State v. Louis

120 P.3d 936
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 6, 2005
Docket75151-0
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 120 P.3d 936 (State v. Louis) 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. Louis, 120 P.3d 936 (Wash. 2005).

Opinion

120 P.3d 936 (2005)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Joe N. LOUIS, Petitioner.

No. 75151-0.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued February 10, 2005.
Decided October 6, 2005.

*937 Cheryl D. Aza, Washington Appellate Project, Seattle, for Petitioner.

Dennis John McCurdy, King County Prosecutor's Office, Seattle, for Respondent.

ALEXANDER, C.J.

¶ 1 We granted Joe Louis's petition for review to determine whether his convictions for first degree robbery and first degree kidnapping violate principles of double jeopardy and, alternatively, whether his kidnapping convictions merge into his robbery convictions. We also granted Louis's supplemental petition to determine whether his consecutive sentences for kidnapping are unconstitutional in light of Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004). For reasons set forth herein, we answer "no" to each of the aforementioned *938 questions. Accordingly, we affirm Louis's convictions and sentences.

I

¶ 2 Under a pretext of shopping, Lisa Leighton and John Rucker entered a jewelry store that was owned by a husband and wife, Chol Yang and Sun Whang. Joe Louis, who had initially remained outside of the store, entered after the last customer had departed. Upon entering, Louis locked the outside door and proceeded to conceal his face with a stocking. At that point, Rucker drew a gun and aimed it at Whang. Louis then jumped over the counter and led Whang into a bathroom. Meanwhile, Rucker led Yang to the rear of the store, where he took Yang's wallet and keys. He then took Yang into the same bathroom in which Whang was being detained. Louis and Rucker proceeded to cover the couple's eyes and mouths with duct tape. They also bound the couple's hands and feet and warned them that if they left the bathroom, they would be killed. Yang and Whang waited a few minutes before freeing themselves. They then summoned the police. Louis, Rucker, and Leighton were subsequently arrested.

¶ 3 The King County prosecuting attorney charged Louis with first degree robbery of Whang (count IV) and Yang (count V), and first degree kidnapping of Whang (count VI) and Yang (count VII). Clerk's Papers (CP) at 9-11.[1] The information contained an allegation that Louis was armed with a firearm during the commission of each of the aforementioned offenses. The jury found Louis guilty of the charges in counts IV, V, VI, and VII. It also returned a special verdict that Louis was armed with a firearm during the commission of each kidnapping and robbery.

¶ 4 The sentencing court imposed a standard range sentence of 54 months imprisonment on each count. It determined, however, that the robbery charge embodied in count IV encompassed the same criminal conduct as that alleged in the kidnapping charge set forth in count VI. It, therefore, ordered that the sentence on count IV run concurrently with the sentence on count VI. It made the same determination regarding counts V and VII. The sentencing court also determined that the kidnapping convictions should run consecutively to each other based on the fact that kidnapping is a serious violent offense and that kidnapping two different individuals constitutes separate and distinct criminal conduct for purposes of RCW 9.94A.589(1)(b).[2] Finally, it imposed a mandatory 60-month firearm enhancement on each count, with two enhancements running concurrently with the robbery convictions and two enhancements running consecutively with the kidnapping convictions. The addition of firearm enhancements of 120 months resulted in a total sentence for Louis of 228 months in prison.

¶ 5 The Court of Appeals affirmed Louis's convictions and sentences. Louis then sought review by this court, raising a double jeopardy issue, as well as other arguments. While Louis's petition for review was pending, the United States Supreme Court rendered its decision in Blakely, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403. Louis then filed a supplemental petition for review, seeking to add an argument that his consecutive sentences ran afoul of the decision in Blakely. We granted review on only the double jeopardy, merger, and Blakely issues.

II

A. Double Jeopardy

¶ 6 Louis contends that his convictions for first degree robbery and first degree *939 kidnapping constitute multiple punishments for the same offense and violate the double jeopardy prohibitions of the federal and state constitutions. He claims, therefore, that two of his convictions must be vacated.[3]

¶ 7 The fifth amendment to the United States Constitution assures that no "person [shall] be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." Similarly, article I, section 9 of the Washington Constitution, guarantees that "[n]o person shall be ... twice put in jeopardy for the same offense." These provisions afford persons a constitutional guaranty against multiple punishments for the same offense. Beyond these constitutional constraints, "the legislative branch has the power to define criminal conduct and assign punishment for such conduct." State v. Calle, 125 Wash.2d 769, 776, 888 P.2d 155 (1995) (citing Whalen v. United States, 445 U.S. 684, 689, 100 S.Ct. 1432, 63 L.Ed.2d 715 (1980)). Our review here is limited to determining whether the legislature intended to allow multiple punishments for criminal conduct that violates both the robbery and kidnapping statutes.

¶ 8 Initially, we look to the language of the pertinent statutes to determine if they expressly authorize multiple punishments for conduct that violates more than one statute. Where, as here, the language of the statutes are silent on this point,[4] we apply a rule of statutory construction known as the "`same evidence'" test. Id. at 777, 888 P.2d 155. Under the same evidence test, double jeopardy is deemed violated if a defendant is "convicted of offenses that are identical both in fact and in law." Id. (citations omitted). If each offense requires proof of an element not required in the other, where proof of one does not necessarily prove the other, the offenses are not the same and multiple convictions are permitted. Our "same evidence" test mirrors its federal counterpart, the "same elements" test or Blockburger test, as adopted in Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 304, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932) and State v. Gocken, 127 Wash.2d 95, 101-02, 896 P.2d 1267 (1995).

¶ 9 Applying the same evidence test here, we conclude that the robbery and kidnapping charges against Louis are not the same "in law." We reach that conclusion because each offense includes an element not included in the other.

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120 P.3d 936, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-louis-wash-2005.