequately identify the crime charged.[3] The objective of this "essential elements" rule is to give notice to an accused of the nature of the crime so that the accused can prepare an adequate defense.[4]

¶ 7 The elements of a crime are those facts "that the prosecution must prove to sustain a conviction."[5] Since it is the legislature that defines crimes, we first look to the relevant statute to determine the elements of a crime.[6] The purpose of looking to *1131 the statute is to determine the legislature's intent in defining the elements of a crime.[7] Where the plain words of a statute are unambiguous, we do not construe the statute.[8]

¶ 8 When an information is challenged post-conviction, a liberal standard applies.[9] An information will be upheld on appeal under the liberal standard, if "an apparently missing element ... [may] be fairly implied from language within the charging document."[10] The test is: "(1) do the necessary facts appear in any form, or by fair construction can they be found, in the charging document; and, if so, (2) can the defendant show that he or she was nonetheless actually prejudiced by the inartful language which caused a lack of notice?"[11]

¶ 9 A challenge to the sufficiency of a charging document is of constitutional magnitude and may be raised for the first time on appeal.[12] We review a challenge to the sufficiency of a charging document de novo.[13]

¶ 10 We first note that the liberal or strict standard applies to determine whether an information contains constitutionally sufficient notice of the essential elements of a crime. Here, we identify what the essential elements of bail jumping are. Thus, we need not address what standard — liberal or strict — applies in this case.

¶ 11 The amended information that he now challenges states:

Count III: Bail Jumping, committed as follows: That the defendant, on or about the 23rd day of August, 2002, being charged with Attempted Child Molestation in the First Degree, a felony, and having been admitted to bail with the requirement of a subsequent personal appearance before Snohomish County Superior Court, a court of the State of Washington, and knowing of the requirement of the subsequent personal appearance, did fail to appear as required, proscribed by RCW 9A.76.170(1), a felony.[[14]]

¶ 12 Thus, the threshold question is whether "class A felony," the punishment class of bail jumping that applies here,[15] is an essential element of that crime so that it should have been alleged in this information.

¶ 13 In State v. Miller, the supreme court recently considered whether the validity of a no-contact order is an essential element of the crime for violating such an order for purposes of a "to-convict" jury instruction.[16] There, Miller was arraigned on a fourth degree assault charge.[17] At the time, the court issued a no-contact order prohibiting him from contact with the victim of the alleged assault.[18] While the order was in effect, a police officer stopped Miller's car for a traffic violation and discovered the victim in the car with him.[19] The officer arrested Miller for violation of the order.[20]

¶ 14 At trial, a major issue was whether the "to convict" instruction, which was based on a pattern jury instruction, should have included a statement that the no-contact order was a valid order. The pattern instruction did not include such language. Following his conviction, Miller appealed to this court, which affirmed. After granting Miller's *1132 petition for review, the supreme court also affirmed.

¶ 15 In its analysis, the supreme court first examined the words of the statute defining violation of a no-contact order. The court observed that neither the statute nor its legislative history indicated that a "valid" order is an essential element of the crime for purposes of the "to convict" instruction.[21]

¶ 16 Applying that approach here, we first examine the words of the bail jumping statute to determine whether the penalty classes of bail jumping are express essential elements of that crime, as defined by the legislature. The bail jumping statute states in part:

Bail jumping. (1) Any person having been released by court order or admitted to bail with knowledge of the requirement of a subsequent personal appearance before any court of this state, or of the requirement to report to a correctional facility for service of sentence, and who fails to appear or who fails to surrender for service of sentence as required is guilty of bail jumping.
...
(3) Bail jumping is:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

State v. Gonzalez-Lopez, 132 P.3d 1128 (Wash. Ct. App. 2006).

132 P.3d 1128 (State v. Gonzalez-Lopez) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

United States v. Carll
105 U.S. 611 (Supreme Court, 1882)
State v. Leach
782 P.2d 552 (Washington Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Pope
999 P.2d 51 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2000)
State v. Ibsen
989 P.2d 1184 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1999)
State v. Campbell
888 P.2d 1185 (Washington Supreme Court, 1995)
State v. Boyer
588 P.2d 1151 (Washington Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Kjorsvik
812 P.2d 86 (Washington Supreme Court, 1991)
State v. Smith
930 P.2d 917 (Washington Supreme Court, 1997)
State v. Mills
109 P.3d 415 (Washington Supreme Court, 2005)
State v. Spiers
79 P.3d 30 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2003)
State v. DeRyke
73 P.3d 1000 (Washington Supreme Court, 2003)
State v. Green
6 P.3d 53 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2000)
State v. Tinker
118 P.3d 885 (Washington Supreme Court, 2005)
State v. Westling
40 P.3d 669 (Washington Supreme Court, 2002)
State v. Root
9 P.3d 214 (Washington Supreme Court, 2000)
State v. Delcambre
805 P.2d 233 (Washington Supreme Court, 1991)
State v. Goodman
83 P.3d 410 (Washington Supreme Court, 2004)
State v. Miller
123 P.3d 827 (Washington Supreme Court, 2005)
State v. Root
9 P.3d 214 (Washington Supreme Court, 2000)
State v. Smith
131 Wash. 2d 258 (Washington Supreme Court, 1997)