State v. Willis

178 P.3d 480, 218 Ariz. 8, 525 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 3, 2008 Ariz. App. LEXIS 38
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMarch 11, 2008
DocketNo. 1 CA-CR 07-0270
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 178 P.3d 480 (State v. Willis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Willis, 178 P.3d 480, 218 Ariz. 8, 525 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 3, 2008 Ariz. App. LEXIS 38 (Ark. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

KESSLER, Judge.

¶ 1 Michael Ryan Willis (“Willis”) filed an Anders appeal from his conviction of criminal trespass in the first degree, a class one misdemeanor. See Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967); State v. Leon, 104 Ariz. 297, 451 P.2d 878 (1969). Willis’ attorney did not identify any issues on appeal. We provided Willis the opportunity to file a pro per supplemental brief, but he did not exercise that opportunity. While our review of the record does not reveal any arguable issue of fundamental error, we have found an issue of first impression — whether Willis is entitled to a jury trial for the chai’ge of misdemeanor trespass.1 We hold that he was not, that there was no fundamental error, and we affirm his conviction and sentence.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 The State initially charged Willis with first degree trespass as a class six felony, but redesignated the crime as a class one misdemeanor. At a bench trial, foxu’ witnesses testified, including the defendant.

¶ 3 In July 2004 Willis chose to visit his half-brothers at their residence, where they [10]*10live with their mother (“Mother”), and attempted to restore a broken relationship with them.2 Willis had frequently attempted to contact his half-brothers by telephone and through the mail, but no member of the household responded to his efforts. Willis had never been invited to the home. He knocked on the front door and heard no response. He then went to the back door, knocked again, and still received no response. He tried the back door, found it unlocked, entered the residence, and remained there for approximately two minutes. While there, he wrote two notes to members of the household, signed them, and left them on the premises. Later that morning Willis’ half-brother Aaron found one of the notes and showed it to his mother, who called the police.

¶ 4 Prior to the above events, Willis’ stepmother had not seen Willis for over two years. He had never been in his step-mother’s apartment and never been invited to the apartment. Earlier in 2004, he had left what his step-mother termed vulgar messages on her answering machine, prompting her to inform him she wanted no contact with him. One of Willis’ half-brothers who lived with the step-mother testified that he never recalled having a relationship with Willis, did not want to have a relationship with him, and did not love him.

¶ 5 The superior court found Willis guilty. At sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements and statements from the defendant and his supporters, and sentenced Willis to one year probation. Willis filed a timely notice of appeal and this court has jurisdiction pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) section 13-4033(A)(1) (2001).

DISCUSSION

¶ 6 We will discuss the sufficiency of the evidence and the propriety of trying this case to the bench rather than to a jury. Since the evidence is sufficient to sustain the verdict, Willis has no right to a jury trial in this ease, and the record reveals no fundamental error, we affirm.

Sufficiency of the Evidence

¶ 7 On appeal, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to sustaining the conviction. State v. Guerra, 161 Ariz. 289, 293, 778 P.2d 1185, 1189 (1989). “A person commits criminal trespass in the first degree by knowingly: ...' [ejntering or remaining unlawfully in or on a residential structure.” A.R.S. § 13-1504(A)(1) (Supp.2007).

¶ 8 Here, ample uncontroverted evidence supports the conclusion that Willis violated the statute. One victim found the note which Willis had written and left behind in the home. Another victim looked at the note and confirmed that the handwriting on the note matches that of Willis. Willis himself admitted entering the victim’s home and leaving the note. Mother testified that the place Willis left the note was a part of her home and that she had not invited Willis into her home. Willis admitted that he knew he was entering the victim’s home and that he had not been invited. The evidence, including Willis’ admission, demonstrates that he knowingly entered unlawfully into the Mother’s residence, and therefore supports the guilty verdict.

Propriety of a Bench Trial

¶ 9 Willis received a bench trial rather than a jury trial in this case. Whether he is entitled to a jury trial is a question of law, which we review de novo. Stoudamire v. Simon, 213 Ariz. 296, 297, ¶ 3, 141 P.3d 776, 777 (App.2006).

¶ 10 Willis, standing accused of trespass as a class one misdemeanor, had no right to a jury trial. We recognize that “the right to [a] jury trial in criminal cases [is] fundamental to our system of justice.” Duncan v. Louisiana, 391 U.S. 145, 153, 88 S.Ct. 1444, 20 L.Ed.2d 491 (1968). Both the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 2, Sections 23 and 24 of the Arizona Constitution protect a right to trial by jury. Derendal v. Griffith, 209 Ariz. 416, 419, ¶¶ 6-7, 104 P.3d 147, 150 (2005). Under Derendal, the Arizona Constitution requires a two pronged inquiry into: (1) whether a defendant would have been entitled to a jury [11]*11trial under an antecedent common law offense at the time of statehood; and if not, (2) whether the penalty is sufficiently severe to require a jury trial. Id. at 425, ¶¶ 36-37,104 P.3d at 156. Meeting either criterion is sufficient to guarantee a jury trial under Arizona law. We hold that no jury trial is required under either constitutional provision.

¶ 11 First, Article 2, Section 23 of the Arizona Constitution provides that a jury trial is required for any offense subject to a common law guarantee of a jury. Id. at 419, ¶ 9, 104 P.3d at 150. Once a common law, jury-guaranteed offense is found, we determine whether the common law offense and the modem statutory offense are sufficiently similar to require a jury trial by closely examining the elements of the offenses and the state policy underlying the prohibition. See Crowell v. Jejna, 215 Ariz. 534, 538-39, ¶¶ 13, 20, 161 P.3d 577, 581-82 (App.2007). Crowell found that violation of a City of Scottsdale nude dancing ordinance did not require a jury trial because it was not substantially similar to the common law offense of indecent exposure. Id. at 540, ¶¶ 23-24, 161 P.3d at 583. Specifically, the ordinance proscribed far less conduct than the common law offense, and reflected a shift in policy from banning all nudity to regulating it to minimize its secondary effects. Id. at 538-39, ¶¶ 15-17, 20, 161 P.3d at 581-82. The substantial change in coverage and policy in the law adequately reflected a different offense, and the right to trial by jury did not carry over.

¶ 12 No Arizona cases have addressed this precise concern since Derendal.3

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
178 P.3d 480, 218 Ariz. 8, 525 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 3, 2008 Ariz. App. LEXIS 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-willis-arizctapp-2008.