State v. Williams

128 P.3d 98
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJanuary 31, 2006
Docket23124-1-III
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 128 P.3d 98 (State v. Williams) 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. Williams, 128 P.3d 98 (Wash. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

128 P.3d 98 (2006)

STATE of Washington, Respondent,
v.
Dione Jamaal WILLIAMS, Appellant.

No. 23124-1-III.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 3, Panel One.

January 31, 2006.

*99 David N. Gasch, Attorney at Law, Spokane, WA, for Appellant.

Kevin M. Korsmo, Andrew J. Metts, Attorneys at Law, Spokane, WA, for Respondent.

SWEENEY, J.

¶ 1 Conspiracy is an inchoate crime. And so our focus is on "the conspiratorial agreement, not the specific criminal object or objects." State v. Bobic, 140 Wash.2d 250, 265, 996 P.2d 610 (2000). Here, a group of friends including Dione J. Williams planned to "do a lick." Witnesses at his trial variously described this as whatever was necessary to relieve a victim of his valuables. A female member of the group lured Arren Cole to a downtown Spokane alley late at night. Mr. Williams tried to rob Mr. Cole at gunpoint. He then shot him in the back as Mr. Cole tried to flee. A jury found Mr. Williams guilty of three counts of conspiracy, and one count each of attempted robbery and felony murder. The evidence supports one conspiracy conviction. We affirm on count III for conspiracy to commit first degree robbery. We reverse the conspiracy convictions on counts I and II for second degree robbery and first degree burglary. We also conclude that the attempted robbery count merged into the felony murder because it was the predicate offense. We then reverse the attempted *100 robbery conviction. The State concedes that the firearm enhancement cannot stand. We remand for resentencing.

FACTS

¶ 2 Dione J. Williams was one of a group of people who socialized together. A woman in the group, Alyssa Knight, met Arren Cole, a reputed gang member visiting Spokane from Los Angeles.

¶ 3 Between Tuesday and Thursday, September 23-25, 2003, the group gathered at their usual hangouts, including the home of Kaitlin Walker and a tavern called The Grail in Post Falls, Idaho. Ms. Knight told Mr. Williams, Darian Ervin, and others that Mr. Cole was carrying money, jewelry, and drugs. They decided to "do a lick"[1] on Mr. Cole. Precisely what they meant by this was disputed. It appears from this record, however, that to "do a lick" means to take someone's valuables by any available means. Their discussions of various methods of doing this extended over several days.

¶ 4 They first planned to rob Mr. Cole on Tuesday night. This fell through when Ms. Knight reported that Mr. Cole might be carrying a gun. Mr. Ervin said he would get a gun so that Mr. Williams could take Mr. Cole the following night. On Wednesday, Ms. Knight, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Ervin discussed the impending "lick" and considered various strategies and tactics while driving from Post Falls to Spokane. But the crime had to be postponed again.

¶ 5 On Thursday, Ms. Knight met Mr. Cole by arrangement at a downtown Spokane bar. Mr. Williams was also in the bar. Ms. Knight told Mr. Williams that Mr. Cole was carrying a lot of money and jewelry. Ms. Knight then went with Mr. Cole to his hotel room. Some time later, Mr. Cole accompanied Ms. Knight down to the alley behind his hotel to wait for her ride.

¶ 6 As planned, Mr. Williams arrived in a car driven by Mike Knypstra. Ms. Knight got in the car and Mr. Williams got out. As Mr. Williams approached Mr. Cole, Mr. Williams put his hand in his pocket and said something to him. Mr. Cole backed away. Mr. Williams then pulled the gun from his pocket. Mr. Cole turned and started running down the alley. Mr. Williams shot him in the back. Mr. Knypstra drove Mr. Williams to the Maple Street Bridge where they threw the gun into the Spokane River. The police later recovered the gun. Mr. Williams was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit second degree robbery (count I); conspiracy to commit first degree burglary (count II); conspiracy to commit first degree robbery (count III); attempted first degree robbery (count IV); and first degree (felony) murder (count V). A jury found Mr. Williams guilty on all counts. The jury also found that Mr. Williams was armed with a deadly weapon on counts III through V.

¶ 7 At sentencing, Mr. Williams argued that all three conspiracy counts were based on the same criminal conduct and supported only one punishment. He also argued that the attempted robbery count was the predicate offense for the felony murder, so the two offenses merged. The court denied the motions and sentenced Mr. Williams on all counts with five-year firearm enhancements on counts III through V.

DISCUSSION

CRAWFORD VIOLATION

¶ 8 Mr. Williams first challenges the admission of statements by his coconspirator, citing Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 51, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004).

¶ 9 Mr. Ervin was a coconspirator and he faced a separate prosecution. He did not appear at Mr. Williams' trial because he was an untried, severed codefendant and therefore, of course, had the right to remain silent. Mr. Ervin made out-of-court statements that fall into two categories. He made statements to various people during the conspiracy. They testified at Mr. Williams' trial. Mr. Ervin also gave what was described by defense counsel as a "free-talk" confession after his arrest in which he implicated Mr. Williams. Report of Proceedings (Vol.I) at *101 31. He said that Mr. Williams admitted to him that he shot Mr. Cole.

¶ 10 Mr. Williams contends that all of Mr. Ervin's statements—including those made during the conspiracy—should have been excluded under Crawford. That case holds that testimonial statements, that is statements the declarant would reasonably expect to be used in a future trial, are inadmissible unless the declarant is available for cross-examination. The State responds that Crawford does not apply to the conspiracy statements because they were not testimonial and were admissible under the coconspirator hearsay exception of ER 801(d)(2)(v).

¶ 11 The trial court based its decision solely on application of a court rule to specific undisputed facts. So the question whether the court rule (ER 801) applies is a question of law we review de novo. State v. Tatum, 74 Wash.App. 81, 86, 871 P.2d 1123 (1994). The trial court correctly admitted statements made during and in furtherance of the conspiracy under ER 801(d)(2)(v). It provides that "a statement by a coconspirator of a party during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy" is not hearsay. ER 801(d)(2)(v). Mr. Ervin's custodial statements were neither offered nor admitted. The confrontation clause was not then implicated in the admission of Mr. Ervin's statements. Crawford, 541 U.S. at 51, 124 S.Ct. 1354.

CONSPIRACY CONVICTIONS

¶ 12 Mr. Williams challenges his conviction for and sentencing on two of the three counts of criminal conspiracy.

A person is guilty of criminal conspiracy when, with intent that conduct constituting a crime be performed, he or she agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of such conduct, and any one of them takes a substantial step in pursuance of such agreement.

RCW 9A.28.040(1). The two challenged conspiracies are count I (conspiracy to commit second degree robbery) and count II (conspiracy to commit first degree burglary). Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
128 P.3d 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-williams-washctapp-2006.