State v. McJimpson

901 P.2d 354
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 5, 1995
Docket31653-2-I
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 901 P.2d 354 (State v. McJimpson) 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. McJimpson, 901 P.2d 354 (Wash. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

901 P.2d 354 (1995)
79 Wash.App. 164

The STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Darcemon Derondo McJIMPSON, Appellant.

No. 31653-2-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

September 5, 1995.

*355 Acosta & Nielsen, Seattle, for appellant.

Donald James Raz, Deputy Pros. Atty., Seattle, for respondent.

COX, Judge.

An exchange of angry words in the parking lot of a Seattle minimart swiftly escalated to a fatal shooting. During the encounter, Darcemon McJimpson brandished a handgun at Andre Watts and fired two shots that hit Ezekial Franklin. Franklin died the next day. Because (a) McJimpson's convictions for felony murder and felony assault do not constitute multiple punishment for the same crime, (b) the trial court properly refused to instruct the jury on manslaughter, and (c) we find no merit to McJimpson's other contentions, we affirm.

On the night of March 27, 1992, McJimpson and his companion, "Money," were outside a minimart. Money insulted Watts' sister and her friend. When Watts confronted the two men, McJimpson pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot. Money punched Watts, and McJimpson put the gun away because he thought Watts would fight with Money. Instead, as Watts got back on his feet, he approached McJimpson, and McJimpson pulled the gun out again to scare him. When Watts continued to approach him, McJimpson began shooting. He believed he was aiming "in the air," but a clerk inside the minimart saw him holding the gun at body level and aiming "straight toward" the others who were running. Two bullets hit Ezekial Franklin and ultimately caused his death.

The State charged McJimpson with second degree assault with a deadly weapon of Watts and with the second degree felony murder of Franklin. At trial, McJimpson contended he acted in self-defense by using lawful force. The jury found him guilty as charged. McJimpson appeals.

I. Double Jeopardy

By entering convictions and sentences for both the second degree assault and the second degree felony murder based on the assault, did the trial court impose multiple punishments for the same offense and thus violate the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy? We hold it did not.

McJimpson did not expressly raise this issue below. However, McJimpson may raise it for the first time on appeal because the issue is one of constitutional magnitude. RAP 2.5(a)(3); State v. Lynn, 67 Wash.App. 339, 345, 835 P.2d 251 (1992).

The double jeopardy clauses of the state and federal constitutions protect a defendant from multiple prosecutions and multiple *356 punishments for the same offense. Whalen v. United States, 445 U.S. 684, 688, 100 S.Ct. 1432, 1435-36, 63 L.Ed.2d 715 (1980); State v. Vladovic, 99 Wash.2d 413, 423, 662 P.2d 853 (1983). However, multiple punishments for the same offense are not unconstitutional when the Legislature intentionally imposes such punishments. Vladovic, 99 Wash.2d at 422, 662 P.2d 853 (relying on Albernaz v. United States, 450 U.S. 333, 344, 101 S.Ct. 1137, 1145, 67 L.Ed.2d 275 (1981)). Our role is limited to assuring that the trial court did not exceed the authority which the Legislature granted it. State v. Calle, 125 Wash.2d 769, 776, 888 P.2d 155 (1995).

In determining whether the Legislature intended to authorize multiple punishments for second degree assault and second degree felony murder when the predicate felony is the assault, we first review the statutes proscribing those offenses. See Calle, 125 Wash.2d at 776, 888 P.2d 155. RCW 9A.32.050(1)(b) defines second degree felony murder as follows:

A person is guilty of murder in the second degree when:

. . . . .

(b) He commits or attempts to commit any felony other than those enumerated in RCW 9A.32.030(1)(c) [first degree felony murder], and, in the course of and in furtherance of such crime or in immediate flight therefrom, he, or another participant, causes the death of a person other than one of the participants[.]

A person commits second degree assault by assaulting another with a deadly weapon. RCW 9A.36.021(1)(c). Because neither statute addresses whether the two offenses may be punished cumulatively, we must apply the rules of statutory construction. Calle, 125 Wash.2d at 777, 888 P.2d 155.

Washington has adopted the "same evidence" rule of construction which provides that a defendant is subjected to double jeopardy if he or she is convicted of offenses that are identical both in fact and in law. Calle, 125 Wash.2d at 777, 888 P.2d 155; State v. Roybal, 82 Wash.2d 577, 581-82, 512 P.2d 718 (1973). However,

[i]f there is an element in each offense which is not included in the other, and proof of one offense would not necessarily also prove the other, the offenses are not constitutionally the same and the double jeopardy clause does not prevent convictions for both offenses.

Vladovic, 99 Wash.2d at 423, 662 P.2d 853; see also In re Fletcher, 113 Wash.2d 42, 47, 776 P.2d 114 (1989). As Calle states, our "same evidence" test is comparable to the test set out in Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 304, 52 S.Ct. 180, 182, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932), which reads:

The applicable rule is that where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not.

The elements of second degree assault with a deadly weapon as applied to these facts are (1) McJimpson assaulted Watts (2) with a deadly weapon. See RCW 9A.36.021(1)(c). The elements of second degree felony murder here are (1) McJimpson committed or attempted to commit the felony of second degree assault against Watts, and (2) in the course of and in furtherance of that crime or in flight therefrom, (3) he caused Franklin's death. See RCW 9A.32.050(1)(b). Both elements of the assault against Watts are contained in the first element of the felony murder of Franklin, and thus proof of the felony murder also necessarily proved the assault. See Vladovic, 99 Wash.2d at 423, 662 P.2d 853. The two crimes therefore are the same in law. The same result would follow from the Blockburger test. 284 U.S. at 304, 52 S.Ct. at 182.

However, the two crimes are not the same in fact even though they arose from the same transaction. See Vladovic,

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901 P.2d 354, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mcjimpson-washctapp-1995.