State v. Smith

363 P.3d 514, 274 Or. App. 562, 2015 Ore. App. LEXIS 1278
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedOctober 28, 2015
Docket122165; A152558
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 363 P.3d 514 (State v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Smith, 363 P.3d 514, 274 Or. App. 562, 2015 Ore. App. LEXIS 1278 (Or. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

EGAN, J.

Defendant appeals his judgment of conviction for two counts of unlawful use of a weapon (Counts 1 and 2), ORS 166.220(Ilia),1 and the trial court’s imposition of a fine and attorney fees. Defendant argues that the trial court wrongly interpreted the meaning of the word “use” in ORS 166.220(1) (a), contending that a person does not unlawfully “use” a weapon by merely threatening to use it against another person.2 Citing our decision in State v. Ziska, 253 Or App 82, 88-89, 288 P3d 1012 (2012), aff'd, 355 Or 799, 334 P3d 964 (2014), the state responds that “‘use’ in ORS 166.220(l)(a) describes both the actual use of physical force and the threat of immediate use of physical force.” In light of State v. Ziska/Garza, 355 Or 799, 334 P3d 964 (2014), which the Oregon Supreme Court decided while this appeal was pending, we agree with the state. Defendant also assigns error related to the trial court’s imposition of a fine and attorney fees on Count 2 because the record does not demonstrate his ability to pay those fees. Although defendant’s argument about the fine and attorney fees are unpreserved, we conclude that the trial court plainly erred by imposing attorney fees without evidence of his ability to pay and exercise our discretion to correct that error. Accordingly, we reverse the portion of the judgment requiring defendant to pay the attorney fees and otherwise affirm.

In reviewing the denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the state to determine whether any rational factfinder could have found all the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Cunningham, 320 Or 47, 63, 880 P2d 431 [565]*565(1994), cert den, 514 US 1005 (1995). In consideration of that standard, the facts material to our review are as follows.

Defendant became upset with his wife and son when he discovered they went out to lunch without him. Defendant demanded the “food stamps card” from his wife and said that he wanted to wreck the only car that they owned. Defendant attempted to leave the apartment, but his son was concerned that defendant would hurt himself and wreck the car, so he stood in front of the doorway and did not move. Defendant charged at his son; however, he was unable to get around him. Defendant went into his bedroom and retrieved a gun. He held a loaded .22-caliber revolver in his hand, cocked it, and pointed it upwards and back and forth at his wife and son. His hands were shaking and his finger was inside the trigger guard, though not on the trigger. When his wife handed him the “food stamps card,” defendant uncocked the revolver, and threw it on the floor as he left the apartment.

At the time of the incident, defendant was unemployed. He also suffered from a number of medical conditions, including neuropathy in his feet, which affected his ability to stand for long periods of time without pain; synkinetic movement, which affected his balance; and degenerative arthritis.

Defendant was charged with unlawful use of a weapon (Counts 1 and 2), menacing constituting domestic violence (Counts 3 and 4), pointing a firearm at another (Counts 5 and 6), and recklessly endangering another person (Counts 7 and 8).

Before trial, defendant filed a proposed special jury instruction on the unlawful use of a weapon charge under ORS 166.122, stating that £££[u]se of a deadly weapon’ means to utilize the weapon in such a way that it could readily cause death or serious physical injury. Threatening to use a deadly weapon is not use of that weapon.”

After the state rested its case, defendant made a motion for judgment of acquittal (MJOA) on the two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, arguing that the evidence that the state presented only showed that defendant threatened [566]*566to use the weapon, “[that] he held it in his hand and waved it around. And that is not actual use.” The trial court denied his MJOA. After the close of the evidence, the trial court declined to give defendant’s proposed special jury instruction and instructed the jury that “‘use or threatened use’ refers to discharge or threatened discharge of a firearm.”

Ultimately, defendant was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon (Counts 1 and 2), among other crimes not at issue on appeal. Defendant was sentenced to imprisonment for five years and two years post-prison supervision. As part of the sentence on Count 2, the trial court ordered defendant to pay a $1,500 fine and $470 in attorney fees. Defendant did not object to the imposition of the fine and attorney fees.

We begin with defendant’s assignments of error related to his convictions for unlawful use of a weapon. Because our decision turns on the trial court’s interpretation of a statute — ORS 166.220(l)(a) — we review for legal error. State v. Olive, 259 Or App 104, 107, 312 P3d 588 (2013) (citing State v. Wilson, 240 Or App 475, 486, 248 P3d 10 (2011)).

Defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying his MJOA, failing to give the jury defendant’s special jury instruction, and entering a verdict on two counts of unlawful use of a weapon under ORS 166.220(l)(a). Defendant argues that, under ORS 166.220(l)(a), he did not unlawfully “use” a weapon because he merely intended to threaten to use the weapon against the victims, and did not intend to harm the victims with the revolver. The state responds that Ziska resolves the issue, and we agree.

In Ziska!Garza, consolidated for purposes of opinion and decided after the appellate briefs in this case were filed, the Supreme Court rejected the defendant’s contention “that using a weapon merely to threaten another person does not constitute ‘use’ of a weapon within the meaning of ORS 166.220(l)(a).” 355 Or at 803. In Ziska/Garza, the Supreme Court concluded that “use” as used in ORS 166.220(l)(a) “refers both to employment of a weapon to inflict harm or injury and employment of a weapon to threaten immediate harm or injury.” Id. at 811. In Ziska, the defendant intended to threaten a victim when he waved a crowbar over his head; [567]*567however, he did not carry the crowbar with the intent to use it against the victim. Id. at 801-02. In Garza, the defendant flashed a folding knife open and held it out at his housemate in a threatening manner. Id. at 802.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Deanda
545 P.3d 1256 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2024)
State v. Allen
329 Or. App. 320 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2023)
State v. Shepherd
459 P.3d 957 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2020)
State v. Manoff
435 P.3d 803 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2019)
State v. McAuliffe
366 P.3d 1206 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
363 P.3d 514, 274 Or. App. 562, 2015 Ore. App. LEXIS 1278, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-smith-orctapp-2015.