State v. SSY

241 P.3d 781
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 28, 2010
Docket83299-4
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 241 P.3d 781 (State v. SSY) 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. SSY, 241 P.3d 781 (Wash. 2010).

Opinion

241 P.3d 781 (2010)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
S.S.Y., D.O.B. 11/25/1991, Petitioner.

No. 83299-4.

Supreme Court of Washington, En Banc.

Argued May 20, 2010.
Decided October 28, 2010.

Rebecca Wold Bouchey, Attorney at Law, Mercer Island, WA, for Petitioner.

Kathleen Proctor, Pierce County Prosecutor's Office, Tacoma, WA, for Respondent.

MADSEN, C.J.

¶ 1 S.S.Y.[1] was convicted in juvenile court of first degree robbery and first degree assault. The trial court imposed two consecutive sentences on S.S.Y. pursuant to RCW 13.40.180. On review S.S.Y. contends the sentence violates double jeopardy protections because there is no evidence the legislature intended to punish first degree robbery and first degree assault separately. He also urges us to leave intact the Court of Appeals' remand order instructing the trial court to determine whether RCW 13.40.180(1) requires a reduction in S.S.Y.'s sentence.

¶ 2 We hold that the juvenile sentencing structure for first degree robbery (robbery I) and first degree assault (assault I) demonstrates legislative intent to punish these crimes as separate offenses. In addition, since neither party has petitioned for review of the remand ordered by the Court of Appeals, we decline to reach that issue. We remand this case to the juvenile court for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FACTS

¶ 3 On August 20, 2007 sixteen year old S.C. was listening to his MP3 player (digital audio player) while walking home from the bus stop. He observed two boys drinking and smoking, and after hearing his name called, he stopped and waited for them to *782 catch up. He recognized one as petitioner, S.S.Y., because he had previously lent S.S.Y. his cell phone. When asked, S.C. allowed S.S.Y. and the other boy to listen to his MP3 player. Without warning, one of the boys punched the victim in the jaw. S.S.Y. then punched S.C. in his right eye and knocked him down. Both boys continued to kick the victim violently in his head and ribs, and demanded that he give up his MP3 player. The assault lasted several minutes; S.C. testified he felt the attack lasted approximately 20 minutes. Finally, S.S.Y. stomped on S.C.'s hand, causing S.C. to release his grasp on his MP3 player. S.S.Y. and the other boy then stole the MP3 player.

¶ 4 The assault left S.C. bleeding and spitting blood, with "goose egg" bumps on his head, and with scrapes on his hands and feet. In addition, the assault dislodged an artificial lens inside S.C.'s eye (placed there as treatment for a previous paint ball injury), and irreparably tore his iris. As a result, the artificial lens had to be removed and could not be surgically reattached. Moreover, the torn iris will no longer properly constrict his pupil, leaving him sensitive to light. Due to the attack, S.C. suffers from pain and poor balance, and must wear a thick, tinted contact lens for several hours a day. Without the lens, he is legally blind in his right eye. With the lens, his vision is still less than the 20/20 vision he had prior to the attack.

¶ 5 The juvenile court convicted S.S.Y. of first degree assault and first degree robbery. Clerk's Papers (CP) at 30-33. Specifically, the court found that S.S.Y.

[c]ommitted ASSAULT IN THE FIRST DEGREE by unlawfully and feloniously, with intent to commit great bodily harm, did intentionally assault [S.C.] and thereby caused significant, permanent harm, loss, great bodily injury, and disfigurement. Further, the respondent committed ROBBERY IN THE FIRST DEGREE by unlawfully and feloniously taking personal property belonging to [S.C.]'s; to wit: MP3 player; away from him and against his will, by use of force and in the commission thereof, inflicted bodily injury upon [S.C.]

CP at 33.

¶ 6 The juvenile court sentenced S.S.Y. to the standard range for each charge, with the sentences to run consecutively. CP at 7-8. On appeal S.S.Y. argued double jeopardy principles required his assault and robbery convictions to merge, or, alternatively, the juvenile sentencing provision, RCW 13.40.180(1), required a reduction in his sentence under the 150 percent rule. Appellant's Br. at ii.

¶ 7 The Court of Appeals rejected S.S.Y.'s double jeopardy claim, reasoning that RCW 13.40.180(1) provides evidence of legislative intent to punish these offenses separately. State v. S.S.Y., 150 Wash.App. 325, 332, 207 P.3d 1273 (2009). The court then addressed the applicability of RCW 13.40.180(1) to S.S.Y.'s sentence. Id. at 333, 207 P.3d 1273. In relevant part, the statute provides:

Where a disposition is imposed on a youth for two or more offenses, the terms shall run consecutively, subject to the following limitations:
(1) Where the offenses were committed through a single act or omission, ... or through an act or omission which in itself constituted one of the offenses and also was an element of the other, the aggregate of all the terms shall not exceed one hundred fifty percent of the term imposed for the most serious offense.

¶ 8 The court separated subsection (1) into two parts and analyzed the parts separately. The court recognized that in State v. Contreras, 124 Wash.2d 741, 747-48, 880 P.2d 1000 (1994), this court held the "single act" language of the statute has the same meaning as "same criminal conduct" in former RCW 9.94A.400(1) (1990). Nevertheless, the Court of Appeals held first degree robbery and first degree assault do not constitute the same criminal conduct as a matter of law because the offenses require different statutory intents. S.S.Y., 150 Wash.App. at 334, 207 P.3d 1273.

¶ 9 As to the second part of subsection (1), the court concluded it was not possible to determine whether the actions supporting S.S.Y.'s assault conviction also supported an *783 element of robbery.[2]Id. at 336-37, 207 P.3d 1273. The court remanded to the juvenile court to clarify its findings and reduce S.S.Y.'s sentence if required by RCW 13.40.180(1). Id. at 337, 207 P.3d 1273.

¶ 10 S.S.Y. sought review of the court's decision rejecting his double jeopardy claim. In its supplemental brief, the State questioned whether the Court of Appeals' remand for consideration of a sentence reduction was proper because S.S.Y. failed to raise RCW 13.40.180 at the sentencing hearing. Suppl.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
241 P.3d 781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ssy-wash-2010.