State v. Saunders

220 P.3d 1238, 153 Wash. App. 209
Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided November 17, 2009·No. 37621-1-II, 38022-6-II·Published·Cited by 24 cases

Opinion

220 P.3d 1238 (2009)
153 Wash.App. 209

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Christopher Israel SAUNDERS, Appellant.

Nos. 37621-1-II, 38022-6-II.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2.

November 17, 2009.

*1239 David L. Donnan, Washington Appellate Project, Vanessa Mi-jo Lee, Attorney at Law, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

Christopher I. Saunders (Appearing Pro Se), Forks, WA.

Kathleen Proctor, Pierce County Prosecuting Atty. Ofc, Thomas Charles Roberts, Attorney, at Law, Tacoma, WA, for Respondent.

VAN DEREN, C.J.

¶ 1 Christopher Saunders appeals his Conviction for failure to register as a sex offender, arguing in his statement of additional grounds for review (SAG)[1] that the trial court violated his speedy trial rights and that other facts require reversal.[2] Because the trial court violated Saunders's speedy trial rights, we reverse the trial court and remand for entry of an order dismissing the charges against Saunders under CrR 3.3(h).

FACTS

¶ 2 Saunders is a sex offender required to register with the Pierce County Sheriff. He failed to update his registration as a transient sex offender. On August 7, the State charged Saunders with failure to register as a sex offender.

¶ 3 It appears that the State took Saunders into custody on September 17, 2007.[3] Saunders's trial was initially set for November 6 but his attorney moved for a continuance on October 31, over Saunders's objection and despite his refusal to sign the continuance,[4] to December 5 for "more time to prepare for trial" under CrR 3.3(f)(2). Clerk's Papers (CP) at 61. On November 27, Saunders's trial was again continued to January 8, 2008, after his attorney moved for a continuance for "ongoing invest[igation]/negotiations, defense attorney in trial" under CrR 3.3(f)(2) and Saunders again refused to sign the continuance. CP at 62.

¶ 4 On January 8, the State and Saunders's attorney moved for a continuance until February 20 for "further negotiations." Report of Proceedings (RP) (Jan. 8; 2008). at 3. Saunders refused to sign the continuance and he disagreed with his attorney's request, stating, "She's asking for another month for negotiations. I don't agree with that;.... If the prosecutor isn't willing to negotiate, I'm ready to go to trial." RP (Jan. 8, 2008) at 4. The order granting the continuance on January *1240 8 states that it was an agreed request for "Further Negotiations" but did not specify whether it was pursuant to CrR 3.3(f)(1), CrR 3.3(f)(2), or "for administrative necessity." CP at 63.

¶ 5 Saunders, without his counsel's participation, unsuccessfully moved to dismiss the action on February 13 based on CrR 3.3, CrR 8.3(b), and the "speedy trial [c]lauses of the State and Federal Constitutions." CP at 3. Following argument on Saunders's initial motion to dismiss on February 20, the trial court asked the State and defense counsel:

THE COURT: [Prosecutor], anything for the State? Who's the prosecutor on this?
[PROSECUTOR]: I'm looking it up, Your Honor. Right now [assigned prosecutor] is the prosecutor on record. It's still in our negotiating unit, Your Honor. I don't know anything about [the assigned prosecutor's] availability for trial, but I know that he signed that form intending that this be continued.
THE COURT: Well, [defense attorney], you're here, I guess, instead of [appointed defense attorney].
[DEFENSE ATTORNEY]: I wasn't aware there was a motion so I have nothing to state.

RP (Feb. 20, 2008) at 10.

¶ 6 After further argument from Saunders, the following discussion occurred:

THE COURT: Any response, [prosecutor]? Has the State acted diligently?
[PROSECUTOR]: Your Honor, I don't have any personal knowledge, but I can tell you that each time the Court signed those documents the Court found that there was cause to continue the case. The State is—I don't have any specific knowledge of due diligence, but presumably there is a prosecutor that was handling it and handling it correctly.
. . . .
THE COURT: Well, the explanation isn't as detailed as it might be, but there appears to be some explanation, although if the State is acting diligently, one might wonder better [sic] why someone in the negotiating unit has a case that's 155 days old. That may not be the State's fault. Two were at [appointed defense attorney's] request. Further negotiations, I don't know what that means. Apparently they've been fruitless.
... I'm going to grant one more continuance, last continuance without good explanation, which I haven't actually heard. I think this is a fairly simple case to try. I'm going to continue this to March 18th.

RP (Feb. 20, 2008) at 11-13.

¶ 7 But the signed order from February 20 states that the motion for continuance was "upon agreement of the parties pursuant to CrR 3.3(f)(1)," states that the reason was "Prosecutor in trial," and was signed by the appointed defense attorney and the assigned prosecutor, neither of whom was at the hearing. CP at 64. Saunders again refused to sign the continuance form and the judge appears to have written on the continuance form, "Last continuance] w[ith]out good explanation." CP at 64. The February 20 written order, granting the State's request for a continuance, clearly contradicts the record because the matter was still with the assigned prosecutor, who was in the prosecutor's negotiating unit, Saunders did not agree to the continuance, and, as it turns out, Saunders's case was still assigned to the negotiating unit on March 18.

¶ 8 On March 18, the State moved for yet another continuance. The discussion was as follows:

THE COURT: ... Today is the day set for trial and there's a request to continue this. Case to be reassigned.
[PROSECUTOR][[5]]: That's correct, Your Honor ... on behalf of the State. This case is currently assigned to [assigned prosecutor], who was negotiating these cases. He thought it was going to be an agreed continuance.
THE COURT: Last time when we were here the prosecutor was in trial.[[6]] Who was the prosecutor at that time?
*1241 [PROSECUTOR]: I have no idea what that was about, Your Honor. I see it. I just don't know what it's about.
THE COURT: And I made a comment, too, that the last continuance was without a good explanation. The good explanation was what?
[PROSECUTOR]: [Assigned prosecutor] indicated that this matter had not been assigned to [trial prosecutor] for trial, so therefore we're asking for a continuance so it can be assigned to [trial prosecutor] and he can get it prepared for trial. Right now it's still in the negotiating phase.
[APPOINTED DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Your Honor, I thought we were going to trial today.
THE COURT: Well, [appointed defense counsel], anything else?
[APPOINTED DEFENSE COUNSEL]: My client did not wish to sign.
THE COURT: Well, prosecutor in trial, you're talking about [trial prosecutor]?
[PROSECUTOR]: I would assume that that's what that's about.
THE COURT:

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State v. Saunders, 220 P.3d 1238, 153 Wash. App. 209 (Wash. Ct. App. 2009).

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