State v. Van Tuyl

133 P.3d 955
Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided May 4, 2006·No. 23693-5-III·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

133 P.3d 955 (2006)
132 Wash.App. 750

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Cindy L. VAN TUYL, Petitioner.

No. 23693-5-III.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 3.

May 4, 2006.

*956 Kelly W. Padgham, Phillabuam Ledlin et. al., Spokane, WA, for Petitioner.

Amee Jean Sobczak Tilger, Attorney at Law, Wenatchee, WA, for Respondent.

BROWN, J.

¶ 1 We analyze the interplay between the restraining order provisions in chapter 26.09 RCW (marriage dissolution) and chapter 26.50 RCW (domestic violence). During Cindy Van Tuyl and James Van Tuyl's marriage dissolution, the court granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) under chapter 26.09 RCW. Ms. Van Tuyl was later charged and convicted of violating the order under chapter 26.50 RCW. We hold RCW 26.09.300(1) sets the knowledge requirement consistent with RCW 26.50.110(1) despite the actual notice language of RCW 26.09.050(2). A TRO issued under RCW 26.09 can serve as a basis for criminal prosecution under RCW 26.50 with general knowledge as the required intent element. Additionally, we reject Ms. Van Tuyl's ineffective counsel and insufficient evidence claims. Accordingly, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2 Mr. Van Tuyl petitioned for marriage dissolution in October 2002. On January 23, 2003, the trial court entered a TRO under RCW 26.09.060; .110; .120; and .194, ordering the parties to restrain "from molesting or disturbing the peace of the other" and "from going onto the grounds of or entering the home or working place or school of the other party." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 308. Conforming to Washington's pattern domestic *957 relations forms, the order stated in two places:

VIOLATION OF A RESTRAINING ORDER IN PARAGRAPH 3.1 WITH ACTUAL NOTICE OF ITS TERMS IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE UNDER CHAPTER 26.50 RCW AND WILL SUBJECT THE VIOLATOR TO ARREST. RCW 26.09.060.

CP at 308.

¶ 3 Ms. Van Tuyl was unrepresented by counsel when the TRO was entered. Mr. Van Tuyl's attorney testified he mailed a proposed order and notice of the presentment hearing to Ms. Van Tuyl and then mailed her a copy of the signed TRO at her last known address. The documents were not returned as undeliverable.

¶ 4 On May 22, 2003, Mr. VanTuyl contacted the authorities to report Ms. Van Tuyl's proscribed presence on his garage driveway. Ms. Van Tuyl was charged with violating a court order under RCW 26.50.110(1). On May 24, 2003, Mr. Van Tuyl contacted the authorities to report Ms. Van Tuyl repeatedly called his place of work to harass him. She was again charged with violating a court order under RCW 26.50.110(1).

¶ 5 Pretrial, Ms. Van Tuyl unsuccessfully requested the trial judge recuse herself. Although allowed by the trial court, counsel did not request reconsideration.

¶ 6 During trial, Ms. Van Tuyl called her dissolution attorney, Laurie Daviess-White, who testified Ms. Van Tuyl was unrepresented when the TRO was entered. Further, Ms. Daviess-White testified she told Ms. Van Tuyl about the restraining order at a show cause hearing in March 2003. Ms. Van Tuyl admitted knowing about the TRO on May 22, 2003 and May 24, 2003.

¶ 7 The court instructed, without objection, that to convict Ms. Van Tuyl the jury must find on May 22, 2003 and May 24, 2003 she "knew of the existence of the restraining order." CP at 383-84—Jury Instructions No. 9 and No. 10. Ms. Van Tuyl was convicted. Over Ms. Van Tuyl's actual notice argument, the superior court affirmed. We granted discretionary review to examine the interplay between chapter 26.09 RCW and chapter 26.50 RCW.

ANALYSIS

A. Restraining Order Convictions

¶ 8 The initial issue is whether the trial court erred in ruling Ms. Van Tuyl's conviction was proper under RCW 26.50 for violating a restraining order issued under RCW 26.09. Alternatively, Ms. Van Tuyl assigns error to her convictions using general knowledge as an element rather than actual notice.

¶ 9 RALJ 9.1 governs review of Ms. Van Tuyl's district court convictions. State v. Frank, 112 Wash.App. 515, 520, 49 P.3d 954 (2002). We review district court decisions for errors of law and to determine whether the factual findings are supported by substantial evidence. State v. Brokman, 84 Wash.App. 848, 850, 930 P.2d 354 (1997).

¶ 10 Before June 2000, former RCW 26.09.050(2) (1995) required marriage dissolution TROs to prominently warn "VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER WITH ACTUAL NOTICE OF ITS TERMS IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE UNDER CHAPTER 26.09 RCW AND WILL SUBJECT A VIOLATOR TO ARREST." (Emphasis added).

¶ 11 On June 8, 2000, the legislature amended RCW 26.09.050(2) to change the criminal offense statute to chapter 26.50 RCW. LAWS OF 2000, ch. 119, §§ 6, 7. Under RCW 26.50.110(1), violation of a protection order issued under chapter 26.50 or "26.09" is a gross misdemeanor. As later approved by Division Two of this Court, a violation of an order issued under chapter 26.09 RCW can serve as a basis for criminal prosecution under RCW 26.50.110. State v. Turner, 118 Wash.App. 135, 143, 74 P.3d 1215 (2003), review denied, 151 Wash.2d 1015, 88 P.3d 965 (2004). By changing the criminal offense statute, our legislature clearly intended chapter 26.50 RCW to be the criminal offense statute for prosecution. The pattern domestic relations forms used here were amended in September 2000 and contain the proper warnings.

¶ 12 Ms. Van Tuyl, arguing a due process denial, contends she lacked the proper notice *958 for conviction. Under RCW 26.09.300

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