State v. Stevens

137 Wash. App. 460
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMarch 8, 2007
DocketNo. 24181-5-III
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 137 Wash. App. 460 (State v. Stevens) 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. Stevens, 137 Wash. App. 460 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

¶1 A jury convicted Michael Stevens of four counts of first degree unlawful possession of a firearm based on a previous felony conviction in Oregon. On appeal, Mr. Stevens contends that his Oregon conviction is not comparable to any offense in Washington. He also asserts the evidence is insufficient to establish the Oregon conviction. Mr. Stevens further argues that the Washington statute prohibiting felons from possessing firearms, ROW 9.41.040, violates his due process and equal protection rights. The State cross-appeals, arguing that the court erred by granting an exceptional sentence below the standard range. We affirm the conviction and the sentence.

Kulik, J. —

[464]*464FACTS

12 In 1989, Michael Stevens was convicted of first degree rape in Oregon, under ORS (Oregon Revised Statute) § 163.375. Oregon did not take away Mr. Stevens’s right to possess firearms. In fact, on three separate occasions, Oregon gave Mr. Stevens a hunting license. And on at least two occasions, Oregon game officials checked the game tags on the animals he shot. In April 2004, Mr. Stevens, was arrested in Washington, and deputies discovered one shotgun and three rifles in his home. Two of these rifles were prizes Mr. Stevens won at rodeo contests. Mr. Stevens lived in rural Franklin County where he used firearms to control snakes, vermin, and coyotes. Mr. Stevens was charged with four counts of first degree unlawful possession of firearms.

13 Prior to trial, Mr. Stevens filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that he had not received notice, as required under RCW 9.41.047(1), that he lost his right to possess firearms. Mr. Stevens also maintained that the sentencing court in Oregon violated his due process and equal protection rights by failing to notify him that he could not possess firearms in Washington. Mr. Stevens’s motion to dismiss was denied.

14 At trial, Mr. Stevens stipulated that he had been convicted of a serious offense, which is an element of unlawful possession of a firearm under RCW 9.41.040(l)(a). The prosecutor read the following stipulation in the record: “It is hereby stipulated by and between the state and the defendant that the defendant has in the past been convicted of a serious offense causing him to be ineligible to own or possess a firearm.” Report of Proceedings (Oct. 7, 2004) at 28. This stipulation had been requested by Mr. Stevens pursuant to Old Chief v. United States, 519 U.S. 172, 117 S. Ct. 644, 136 L. Ed. 2d 574 (1997). An Old Chief stipulation prevents the jury from learning the nature of the prior conviction. Id. at 191-92.

15 The jury found Mr. Stevens guilty of four counts of first degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He moved to set aside the jury verdict. He argued that first degree rape [465]*465in Oregon was not comparable to any crime in Washington and that there was no support for his convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm. The court denied this motion and imposed an exceptional sentence below the standard range. Mr. Stevens appeals, and the State cross-appeals.

ANALYSIS

1. Comparable Offenses

¶6 ROW 9.41.040(l)(a) forbids possession of firearms if a person has “previously been convicted ... in this state or elsewhere of any serious offense as defined in this chapter.” Out-of-state convictions are classified according to the comparable offense definitions and sentences provided in Washington law. ROW 9.94A.525(3). The legislative purpose of this statute is to give the out-of-state convictions the same effect as in-state convictions. State v. Cameron, 80 Wn. App. 374, 378, 909 P.2d 309 (1996).

¶7 To that end, courts (1) identify the comparable Washington offense, (2) classify the comparable Washington offense, and (3) treat the out-of-state conviction as if it were a conviction for the comparable Washington offense. Id. at 378-79. When identifying the comparable Washington offense, courts compare the elements of the out-of-state crime with the elements of potential comparable Washington crimes as defined on the date the out-of-state crime was committed. Id. at 379.

18 In 1989, the elements of first degree rape in Oregon were sexual intercourse with another person by forcible compulsion. ORS § 163.375(l)(a). In 1989, the elements of second degree rape in Washington were sexual intercourse with another person by forcible compulsion. Former RCW 9A.44.050(l)(a) (1988).1 The elements of these two offenses are identical and comparable pursuant to RCW 9.94A.525(3).

[466]*466¶9 In Washington, a conviction for second degree rape is a serious offense. It follows then that second degree rape, or its equivalent offense in Oregon, disqualifies the offender from owning or possessing firearms in Washington. RCW 9.41.010(12), .040(1). An offender who possesses a firearm after a conviction for second degree rape, or its Oregon equivalent, is guilty of first degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Consequently, the court did not err by failing to dismiss this case. Mr. Stevens was properly charged and convicted of first degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

¶10 Mr. Stevens raises a sufficiency of the evidence question. He points out that he stipulated that he had been convicted of a serious offense, causing him to lose his gun rights in Washington. According to Mr. Stevens, nothing in the record establishes the elements of that offense or the facts of his conviction. In Mr. Stevens’s view, his stipulation was limited and the record is insufficient to support his convictions. In response, the State maintains that it was obligated to agree to the stipulation which then effectively barred the State from presenting evidence related to Mr. Stevens’s Oregon conviction. The State asserts that this evidence is admissible under the invited error doctrine.

¶11 A recent case from Division One of this court takes a different approach to this issue. In State v. Wolf, 134 Wn. App. 196, 139 P.3d 414 (2006), Division One applied the waiver doctrine. Under the waiver doctrine, once a defendant enters into a stipulation, he or she waives the right to require the government to prove its case on the stipulated element. Id. at 199. We agree with Division One’s reasoning. Applying the waiver theory here, Mr. Stevens waived the right to put the State to its burden of proof on the element of having previously been convicted of a serious offense. Hence, under Wolf, this court need not address any argument related to whether the Oregon statute is comparable to a Washington statute.

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Bluebook (online)
137 Wash. App. 460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-stevens-washctapp-2007.