State v. Thomas

138 Wash. App. 78, 2007 WL 1125654
Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided April 17, 2007·No. No. 33718-5-II·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinions

[80]*80¶1 Sharon Thomas appeals the trial court’s order that she pay restitution for the medical treatment of her passenger’s injuries imposed as part of her sentence for driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor (DUI). She argues that when the jury refused to find her guilty of vehicular assault, it necessarily found her DUI did not cause the passenger’s injuries. We affirm.

Penoyar, J.

FACTS

¶2 The State charged Thomas with one count of vehicular assault after Thomas drove a car involved in a single car accident that seriously injured passenger Jennifer Wohlgemuth. The State alleged that Thomas caused Wohlgemuth’s injuries either by driving under the influence of alcohol or by driving with disregard for the safety of others.

¶3 At trial, the jury heard evidence that both Thomas and Wohlgemuth had been drinking at several bars. An analysis of blood drawn from Thomas three and a half hours after the accident revealed an alcohol concentration of 0.20, more than two times the 0.08 illegal level for driving. See RCW 46.61.502(l)(a). Wohlgemuth testified that Thomas was driving “fast,” at a speed she sensed to be above the speed limit. 1 Report of Proceedings (RP) at 31. She also testified that Thomas was angry and distracted. Thomas told police that she was angry after leaving the last bar and did not know where she was driving or where the accident happened.

¶4 The State introduced expert testimony that Thomas had caused the accident; the defense introduced expert testimony that she had not. The accident occurred on an unlighted road on a night with high winds and heavy rain. Thomas testified that she had previously driven the same car on similar roads in the wind and rain without accident.

[81]*81¶5 To convict Thomas of vehicular assault, the jury had to find beyond a reasonable doubt that either she drove under the influence or she drove with disregard for the safety of others and that one these actions was a proximate cause of the injuries to Wohlgemuth. The jury did not fill in the vehicular assault verdict form but found Thomas guilty of the lesser included crime of DUI. In doing so, it necessarily found either that she drove her car while “under the influence of or affected by intoxicating liquor” or while she “had sufficient alcohol in her body” to register an alcohol level of at least 0.08 “within two hours after driving.” Clerk’s Papers at 62; Instruction 14. The court imposed a partially suspended jail sentence and probation.

¶6 At a later restitution hearing, over defense objection, the court ordered Thomas, as part of her DUI sentence, to pay restitution of $7,429.82 for medical expenses incurred to treat Wohlgemuth’s injuries. The court specifically found that “one of the causations of the accident was [Thomas’s] being under the influence of alcohol.” 6 RP at 446.

ANALYSIS

|7 Thomas appeals the restitution order. Thomas does not challenge the amount of restitution awarded but only whether the court could find that her DUI caused Wohlgemuth’s injuries when the jury did not convict her of vehicular assault.

¶8 A court’s power to impose restitution is statutory, not inherent. State v. Davison, 116 Wn.2d 917, 919, 809 P.2d 1374 (1991). So long as the court below imposed a type of restitution authorized by statute, we will reverse its award only if it abused its discretion. Davison, 116 Wn.2d at 919. “A court abuses its discretion when its decision is manifestly unreasonable or based on untenable grounds.” State v. Wade, 138 Wn.2d 460, 464, 979 P.2d 850 (1999).

¶9 DUI is a gross misdemeanor, and the court’s authority to impose restitution in this case is found in RCW [82]*829.92.060(2),1 RCW 9.95.210(2),2 and RCW 9A.20.030(1).3 To implement legislative intent, we must interpret these statutes broadly to allow restitution. See State v. Barr, 99 Wn.2d 75, 78-79, 658 P.2d 1247 (1983) (discussing RCW 9.95.210(2)); State v. Shannahan, 69 Wn. App. 512, 517-18, 849 P.2d 1239 (1993) (applying RCW 9A.20.030). Indeed, “ [restitution is an integral part of the Washington system of criminal justice,” and the various restitution statutes indicate “a strong public policy to provide restitution whenever possible.” Shannahan, 69 Wn. App. at 517, 518.

¶10 Under the applicable statutes, the court can order a defendant convicted of a crime to pay restitution whenever “the crime in question” caused a loss to another. RCW 9.92.060(2); RCW 9.95.210(2). To prove a defendant’s crime caused the victim’s loss, the State must establish the loss would not have occurred but for the crime. See State v. Hahn, 100 Wn. App. 391, 399, 996 P.2d 1125 (2000). The State need only prove causation by a preponderance of the evidence. State v. Kinneman, 122 Wn. App. 850, 860, 95 P.3d 1277 (2004) (interpreting different but similar restitution statute).

¶11 A restitution award must be based strictly on the “crime in question,” the one for which the defendant was convicted, not other crimes. RCW 9.92.060(2); RCW 9.95-[83]*83.210(2); e.g., State v. Woods, 90 Wn. App. 904, 907-09, 953 P.2d 834 (1998); State v. Hartwell, 38 Wn. App. 135, 140-41, 684 P.2d 778 (1984), overruled on other grounds by State v. Krall, 125 Wn.2d 146, 149, 881 P.2d 1040 (1994) (explaining RCW 9.95.210(2)). However, the sentencing court can order the defendant to pay the actual amount of loss caused by the crime to any person damaged; neither the name of the crime nor the named victims limit the award. E.g., Barr,

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State v. Thomas, 138 Wash. App. 78, 2007 WL 1125654 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007).

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