State v. Kipp

286 P.3d 68, 171 Wash. App. 14
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedOctober 2, 2012
DocketNo. 39750-1-II
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 286 P.3d 68 (State v. Kipp) 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. Kipp, 286 P.3d 68, 171 Wash. App. 14 (Wash. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinions

Worswick, C.J.

¶1 A jury found William Kipp guilty of two counts of second degree child rape and one count of second degree child molestation. Kipp appeals, arguing (1) the trial court erroneously admitted testimony under RCW 10.58.0901 and ER 404(b) regarding prior uncharged child molestation by Kipp, (2) the trial court erroneously admitted a secretly recorded conversation between Kipp and his brother-in-law under the privacy act (ch. 9.73 RCW), and (3) the trial court erroneously excluded a defense witness due to late disclosure. Kipp also submits a statement of additional grounds (SAG), arguing that the trial judge was biased against him and that the State misstated the burden of proof at closing argument. We hold that the evidence of uncharged child molestation was properly admitted under ER 404(b). We further hold that the trial court did not err in admitting Kipp’s recorded conversation or in excluding testimony of the late-disclosed witness. And we hold that the arguments raised in Kipp’s SAG are without merit. Accordingly, we affirm.

FACTS

¶2 Kipp was charged with two counts of second degree child rape and one count of second degree child molestation [19]*19of his niece DGT.2 The incidents occurred when DGT was 12 to 14 years old. Kipp molested DGT at her grandparents’ house by touching her genitals and digitally penetrating her. Kipp also digitally penetrated DGT while she was staying overnight at his house.

¶3 JMC, who is DGT’s older sister, also alleged that Kipp had sexually assaulted her when she was 15 years old. Kipp molested JMC at his house when JMC was living there by fondling her breasts while they watched TV. Also, on one occasion, Kipp molested JMC at her grandparents’ house by performing oral sex on her and rubbing his penis on her genitals. Kipp was never charged for the acts against JMC.

¶4 Joseph T, the father of DGT and JMC, and Kipp’s brother-in-law, subsequently confronted Kipp about his daughters’ allegations. Kipp confessed, and Joseph T. secretly recorded the conversation.

¶5 Kipp moved pretrial to suppress the recording of his conversation with Joseph T. under Washington’s privacy act.3 Without taking testimony, the trial court denied Kipp’s motion to suppress, ruling that Kipp’s conversation with Joseph T. was not a private conversation and thus not subject to suppression under the privacy act.

¶6 Also pretrial, the trial court ruled that JMC’s testimony was admissible under RCW 10.58.090, as well as under ER 404(b) to show a common scheme or plan. Further, the trial court excluded the testimony of defense witness Alan T, Kipp’s brother-in-law, whom Kipp first disclosed six days before trial. At trial, the trial court admitted both JMC’s testimony and the recording of Kipp’s conversation with Joseph T. The jury found Kipp guilty as charged. Kipp appeals.

[20]*20ANALYSIS

I. Testimony op JMC

¶7 Kipp argues that the trial court erred by admitting JMC’s testimony under RCW 10.58.090 and ER 404(b). Because our Supreme Court has found RCW 10.58.090 to be unconstitutional, it was not a valid basis to admit JMC’s testimony. State v. Gresham, 173 Wn.2d 405, 432, 269 P.3d 207 (2012). But because the trial court properly admitted JMC’s testimony under ER 404(b) to show a common scheme or plan, the trial court did not err on this point and Kipp’s argument fails.

¶8 This court reviews a trial court’s rulings under ER 404(b) for abuse of discretion. State v. Foxhoven, 161 Wn.2d 168, 174, 163 P.3d 786 (2007). A trial court abuses its discretion if its decision “is manifestly unreasonable or rests on untenable grounds.” State v. Griffin, 173 Wn.2d 467, 473, 268 P.3d 924 (2012). A decision is manifestly unreasonable if the court adopted a position no reasonable person would take. Griffin, 173 Wn.2d at 473. And a decision rests on untenable grounds when the trial court applies the wrong legal standard or relies on unsupported facts. Griffin, 173 Wn.2d at 473.

¶9 ER 404(b) forbids a trial court to admit evidence of a person’s other crimes, wrongs, or acts to prove a person’s character to show that the person acted in conformity therewith. But ER 404(b) does not forbid such “other acts” evidence admitted for other purposes, such as to show a common scheme or plan.

¶10 In order for “other acts” evidence to be properly admitted to show a common scheme or plan under ER 404(b), it “must be ‘(1) proved by a preponderance of the evidence, (2) admitted for the purpose of proving a common plan or scheme, (3) relevant to prove an element of the crime charged or to rebut a defense, and (4) more probative [21]*21than prejudicial.’ ” State v. DeVincentis, 150 Wn.2d 11, 17, 74 P.3d 119 (2003) (quoting State v. Lough, 125 Wn.2d 847, 852, 889 P.2d 487 (1995)). Kipp disputes only the second element of this test: whether JMC’s testimony was admitted for the purpose of proving a common scheme or plan.

¶11 There are two types of evidence admissible to show a common scheme or plan under ER 404(b): (1) evidence of prior acts that are part of a larger, overarching criminal plan or (2) evidence of prior acts following a single plan to commit separate but very similar crimes. DeVincentis, 150 Wn.2d at 19. The instant case deals with the second type of common scheme or plan: a single plan followed to commit separate but very similar crimes. Such a common scheme or plan “may be established by evidence that the Defendant committed markedly similar acts of misconduct against similar victims under similar circumstances.” Lough, 125 Wn.2d at 852. Evidence of such a plan “ ‘must demonstrate not merely similarity in results, but such occurrence of common features that the various acts are naturally to be explained as caused by a general plan of which the charged crime and the prior misconduct are the individual manifestations.’ ” DeVincentis, 150 Wn.2d at 19 (quoting Lough, 125 Wn.2d at 860). But such common features need not show a unique method of committing the crime. DeVincentis, 150 Wn.2d at 20-21.

¶12 Here, there was “ ‘such occurrence of common features’ ” between Kipp’s abuse of DGT and JMC that his abuse of both victims was naturally to be explained as manifestations of a general plan, making JMC’s testimony admissible under ER 404(b). DeVincentis, 150 Wn.2d at 19-20 (quoting Lough, 125 Wn.2d at 860). The victims were of similar ages, and both were Kipp’s nieces. Also, Kipp molested both victims in two places: his house and their grandparents’ house.

¶13 While Kipp performed different sex acts on each victim, the evidence shows that he had a common scheme or plan to get his nieces alone at his house or their grandpar[22]

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286 P.3d 68, 171 Wash. App. 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kipp-washctapp-2012.