State v. P.E.T.
State v. P.E.T.
Opinion of the Court
f 1 — At issue is whether the trial court improperly placed on Parish Tate the burden of proving his incompetence at a competency hearing under former chapter 10.77 RCW (2010). The hearing occurred during the juvenile court’s adjudication and disposition on the charge of second degree robbery.
¶2 We previously concluded that the trial court erroneously placed the burden of proving incompetence on Tate, and we reversed and remanded.
¶3 We called for supplemental briefing and directed the parties to address the effect of Coley on this case. After considering the parties’ briefing and looking to Coley, we conclude that the trial court properly placed the burden of
¶4 The relevant facts are undisputed. In 2009, Tate was found incompetent and several charges against him were dismissed based on that finding.
¶5 In December 2010, slightly over one year after the prior dismissal based on incompetency, the State charged Tate with second degree robbery after an incident on a bus.
¶6 Because the juvenile court had reason to doubt Tate’s competency, it ordered that Tate be admitted for evaluation at Western State Hospital to determine whether he was competent to stand trial.
¶7 Tate contested the findings in the report, and the court held a competency hearing. At the hearing, the State asked for a determination of competency, and Tate asked for a determination of incompetency.
¶8 The State presented testimony from Dr. Hendrickson. He testified that Tate (1) “[did] not currently suffer from a mental illness,” (2) “possesse[d] the ability to have a factual and rational understanding of the charges and court proceedings he faces,” and (3) “possessefd] the capacity to communicate with his attorney to assist in his defense.”
¶10 The court proceeded to the fact-finding hearing and adjudicated Tate guilty of the crime charged. Findings, conclusions, and an order consistent with this determination followed.
¶11 Tate appealed, and we reversed. Thereafter, the supreme court granted the State’s petition for review and remanded for reconsideration in light of Coley.
COMPETENCY
¶12 The issues are whether the trial court properly placed on Tate the burden of proving incompetence by a preponderance of the evidence and whether this denied Tate due process.
¶[13 “IT]he Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the criminal prosecution of a defendant who is not competent to stand trial.”
¶14 In Washington, there is additional statutory protection.
¶15 A person is incompetent under the statute if he or she “lacks the capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings against him or her or to assist in his or her own defense as a result of mental disease or defect.”
¶16 We review a trial court’s determination of competency for abuse of discretion.
Burden of Proof
¶17 The question before us is who bears the burden of proof under chapter 10.77 RCW to prove incompetency of one charged with a criminal offense — the defendant or the State.
¶18 Chapter 10.77 RCW sets out “the procedures for the evaluation and treatment of those alleged to be incompetent to stand trial.”
|19 Recently, in Coley, the supreme court directly addressed the question of “whether chapter 10.77 RCW places the burden of proof to prove incompetency on a criminal defendant who is claiming incompetency or on the State.”
¶20 In that case, Blayne Coley argued that the trial court incorrectly placed on him the burden of proving his incompetence at a June 2010 competency hearing.
¶22 The court first rejected Coley’s contention that the burden of proof placement depended on the distinction between a competency hearing and a restoration hearing.
f 23 The court then looked to the relevant statutes and stated, “Although chapter 10.77 RCW does not explicitly assign the burden of proof to either party, we interpret the statutes to place the burden on the party challenging competency.”
¶24 Notably, the majority in that case explicitly also rejected the dissent’s view that the relevant statutes “are
¶25 Here, Tate relies, in part, on the 2009 finding that he was then incompetent to be adjudicated on unrelated charges in a prior case. He appears to argue that is the “status quo” that effectively shifts the burden of proof to the State. Because the supreme court explicitly rejected this interpretation of the statute in Coley, we also must reject this argument.
¶26 Tate argues that State v. Wicklund,
Due Process
¶27 Tate next argues that imposing the burden of proof of incompetency on him violates due process and is a structural error that requires reversal of his adjudication and disposition. Coley holds otherwise.
¶29 In Coley, the supreme court also directly addressed whether placing the burden of proof on the defendant violates due process under the Washington and United States Constitutions.
f 30 The same is true here. The trial court complied with the provisions of chapter 10.77 RCW by properly placing the burden of proof on Tate to prove by a preponderance of the evidence incompetency. Thus, there was no violation of due process. And there was no structural error.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL GROUNDS
¶31 Tate argues in his statement of additional grounds that he was not competent to stand trial. In our prior decision, we had no need to reach this issue. We do so now because of our ruling on the burden of proof.
¶33 This court will not disturb a trial court’s competency ruling absent a showing of an abuse of discretion.
¶34 Here, substantial evidence supports the court’s findings of fact that Tate could understand the nature of the proceedings against him and could effectively assist counsel in his defense. At the competency hearing, a Western State Hospital staff psychologist testified that Tate did not exhibit “any symptom of major mental illness.” He gave the following opinion regarding Tate’s competency:
[Tate] presented with an understanding of the charges and the court proceedings that he would expect to take place when he returned to court, he had no difficulty communicating with either me or others, he exhibited an ability to apply reasoning, and in conclusion I felt that he has the ability, the current ability to have a factual and a rational understanding of the charges and the proceedings that he faces as well as the capacity to communicate with his attorney to assist in his defense.[53]
NEW ARGUMENT
|36 In his supplemental briefing in response to our order following remand, for the first time, Tate argues that chapter 10.77 RCW “usurps the judiciary’s authority and violates the Separation of Powers Doctrine.” But he fails to explain why this new argument falls within the narrow exceptions of RAP 2.5(a) permitting review of new arguments. And he does not explain how this new argument overcomes the obstacle that statutes are presumed to be constitutional.
¶37 We affirm.
Dwyer and Lau, JJ., concur.
Review denied at 183 Wn.2d 1012 (2015).
State v. P.E.T., 174 Wn. App. 590, 300 P.3d 456 (2013).
180 Wn.2d 543, 554, 326 P.3d 702 (2014).
State v. P.E.T., 181 Wn.2d 1007, 335 P.3d 940 (2014).
Clerk’s Papers at 16 (Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law Regarding Defendant’s Competency).
Id.
Id.
Id.
Id. at 15.
Id. at 16.
Clerk’s Papers at 13 (Order on Motion re Competency Hearing).
Appellant’s Opening Brief at 3-8.
Medina v. California, 505 U.S. 437, 439, 112 S. Ct. 2572, 120 L. Ed. 2d 353 (1992); Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 378, 86 S. Ct. 836, 15 L. Ed. 2d 815 (1966).
Pate, 383 U.S. at 378.
Medina, 505 U.S. at 449.
In re Pers. Restraint of Fleming, 142 Wn.2d 853, 862, 16 P.3d 610 (2001) (citing RCW 10.77.050).
Compare former RCW 10.77.010(15) (2010), with RCW 10.77.010(15) (using identical language to define “incompetency”).
State v. Benn, 120 Wn.2d 631, 662, 845 P.2d 289 (1993).
Coley, 180 Wn.2d at 551.
State v. E.C., 83 Wn. App. 523, 529, 922 P.2d 152 (1996).
See former RCW 10.77.060 (2010); former RCW 10.77.084 (2010); see also former RCW 10.77.086 (2010) (providing the commitment procedures for a felony charge).
Coley, 180 Wn.2d at 552.
Id
Id. at 563 (Gordon McCloud, J., dissenting).
96 Wn.2d 798, 638 P.2d 1241 (1982).
158 Wn. App. 803, 244 P.3d 954 (2010), aff’d, 173 Wn.2d 597, 269 P.3d 1023 (2012).
154 Wn.2d 749, 117 P.3d 1098 (2005).
State v. Wise, 176 Wn.2d 1, 13-14, 288 P.3d 1113 (2012) (alteration in original) (quoting Arizona v. Fulminante, 499 U.S. 279, 310, 111 S. Ct. 1246, 113 L. Ed. 2d 302 (1991)).
Id. at 14 (quoting Fulminante, 499 U.S. at 310).
State v. Levy, 156 Wn.2d 709, 725, 132 P.3d 1076 (2006).
Coley, 180 Wn.2d at 557-59.
Wicklund, 96 Wn.2d at 800.
Benn, 120 Wn.2d at 662.
State v. Broadaway, 133 Wn.2d 118, 130, 942 P.2d 363 (1997).
State v. Hill, 123 Wn.2d 641, 644, 870 P.2d 313 (1994).
53 Report of Proceedings (June 21, 2011) at 61-62.
In re Pers. Restraint of McNeil, 181 Wn.2d 582, 590, 334 P.3d 548 (2014).
Reference
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