State v. Valladares

664 P.2d 508, 99 Wash. 2d 663, 1983 Wash. LEXIS 1565
Washington Supreme Court·Decided June 2, 1983·No. 48540-2·Published·Cited by 110 cases

Opinions

Stafford, J.

Petitioner Rudolpho Valladares was convicted by a jury on charges of possession, delivery, and conspiracy to deliver cocaine, a controlled substance. The Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions. State v. Valla-dares, 31 Wn. App. 63, 639 P.2d 813 (1982). We affirm the Court of Appeals with respect to the convictions for possession and delivery but reverse the Court of Appeals on the conspiracy charge.

Late in December 1978, Barbara Campbell called the Longview Police Department and asked to talk to an officer. On December 29, Detective Fisher contacted Campbell in the hospital where she was recovering from a suicide attempt. Campbell began the conversation by informing Fisher she had been involved in cocaine trafficking in the Kelso-Longview area. She told him that for "about the last two months, and two months prior to that time" her source had been petitioner, Rudolpho "Rudy" Valladares, a major drug dealer. Campbell expressed concern that she was unable to make a required $1,000 payment for cocaine she had received on consignment from Valladares. Fisher, who was not acquainted with either Campbell or Valladares, requested assistance from Chief Inspector Sexton of the [665]*665Washington State Patrol Drug Control Assistance Unit.

After interviewing Campbell, Agent Sexton offered to pay her debt to Valladares in exchange for an introduction. Sexton was to assume the identity of a pimp from Vancouver.

The meeting took place in a Longview bar on January 8, 1979. Valladares, Campbell, Sexton and a female undercover agent were present. Sexton began the conversation by offering to supply prostitutes for a Seattle "key club" with which Valladares was allegedly connected. Thereafter, according to witnesses present at the meeting, Valladares said "Say, Barbara mentioned that you may also be interested in some of my cocaine". Agent Sexton expressed an interest "if it's good quality and the price is right". Valla-dares assured him there was a high demand for his cocaine because of its extremely high quality. In fact, he claimed to be "dealing approximately 6 pounds of cocaine a week". According to the witnesses, Valladares bragged he had the cocaine market cornered in the Kelso-Longview area. Val-ladares was unable to state an exact price because he was leaving for Colombia the next day to negotiate the price for another shipment. Ultimately Sexton made preliminary arrangements for a purchase.

A few minutes later Valladares and Sexton met outside in Sexton's car. Valladares explained he did not want Barbara Campbell involved in their deal because of previous trouble collecting his money from her. When he mentioned Campbell owed him $1,000, Sexton offered him the money. Valladares accepted the funds, indicating that Sexton could work out that debt with Campbell any way he chose.

As negotiations continued over the next 3 months, Sexton told Valladares that he, Sexton, owed $240,000 to "the Las Vegas organized crime family", but that he might be able to persuade them to allow the next $80,000 installment to be invested in cocaine. Ostensibly to convince his "creditors" of the quality of the merchandise, Sexton purchased 1 ounce of cocaine for $1,900. He later purchased 2 ounces for "his girls".

[666]*666Thereafter Neil Greppin, a federal drug enforcement agent, was brought in to pose as a Las Vegas "monejunan". Greppin told Valladares that Sexton would be allowed to invest in a cocaine deal only if Valladares could produce some kind of collateral to secure the transaction until a shipment could be delivered. A few days later Valladares introduced Sexton to Charles Minium, who agreed to supply a timber deed as security. Thereafter, Valladares agreed to sell Agent Greppin 2 pounds of cocaine for $50,000. It is of passing interest that Valladares suggested Sexton and he "cut" some of the cocaine with an adulterant, sell the extra, and split the profit.

On March 19, 1979, the parties met at a Thurston County truck stop to consummate the transaction. They sat in the agents' car, Valladares holding his briefcase. After a brief conversation, Minium assigned the timber deed to the agents and Valladares accepted from them a second briefcase containing $50,000. At that juncture, Valladares and Minium were arrested and taken to the police station.

Upon reaching the police station, the agents searched the briefcase that had initially been in Valladares' possession and found 7.2 grams of cocaine. They also searched the trunk of Valladares' car and discovered a suitcase containing more cocaine and a cocaine testing kit. A search of Minium's person revealed some LSD.

Valladares was charged with the unlawful delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine); the unlawful possession of a controlled substance (cocaine); and, with Minium, was charged with conspiracy to commit the offense of delivery of a controlled substance (cocaine).

Valladares' trial counsel made an "Omnibus Application" for suppression of physical evidence in the State's possession based on an alleged illegal search. This would have included the warrantless searches of Valladares' briefcase and suitcase following his arrest. At the "Omnibus Hearing", however, Valladares’ lawyer affirmatively withdrew the motion to suppress the physical evidence.

Prior to trial Valladares' attorney interviewed Barbara [667]*667Campbell, who was expected to testify for the State. At the time she expressed some concern about testifying against Valladares. Shortly thereafter she disappeared and, despite a good faith effort to subpoena her, the prosecution was unable to obtain her presence at trial. Upon that turn of events defense counsel made a motion in limine to exclude, as hearsay, any statements made by Barbara Campbell to officers Sexton or Fisher. The trial court denied the motion, holding the statements were admissible under ER 804-(b)(3), as statements against the penal interest of an unavailable declarant.

Following a joint trial of Valladares and Minium, the jury rejected an entrapment defense and found Valladares guilty of all three charges. On the other hand, Minium was found guilty of possession but not guilty of the conspiracy charge. All convictions were affirmed by the Court of Appeals.1

Valladares' petition for review raises three principal issues: (1) the admission of Barbara Campbell's inculpatory hearsay statement as a statement against penal interest under ER 804(b)(3); (2) the conviction of Valladares for conspiracy despite the acquittal of his alleged coconspirator; and (3) the trial court's refusal to suppress evidence seized in the warrantless searches of Valladares' briefcase and suitcase.

I

Admission of Inculpatory Hearsay Statements

The prosecution established that despite a good faith effort, it was impossible to obtain Barbara Campbell's presence. Thereafter the trial court permitted Sexton and Fisher to relate the inculpatory statements made to them by Campbell. They were deemed admissible under ER 804(b)(3).

First, Valladares urges this court to hold that hearsay statements made against penal interest which inculpate an accused are per se inadmissible. This position is not well [668]*668taken. In State v. Parris, 98 Wn.2d 140, 654 P.2d 77

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State v. Valladares, 664 P.2d 508, 99 Wash. 2d 663, 1983 Wash. LEXIS 1565 (Wash. 1983).

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