State v. Hutchinson
State v. Hutchinson
Opinion of the Court
By his own admission, Darrin Hutchinson killed two Island County Deputy Sheriffs in the county jail. He contended at trial that he shot the deputies in self-defense. Nevertheless, the jury convicted him of aggravated first degree murder. Washington’s Supreme
FACTS
Hutchinson’s six-week trial included many witnesses whose testimony we will not discuss. Instead, we relate only the facts needed to understand the assigned errors that we address in this opinion.
Robert Whalen, a retired Seattle police officer, was driving towards the Clinton ferry terminal on November 14, 1987, between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., when he was passed by an erratically driven, speeding blue Pinto. When arriving at the terminal, Whalen saw the Pinto nearly hit the ferry tollbooth. Whalen told the tollbooth operator he suspected that the Pinto’s driver was under the influence of alcohol. The tollbooth operator’s co-worker called the police.
Island County Deputy Sheriffs William Heffernan and John Saxerud responded, arresting Darrin Hutchinson for driving while intoxicated. Deputy Saxerud patted Hutchinson down and put him in the patrol car’s back seat. Saxerud did not detect a thin, .32 caliber Bersa handgun that
At the jail, the officers escorted Hutchinson to the breathalyzer room, removing their service weapons and placing them in a lock box prior to entering. Dispatcher Iverson monitored the procedure on a remote television with sound capacity; he heard no one talking. Five minutes later, around 6:10 a.m., Deputy Saxerud called him on the phone, requesting a driver’s license check on Hutchinson. Deputy Saxerud’s tone was casual, matter-of-fact. Iverson heard Deputy Heffernan in a loud (but not raised) voice tell Hutchinson not to speak unless spoken to. Noticing that the breathalyzer procedure was proceeding smoothly, Iverson attended to routine duties.
Soon thereafter, Hutchinson pulled out his gun, shot Deputy Saxerud once in the head at close range, and Deputy Heffernan twice from a distance of at least 24 inches. He fished through Deputy Saxerud’s pockets for car keys, stole a patrol car, smashed it through the garage door, and raced to his brother’s house. Hutchinson later ditched the car down a steep ravine. Island County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Hutchinson at his parents’ home.
Chief Panzero and Deputy Ridley interrogated Hutchinson for two and a quarter hours soon after his arrest. While Hutchinson admitted killing the deputies, he said that they verbally and physically abused him, including slamming his head into a plexiglás window. But at another point, he acknowledged catching them "totally off guard.” When a doctor examined Hutchinson on the morning of the murders, he found only one minor injury, an abrasion and bruising in the thumb area. And Hutchinson attributed that injury to getting his hand stuck while ditching the patrol car.
The State charged Hutchinson with two counts of aggravated first degree murder. The prosecution’s theory
The jury, after deliberating for two days, convicted Hutchinson on both counts of aggravated first degree murder.
DISCUSSION
I.
SELF-DEFENSE JURY INSTRUCTION
Hutchinson contends that the trial court improperly instructed the jury regarding self-defense. The court’s instruction allowed the jury to require evidence of imminent danger, rather than a reasonable belief in imminent danger:
Homicide is justifiable when committed in the lawful defense of the slayer when the slayer reasonably believes that the person slain intends to inflict death or great personal injury and there is imminent danger of such harm being accomplished. [Instr. No. 24.]
Our Supreme Court recently ruled that this instruction is erroneous.
The defense developed factual evidence from which the jury could have inferred that Hutchinson reasonably believed himself to be in imminent danger. When Hutchinson went to his brother’s house after the killings, he told him that a deputy had grabbed his wrist, put it behind his back and twisted his arm. And he feared for his life when they slammed his face against a window. He told his brother that one deputy said, "We should just take him out,” while the other one said, "We should just kill the little bastard.” During his confession, Hutchinson described physical abuse by Deputy Heffernan.
The defense bolstered its theory with testimony from Dr. John Thornton, a forensic science professor. A jury could find Thornton particularly credible because he has
The defense also culled supporting evidence from Dr. Howard, a prosecution expert witness. Dr. Howard admitted that the deputies’ bodies’ positioning and a looping blood pattern was consistent with Deputy Saxerud grabbing Hutchinson’s arm while Deputy Heffernan lunged at him. The jury could infer that Hutchinson fired the shots in response to the deputies’ approach. Finally, smudges on the breathalyzer window were consistent with facial or forehead skin of a person Hutchinson’s height being pressed against the window.
We agree with the dissent that strong evidence supports the prosecution’s case theory. But we disagree with the dissent’s analysis of Hutchinson’s defense. Its analysis blurs the imminence of harm with the requirement that the type of harm be death or great personal injury. Given the evidence and the instructions, this jury could have decided that the deputies attacked Hutchinson, but he was nevertheless not actually in imminent harm of great personal injury or death. If so, they could have ignored the issue of his belief in that type of harm. In other words, they could have believed Hutchinson’s version, but convicted him based on the court’s legal misstatement. Given the conflict in the evidence surrounding Hutchinson’s belief, the guilty verdict could be attributable to the error. Because the prosecution has not rebutted the presumed prejudice, the error was not harmless.
MENTAL HEALTH EXAMINATION
The next assigned error concerns the mental health examination. We will rule on this and one other assigned error to assist the trial court and the parties on retrial.
After being informed that Hutchinson would allege diminished capacity, the prosecution moved the trial court to compel Hutchinson’s participation in a mental health examination.
Because the Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s order, it is evident that Hutchinson disobeyed a lawful order by refusing to participate. In this sense, the only issue necessarily before us is the trial court’s sanction. Yet the trial court had difficulty applying the Supreme Court decision, and the parties still vehemently disagree as to its meaning. Because this case is being remanded, we will first examine how the trial court applied the Supreme Court decision and then discuss its sanction.
Constitutional Privilege Against Self Incrimination
Hutchinson argues that he can refuse to participate in the court-ordered examination by invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination. We disagree.
- The constitution protects a person from being compelled to be a witness against himself in a criminal case.
But answering incriminating questions at that exam does not waive the privilege as to guilt or on sentencing issues.
Statutory Privilege Against Self-Incrimination
Hutchinson also alleges that he has a statutory privilege against self-incrimination. We find no merit in his argument. The statute upon which he relies addresses
In conclusion, the trial court in this case correctly interpreted the Supreme Court decision and correctly compelled Hutchinson to participate in the mental health exam. The power to require an examination is essential because a defendant’s "silence may deprive the State of the only effective means it has of controverting his proof on an issue that he interjected into the case.”
Sanction For Refusing To Participate In Examination
As a sanction for Hutchinson’s refusal to participate, the trial court excluded the defense expert witnesses regarding diminished capacity (except Dr. Halpern’s testimony regarding alcohol’s effects). Hutchinson contends that excluding experts was improper under the criminal rules applicable to discovery sanctions. He relies upon cases construing CrR 4.7(h)(7)(i). Yet counsel conceded at oral argument that she never brought CrR 4.7(h)(7), or the cases interpreting it, to the trial court’s attention. Nevertheless, because we remand this case, we will address the issue substantively.
The trial court can sanction noncompliance with discovery orders:
the court may order such party to permit the discovery of*737 material and information not previously disclosed, grant a continuance, dismiss the action or enter such other order as it deems just under the circumstances.[17 ]
The first case interpreting the rule, albeit in a very different context than this case, focused on legislative history.
We think the State’s strongest arguments can be summarized as follows. The rule’s plain language — that is, the power to "enter such other order as it deems just under the circumstances” — allows the court to exclude witnesses as a sanction in extreme cases. And the Sixth Amendment allows a court to exclude evidence when a defendant raises a mental health issue, but willfully and contumaciously refuses to participate in an independent psychiatric examination.
Nevertheless, a rule that precludes exclusion of evidence as a discovery sanction has an extraordinarily noble rationale. It relies on the jury to winnow chaff from wheat with the benefit of more, rather than less, relevant evidence. Certainly, the discovery rules further this enhanced search for truth by eliminating surprise and making diminished capacity evidence available to both sides.
POST-ARREST STATEMENTS TO POLICE
Hutchinson contends that the trial court erred in admitting his confession because it was involuntary under Miranda v. Arizona,
Voluntary Confession Under Miranda v. Arizona
For a statement to be admissible under Miranda, the State must establish that the defendant, after being fully advised as to his rights, knowingly and intelligently waived them.
Hutchinson argues that inebriation, sleep deprivation, and low intelligence quotient precluded him from knowingly and intelligently waiving his rights. Before addressing these specific impairments, however, we emphasize that in the twelve years preceding the murders, Hutchinson had been "Mirandized” on at least five separate occasions. On each occasion he acknowledged understanding those rights, he waived them, and he answered questions. This substantial experience strongly supports the conclusion that Hutchinson appreciated the warning’s gravity and a waiver’s concomitant peril.
Regarding sleep deprivation, he had not slept for twenty-two hours before the interrogation. Yet his responsiveness and his ability to walk and talk belie his alleged inability to knowingly and voluntarily waive his rights. Moreover, his expert gave only the generalized opinion that sleep deprivation would have a negative impact on IQ and would detrimentally affect cognitive functioning. The trial court, weighing all circumstances, correctly relied on definite eyewitnesses, rather than on uncertain, unquantified theoretical conjecture.
Similar weaknesses diluted Hutchinson’s argument that his IQ (79) impaired his ability to voluntarily waive his rights. His expert testified that Hutchinson-would have difficulty understanding the rights and would not understand the consequences of waiver. But at the time she evaluated him, the expert did not know Hutchinson’s past experience with Miranda. Furthermore, when she interviewed him, she never discussed whether he understood Miranda or what would happen if he waived those rights. Aside from this discredited expert testimony, the trial court could justifiably be persuaded by what actually happened: nine hours after the initial interrogation concluded, when the second interrogation started, Hutchinson asserted his right to counsel. To summarize, the findings support the trial court’s conclusion that Hutchinson’s inebriation, drowsiness, and low IQ did not preclude him from knowingly and intelligently waiving Miranda.
Privacy Act
Hutchinson contends that the deputies who recorded his confession violated the Privacy Act, making the recording inadmissible. During the interrogation, the deputies turned the recorder off at Hutchinson’s request, and did not indicate the time when they turned it back on.
The Privacy Act requires police officers to include the beginning and ending time in recorded conversations with arrestees.
Because the deputies substantially complied with the Privacy Act, and Hutchinson knowingly and voluntarily waived his Miranda rights, the trial court properly admitted his confession.
CONCLUSION
The other assigned errors largely involve discretionary decisions and may not recur. Hence, we decline to address them.
We understand that a new trial will traumatize the victims and the community, especially after so long a period since the crime has passed, and particularly in a case where the defendant admits to killing two sheriffs deputies.
Cox, J., concurs.
State v. LeFaber, 128 Wn.2d 896, 913 P.2d 369 (1996).
State v. LeFaber, 128 Wn.2d at 902.
LeFaber, 128 Wn.2d at 900; compare Sullivan v. Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275, 281, 113 S. Ct. 2078, 124 L. Ed. 2d 182 (1993), with Pope v. Illinois, 481 U.S. 497, 502, 107 S. Ct. 1918, 95 L. Ed. 2d 439 (1987); compare State v. Eastmond, 129 Wn.2d 497, 503, 919 P.2d 577 (1996), with State v. Smith, 131 Wn.2d 258, 263, 930 P.2d 917 (1997).
State v. Fowler, 114 Wn.2d 59, 63, 785 P.2d 808 (1990).
State v. Allen, 67 Wn. App. 824, 828, 840 P.2d 905 (1992).
CrR 4.7(b)(2)(viii).
State v. Hutchinson, 111 Wn.2d 872, 874, 766 P.2d 447 (1989).
U.S. Const, amend. V; see also Wash. Const, art. I § 9.
Hutchinson, 111 Wn.2d 872, 880; see also Powell v. Texas, 492 U.S. 680, 684, 109 S. Ct. 3146, 106 L. Ed. 2d 551 (1989); Granviel v. Lynaugh, 881 F.2d 185, 190 (5th Cir. 1989); State v. Bonds, 98 Wn.2d 1, 20, 653 P.2d 1024 (1982).
Hutchinson, 111 Wn.2d 872, 884; State v. Nuss, 52 Wn. App. 735, 742, 763 P.2d 1249 (1988).
Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 468-69, 101 S. Ct. 1866, 68 L. Ed. 2d 359 (1981).
Hutchinson, 111 Wn.2d 872, 885; Iowa v. Craney, 347 N.W.2d 668, 673 (Iowa 1984); Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454 at 468-69.
See Hutchinson, 111 Wn.2d 872, 883; ER 401, 402, 403, 105; 5 Karl B. Tegland, Washington Uniform Practice: Evidence § 24(2) (3d ed. 1989); State v. Aaron, 57 Wn. App. 277, 281, 787 P.2d 949 (1990).
RCW 10.77.060(1).
Nuss, 52 Wn. App. 735, 741. Compare Hutchinson, 111 Wn.2d 872, 884 with State v. Pawlyk, 115 Wn.2d 457, 467, 800 P.2d 338 (1990).
Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 465.
CrR 4.7(h)(7)(i).
State v. Glasper, 12 Wn. App. 36, 38, 527 P.2d 1127 (1974).
Crim. Rules Task Force, Wash. Judicial Council, Proposed Rules of Criminal Procedure, CrR 4.7(h)(7) cmt. at 105 (1971).
State v. Thacker, 94 Wn.2d 276, 280, 616 P.2d 655 (1980); State v. Laureano, 101 Wn.2d 745, 762, 682 P.2d 889 (1984); State v. Terrovona, 105 Wn.2d 632, 651-52, 716 P.2d 295 (1986); and State v. Ray, 116 Wn.2d 531, 806 P.2d 1220 (1991).
See State v. Sickles, 144 Wash. 236, 257 P. 385 (1927); State v. Martin, 165 Wash. 180, 4 P.2d 880 (1931); State v. White, 74 Wn.2d 386, 444 P.2d 661 (1968); State v. Funches, 5 Wn. App. 491, 487 P.2d 793 (1971).
U.S. Const. amend. VI; United States v. Nobles, 422 U.S. 225, 241, 95 S. Ct. 2160, 45 L. Ed. 2d 141 (1995); Taylor v. Illinois, 484 U.S. 400, 414-15, 108 S. Ct. 646, 655, 98 L. Ed. 2d 798 (1988); Michigan v. Lucas, 500 U.S. 145, 151, 111 S. Ct. 1743, 114 L. Ed. 2d 205 (1991); United States v. McKneely, 69 F.3d 1067, 1076 (10th Cir. 1995).
State v. Nelson, 65 Wn.2d 189, 196, 396 P.2d 540 (1964); see also Annest v. Annest, 49 Wn.2d 62, 64, 298 P.2d 483 (1956) (civil).
Pawlyk, 115 Wn.2d at 471; State v. Hamlet, 83 Wn. App. 350, 356, 921 P.2d 560 (1996), review granted, 131 Wn.2d 1005 (1997).
State v. Gonzalez, 110 Wn.2d 738, 745, 757 P.2d 925 (1988).
CrR 4.6(a); See also Glasper, 12 Wn. App. 36, 39.
Pawlyk, 115 Wn.2d 457, 467; Hamlet, 83 Wn. App. 350, 358.
State v. Huson, 73 Wn.2d 660, 667, 440 P.2d 192 (1968); Louisiana v. Widenhouse, 582 So. 2d 1374, 1384 (La. App.), writ denied, 586 So. 2d 567 (La. 1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 910, 112 S. Ct. 1274, 117 L. Ed. 2d 500 (1992).
384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694, 10 A.L.R.3d 974 (1966).
State v. Cushing, 68 Wn. App. 388, 393, 842 P.2d 1035 (1993); State v. Robtoy, 98 Wn.2d 30, 35-36, 653 P.2d 284 (1982).
Robtoy, 98 Wn.2d at 36.
Cushing, 68 Wn. App. 388, 394 n.5.
State v. Ng, 110 Wn.2d 32, 37, 750 P.2d 632 (1988); Cushing, 68 Wn. App. 388, 393.
Cf. State v. Grieb, 52 Wn. App. 573, 574, 761 P.2d 970 (1988) (defendant stated that he did not want to waive his Miranda rights).
See RCW 9.73.090(1)(b)(ii).
RCW 9.73.090(1)(b)(ii).
State v. Cunningham, 93 Wn.2d 823, 829, 613 P.2d 1139 (1980).
101 Wn.2d 664, 685, 683 P.2d 571 (1984).
State v. Gelvin, 43 Wn. App. 691, 696, 719 P.2d 580 (1986); See also State v. Gonzalez, 71 Wn. App. 715, 719, 862 P.2d 598 (1993).
State v. Maupin, 128 Wn.2d 918, 930, 913 P.2d 808 (1996).
U.S. Const. amend. VI; State v. Miller, 131 Wn.2d 78, 90-91, 929 P.2d 372 (1997); United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co., 430 U.S. 564, 572, 97 S. Ct. 1349, 51 L. Ed. 2d 642 (1977).
Sullivan v. Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275, 280 (1993).
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting) — I dissent. While I agree that the self-defense instruction was error, applying the hindsight of State v. LeFaber,
There were two distinct theories here as to what occurred in the breathalyzer room. The defense theory was that Hutchinson shot the deputies while standing in one
The events either happened in one part of the room or the other. If they happened as the State outlined them, then the error in the instruction could not have affected the outcome because no reasonable trier of fact could have found that Hutchinson had a reasonable belief that death or great bodily injury was intended, or that he was in any imminent danger of its being accomplished, particularly the latter. If the events happened as Hutchinson related them, and the defense argued them, then the error was harmless because the danger of the harm that Hutchinson reasonably believed was going to occur was by definition imminent because it was occurring at the moment he shot the officers. The reasonableness of his belief in that regard was irrelevant because he was reacting to an actual attack, not to a fear that an attack was in the offing. Therefore, even if the jury was misled as to the exact requisites of self-defense, it did not matter in this case.
Given Hutchinson’s version of events, the difficult question was the reasonableness of his belief that the officers intended him harm, and whether that harm was of a nature that justified deadly force in response. The timing of his actions in response did not need to be explained in terms of his perceptions of danger. The officers were either assaulting him or they were not. In convicting, the jury either did not believe Hutchinson’s version of events, or it believed the State’s version. Neither version required the jury to decide what Hutchinson reasonably believed was about to happen to him.
Reconsideration denied July 14, 1997.
Review granted at 133 Wn.2d 1033 (1998).
State v. LeFaber, 128 Wn.2d 896, 913 P.2d 369 (1996).
Despite the majority’s ad hominem rhetoric, our role is to determine harmless error using as a test how a reasonable juror would interpret the instruction. See State v. Miller, 131 Wn.2d 78, 90, 929 P.2d 372 (1997). Performing that role is neither tyrannical nor hypothetical. Rather, it is our job.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Washington, Respondent, v. Darrin Rand Hutchinson, Sr., Appellant
- Cited By
- 15 cases
- Status
- Published