State v. Laramie

169 P.3d 859
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedOctober 23, 2007
Docket25337-6-III
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 169 P.3d 859 (State v. Laramie) 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. Laramie, 169 P.3d 859 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

169 P.3d 859 (2007)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Terrance M. LARAMIE, Appellant.

No. 25337-6-III.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 3.

October 23, 2007.

*861 Dennis W. Morgan, Attorney at Law, Ritzville, WA, for Appellant.

Michael G. Sandona, Prosecuting Attorney, Republic, WA, for Respondent.

OPINION PUBLISHED IN PART

STEPHENS, J.

¶ 1 Terrance M. Laramie appeals his convictions for second degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, interfering with the reporting of domestic violence and third degree rape. He contends the information did not include all essential elements of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence; the court erred in permitting amendment of the information and instructing the jury on an uncharged alternative means of second degree assault; and the prosecutor committed misconduct. In a pro se statement of additional grounds for review, Mr. Laramie also raises issues concerning the victim's testimony and his ability to testify. We reverse his conviction for second degree assault, and affirm his other convictions.

FACTS

¶ 2 Mr. Laramie and Denise Rickard began an affair in July 2005. Ms. Rickard left her husband and moved in with Mr. Laramie.

¶ 3 On or about October 13, 2005, Mr. Laramie drove Ms. Rickard to the woods and beat her. As they drove to the woods, Mr. Laramie told her "we're going in and only one of us [is] coming out." Report of Proceedings (RP) at 217. Mr. Laramie hit Ms. Rickard and kicked her. She told him she wanted to go home and he told her to walk. As she started, he followed her in the truck and she believed he was going to run over her. He threw her into the truck and took her back to their residence. She tried to call 911 but he grabbed the phone from her and told her if she turned him in he would get her when he got out. When they returned to their apartment, he injected her with methamphetamine and anally raped her.

¶ 4 When Mr. Laramie went to work, Ms. Rickard left the apartment and returned to her husband in Omak. On October 20, she contacted the police. Officers photographed her injuries and took her statement. Later that day, the police arrested Mr. Laramie.

¶ 5 The State charged Mr. Laramie with second degree assault, third degree malicious mischief, first degree kidnapping, interfering with the reporting of domestic violence and fourth degree assault. The State amended the information to add a charge of third degree rape and three counts of delivery of a controlled substance. The State filed a second, third and fourth amended information. The fourth amended information charged Mr. Laramie with second degree assault, third degree malicious mischief, first degree kidnapping, interfering with the reporting of domestic violence, fourth degree assault, delivery of methamphetamine, and third degree rape. The jury convicted Mr. Laramie of second degree assault, unlawful imprisonment (a lesser included offense of first degree kidnapping), interfering with the reporting of domestic violence and third degree rape. The court imposed a standard range *862 sentence of 84 months. Mr. Laramie appeals.

ANALYSIS

A. VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION

¶ 6 Count IV of the information charged Mr. Laramie with interfering with the reporting of domestic violence. The State amended the information four times, but the language of this count was never challenged or changed. The pertinent language provided:

That the defendant, TERRANCE M. LARAMIE, on or about the 12th day to and including the 20th day of October 2005, in the County of Ferry, State of Washington, did commit a crime of domestic violence as defined in RCW 10.99.020 and did prevent or attempt to prevent the victim of or a witness to that domestic violence crime from calling a 911 emergency communication system, obtaining medical assistance, or making a report to any law enforcement official; to wit: confined and prevented the victim from leaving his apartment so that she wouldn't be able to contact the police to make a report and/or seek medical attention; contrary to Revised Code of Washington 9A.36.150(1).

Clerk's Papers (CP) at 60. Mr. Laramie now claims that this language did not contain all essential elements of the charge because it did not specify the victim or the underlying domestic violence crime.

¶ 7 Although a defendant may challenge the sufficiency of the information for the first time on appeal, we liberally construe the document in favor of its validity. State v. Kjorsvik, 117 Wash.2d 93, 105-06, 812 P.2d 86 (1991). We consider (1) whether the necessary facts appear in any form, or by fair construction can be found, in the charging document; and, if so, (2) whether the defendant nonetheless suffered actual prejudice as a result of the inartful, vague, or ambiguous charging language. Id.; see also State v. McCarty, 140 Wash.2d 420, 425, 998 P.2d 296 (2000). Such liberal construction prevents what has been described as "`sandbagging'," insofar as it removes any incentive to refrain from challenging a defective information before or during trial, when a successful objection would result in only an amendment to the information. Kjorsvik, 117 Wash.2d at 103, 812 P.2d 86 (quoting 2 W. LAFAVE & J. ISRAEL, CRIMINAL PROCEDURE § 19.2, at 442 & n. 36 (1984)). Moreover, it reinforces the "primary goal" of the essential elements rule, which is to provide constitutionally mandated notice to the defendant of the charges against which he or she must be prepared to defend. Id. at 101, 812 P.2d 86; State v. Davis, 119 Wash.2d 657, 661, 835 P.2d 1039 (1992). The goal of notice is met where a fair, commonsense construction of the charging document "would reasonably apprise an accused of the elements of the crime charged." Kjorsvik, 117 Wash.2d at 109, 812 P.2d 86.

¶ 8 Here, count IV of the information followed the language of the statute defining the crime of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence. RCW 9A.36.150(1). It included the essential element of the commission of an underlying crime of domestic violence as defined in RCW 10.99.020 and specified the means of interference, viz, that Mr. Laramie confined and prevented the victim from making a report or seeking medical attention. Mr. Laramie argues that the information lacked essential elements, however, because it did not specify the name of the victim and the nature of the underlying domestic violence crime. His argument finds support in State v. Clowes, 104 Wash.App. 935, 942, 18 P.3d 596 (2001).

¶ 9 In Clowes, Division Two of this court held that an information that does not include these details is deficient, and such details cannot be drawn from other parts of a multiple-count information. 104 Wash.App.

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Bluebook (online)
169 P.3d 859, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-laramie-washctapp-2007.