State v. Hughes

212 P.3d 558
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 23, 2009
Docket81270-5
StatusPublished
Cited by72 cases

This text of 212 P.3d 558 (State v. Hughes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Hughes, 212 P.3d 558 (Wash. 2009).

Opinion

212 P.3d 558 (2009)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Raymond Carl HUGHES, Petitioner.

No. 81270-5.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued May 7, 2009.
Decided July 23, 2009.

*559 David N. Gasch, Gasch Law Office, Spokane, WA, for Petitioner.

Steven J. Tucker, Mark Erik Lindsey, Spokane County Prosecutor's Office, Spokane, WA, for Respondent.

C. JOHNSON, J.

¶ 1 This case asks us to resolve two issues arising out of Raymond Carl Hughes' guilty plea to two counts of rape resulting from one act of sexual intercourse with a child. We are asked to determine whether his convictions violate double jeopardy and whether the trial court has the authority to impose an indeterminate exceptional minimum sentence under certain sections of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981(SRA), chapter 9.94A RCW. The superior court denied Hughes' motion to strike one conviction on double jeopardy grounds and held that it lacked authority under Blakely[1] to impanel a jury to impose an exceptional sentence. The State appealed the sentencing issue to the Court of Appeals, Division Three. Hughes cross-appealed on the double jeopardy issue. The Court of Appeals held that the court may impose an exceptional minimum sentence under an indeterminate sentencing scheme. In a published, split decision,[2] the Court of Appeals majority also held the two convictions did not violate double jeopardy, while the dissent contends that they did. We reverse the Court of Appeals on the double jeopardy issue and affirm on the sentencing issue.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 Hughes, a 35-year-old man, was hired as a nurse for S.E.H., a 12-year-old child with cerebral palsy. On or about April 20, 2004, Hughes engaged in one act of sexual intercourse with S.E.H. The State charged him with one count of rape of a child in the second degree, RCW 9A.44.076(1), and one count of rape in the second degree due to the victim's inability to consent by reason of physical helplessness or mental incapacity, RCW 9A.44.050(1)(b). Hughes sought to dismiss one of the charges prior to trial on the basis of double jeopardy. The trial court denied the motion.

¶ 3 On October 14, 2004, Hughes pleaded guilty to both charges as set forth in the information and attached to the plea agreement. Hughes did not stipulate to any facts *560 other than what he admitted to in the "Statement of the Defendant on the Plea of Guilty to Sex Offense."[3] Before sentencing, the State filed a memorandum in support of an exceptional sentence. Before the trial court, the parties argued the applicability of the Blakely[4] decision to Hughes' sentencing. The trial court ruled that, under Blakely, it lacked the statutory authority to impanel a jury and that no exceptional sentence could therefore be considered. At sentencing, pursuant to former RCW 9.94A.712 (2001), the trial court imposed a sentence with a minimum term of 102 months and maximum of life, a figure that reflected the top end of the standard range.

¶ 4 The State appealed the trial court's denial of its request for an exceptional sentence to the Court of Appeals, Division Three. Hughes cross-appealed on double jeopardy grounds, arguing that only one conviction should result from one act of sexual intercourse. The Court of Appeals delayed the appeal of the trial court's decision on the exceptional sentence issue until we decided State v. Clarke, 156 Wash.2d 880, 134 P.3d 188 (2006). The Court of Appeals held that, pursuant to Clarke, a trial court may impose an exceptional minimum sentence under an indeterminate sentencing scheme, such as RCW 9.94A.712, without violating Blakely when the exceptional sentence does not exceed the maximum sentence imposed. In a split decision, the majority of that court also found that under the "same evidence rule," Hughes' two convictions did not violate double jeopardy and upheld both convictions. The dissent disagreed and argued that the legislature did not intend convictions for rape and statutory rape arising out of a single act to result in multiple punishments.

¶ 5 Hughes petitioned this court for review raising two issues. He argues that the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that his convictions do not violate double jeopardy. He also contends that under the current SRA, no procedure for judicial fact-finding of aggravating circumstances exists to support an exceptional sentence and the SRA prohibits exceptional minimum indeterminate sentencing. Accordingly, Hughes asks us to reverse the Court of Appeals holding that the trial court has the authority to impose an exceptional sentence.

ISSUES

¶ 6 (1) Whether convictions for rape of a child in the second degree and rape in the second degree due to nonconsent by reason of mental incapacity or physical helplessness which arise out of the same act violate double jeopardy.

¶ 7 (2) Whether the trial court has the authority to impose an indeterminate exceptional minimum sentence.

ANALYSIS

A. Double Jeopardy[5]

¶ 8 Claims of double jeopardy are questions of law, which we review de novo. *561 The United States Constitution provides that a person may not be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb. U.S. CONST. amend. V. Similarly, the Washington State Constitution provides that a person may not be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense. WASH. CONST. art. I, § 9.

¶ 9 To analyze a double jeopardy claim, we first examine the statutory language to see if the applicable statutes expressly permit punishment for the same act or transaction. If the statutes do not speak to multiple punishments for the same act, we next apply the "same evidence" analysis.[6] Even if the two statutes pass the "same evidence" inquiry, multiple convictions may not stand if the legislature has otherwise clearly indicated its intent that the same conduct or transaction will not be punished under both statutes. State v. Jackman, 156 Wash.2d 736, 746, 132 P.3d 136 (2006). Here, the statutes at issue do not expressly permit punishment for the same act. Therefore, we analyze the statutes under the same evidence test.

¶ 10 Under the same evidence test, two statutory offenses are the same for double jeopardy purposes if the offenses are identical in law and in fact. If each offense includes an element not included in the other, and each requires proof of a fact the other does not, then the offenses are not constitutionally the same under this test. Jackman, 156 Wash.2d at 747, 132 P.3d 136. Here, the statutes at issue are RCW 9A.44.076, rape of a child in the second degree,[7] and RCW 9A.44.050

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Bluebook (online)
212 P.3d 558, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hughes-wash-2009.