State v. REANIER

237 P.3d 299
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedAugust 2, 2010
Docket63717-7-I
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 237 P.3d 299 (State v. REANIER) 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. REANIER, 237 P.3d 299 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

237 P.3d 299 (2010)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Timothy C. REANIER, Appellant.

No. 63717-7-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

August 2, 2010.

*300 Maureen Marie Cyr, Washington Appellate Project, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

Deborah A. Dwyer, King Co. Pros. Ofc/Appellate Unit, Seattle, WA, for Respondent.

COX, J.

¶ 1 An accused may not lawfully agree to a term of commitment for treatment following acquittal by reason of insanity where the term exceeds that authorized by law.[1] Where an accused agrees to an unauthorized term of commitment, that agreement does not cure a facial defect in an order of commitment that shows, without further elaboration, that the court exceeded its statutory authority.[2] The remedy under such circumstances is correction of the unauthorized term of commitment.[3]

¶ 2 Here, the trial court ordered Timothy Reanier committed for treatment for a term of 10 years following his acquittal by reason of insanity on two charges of third degree assault. In doing so, the court accepted the joint recommendation of Reanier and the State that "an exceptional term of commitment" would be imposed. Specifically, the parties agreed that the maximum sentence *301 for two counts of third degree assault, each of which was five years, should apply and that Reanier's commitment would "run consecutively for a total term of 10 years."

¶ 3 At the time of Reanier's commission of the acts leading to these charges, the maximum sentence for a third degree assault charge, a Class C felony, was five years.[4] RCW 10.77.025 mandates that the maximum term of commitment for treatment following acquittal by reason of insanity cannot exceed the maximum possible penal sentence for any offense charged for which the person was acquitted. The statute is ambiguous whether a term of commitment may be based on consecutive maximum sentences for charges for which an accused is acquitted by reason of insanity. Moreover, the legislature has not changed the statute to show that this court's decision prohibiting such a term of confinement was incorrect during the 25 years since that decision. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court exceeded its authority by ordering Reanier committed for a total term exceeding five years. We reverse.

¶ 4 In July 2004, the State charged Reanier with assault in the second degree, including a deadly weapon allegation. The charge arose from a confrontation between Reanier and two sheriff's deputies who responded to a call of a man wielding a knife in public. In its request for bail of $500,000, the State alleged that "it appears as though this charge represents [Reanier's] third strike." The certification for determination of probable cause states that when the deputies arrived, Reanier screamed at them to "shoot him." The certification also states that he rushed toward the deputies with a knife before they subdued him with a taser.

¶ 5 The trial court ordered that Reanier be committed for observation and examination, and that a competency hearing would follow. At the competency hearing, the court determined that Reanier was competent to stand trial and to enter a plea to charges.

¶ 6 Thereafter, the parties entered into a plea agreement to dispose of the case. In the agreement, the State agreed to amend the information to reduce the second degree assault charge to two counts of third degree assault. The parties agreed to jointly recommend to the court that it impose a term of commitment for treatment of Reanier. The parties further agreed that the total term would be based on consecutive maximum sentences for two counts of third degree assault "for a total term of 10 years."[5] In the same agreement, Reanier agreed that he would have faced a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole had he been convicted of the original charge of second degree assault. Accordingly, he also agreed that he received a substantial benefit by agreeing to a joint recommendation of a 10-year term of commitment rather than facing the risk of a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole if convicted.

¶ 7 Pursuant to RCW 10.77.080, Reanier moved for acquittal on the ground of insanity at the time of his acts in confronting the two sheriff's deputies. On May 31, 2005, the trial court entered its order of acquittal by reason of insanity, an order of commitment, and supporting findings and conclusions. The court decided that Reanier understood and agreed that 10 years was a legal term of commitment under the facts of the case. The court also determined that he received a substantial benefit by the agreement and that he properly waived the right to challenge the term of commitment by appeal or collateral attack. The order of commitment imposes a "maximum term of commitment or treatment" of 10 years.[6] Reanier did not appeal these orders.

¶ 8 In April 2007, Reanier applied for conditional release from commitment for treatment at Western State Hospital. Following a hearing at which Reanier, his counsel, and counsel for the State were present, the trial court entered an order releasing Reanier from commitment, subject to detailed conditions. These conditions were based largely on the recommendations and medical evidence provided by Western State.

*302 ¶ 9 In April 2009, the State moved to revoke Reanier's conditional release due to his alleged violations of conditions imposed by the trial court's April 2007 order. Specifically, the State claimed that he failed to report to his community corrections officer and ingested cocaine. Reanier, through appointed counsel, opposed revocation.

¶ 10 Acknowledging that Reanier had agreed in May 2005, to consecutive five year terms of commitment, defense counsel nevertheless argued that the maximum term for any third degree assault was five years. According to defense counsel, the court no longer had "jurisdiction" to impose conditions or sanctions on Reanier after five years.

¶ 11 At the hearing on the motion, the State argued that RCW 10.77.025 supported the imposition of the 10-year commitment. In response, Reanier argued that the statute did not support the imposition of that term. On June 1, 2009, the court entered an order that, among other things, directed that Reanier return to Western State Hospital and remain there until such time as he entered treatment for chemical dependency. The same order denies the request "to limit jurisdiction of [the] court to supervise compliance with release conditions to 5 years total for both charges."[7]

¶ 12 Reanier appeals the June 1, 2009 order.

TIMELINESS OF APPEAL AND SCOPE OF REVIEW

¶ 13 The State raises threshold issues regarding the timeliness of Reanier's appeal and the scope of our review. Specifically, the State contends that his appeal is untimely because he did not appeal the order of commitment entered in May 2005. We disagree.

¶ 14 Superior Court Criminal Rule (CrR) 7.8(b)(4) provides for relief from void judgments. "A void judgment is one entered by a court `which lacks jurisdiction of the parties or of the subject matter, or which lacks the inherent power to make or enter the particular order involved.'"[8]

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237 P.3d 299, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reanier-washctapp-2010.