v.
Brian K. Brush
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE STATE OF WASHINGTON o c/>o r-?cr STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 71067-2-1 3a* m
Respondent, DIVISION ONE no -*-*T3 rvti 3a» =E>1 BRIAN BRUSH, UNPUBLISHED OPINION GO O —
Appellant. FILED: May 12. 2014
Spearman, C.J. — Brian Brush was convicted of aggravated first degree murder and ordered to serve an exceptional sentence of 1,060 months of incarceration. He appeals. We affirm the judgment and remand for resentencing. FACTS On September 11, 2009, at approximately 4:40 p.m., three police officers were on foot patrol at a car show in Long Beach, Washington. As they were patrolling, they heard a gunshot on the beach. When they looked in the direction of the shot, they saw Brian Brush fire a shotgun three more times, thereby killing his girlfriend, Lisa Bonney, who stood a few feet away.1 The three officers approached Brush, their weapons drawn. When Brush, a former police officer, observed the approaching officers, he tossed the shotgun aside, walked towards the officers, and followed their commands as they secured 1A number of other individuals also observed the shooting. In particular, two tourists testified that they observed the shooting and Brush being taken into custody. No. 71067-2-1/2 the area. As Brush was on the ground being handcuffed, Raymond Police Officer Arlie Boggs asked him if he had been shooting at a human being; Brush responded "yes." Verbatim Report of Proceedings (10/12/11) at 9. Boggs then read Brush Miranda2 warnings. When asked if he wanted to talk to police, Brush replied, "no". VRP (10/12/11) at 12. A short time later, Deputy Chief Heath Layman of the Cosmopolis Police Department arrived on the scene and took control of Brush from the other officers. At 4:48 p.m. Layman re-read Brush his Miranda rights from a preprinted form which included "Yes" and "No" check boxes for officers to indicate whether a suspect wished to answer questions. When Layman asked Brush if he wished to talk Brush replied that he would talk to police once he was removed from the crime scene. Layman checked the box labeled "No." VRP (10/12/11) at 54. Layman did not ask Brush, who was handcuffed, to sign the form in the space provided. After about forty-five minutes, Brush was transported to the Pacific County Sheriff's Office, where he was interviewed by Layman and Ron Clark, the Pacific County Undersheriff. The officers recorded the interview, which commenced at 5:52 p.m. Exhibit H (5:52 p.m.).3 The beginning of the recording contains Brush's acknowledgment that he was previously advised of his constitutional rights, however the recording includes no admonishment of Miranda warnings or that the interview was being recorded.
[*7]No. 71067-2-1/8
We subject constitutional errors, including Miranda violations, to harmless error analysis. State v. Boggs, 16 Wn. App. 682, 689-90, 559 P.2d 11 (1977). To establish harmless error on appeal, the beneficiary of a constitutional error must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the error complained of did not contribute to the verdict obtained. ]d. (citing Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 828, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967)). Courts applying this standard have held harmless the admission of statements obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights where there is overwhelming independent evidence of guilt, |d (citing Harrington v. California, 395 U.S. 250, 251, 89 S.Ct. 1726, 23 LEd.2d 284 (1969): see also State v. Nist. 77 Wn.2d 227, 234-35, 461 P.2d 322 (1969)).
Even assuming that Brush's statements to police were obtained in violation of his Fifth Amendment rights, any error in admitting the statements was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. The record discloses that at least five eyewitnesses identified Brush as the individual they watched shoot and kill Bonney. The jury also heard the recording of Brush's jailhouse telephone call to his ex-wife, in which he confessed to the murder three times. In addition, Brush conceded at trial that he killed Bonney, arguing only that he could not have premeditated the act or formed the intent to kill her because of a mental disease or disorder. Based on these factors, we conclude any error in admitting the challenged statements was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
[*8]No. 71067-2-1/9
II.
Brush next contends that the two recordings of his statements at the police station were obtained in violation of the RCW 9.73.090 (the Privacy Act) and that trial counsel's failure to object on this basis constituted ineffective assistance of counsel under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).10
The admission of evidence obtained in violation of the Privacy Act is not constitutional error and may be held harmless unless, within reasonable probabilities, had the error not occurred, the outcome of the trial would have been materially affected. State v. Howard, 127 Wn. App. 862, 871, 113 P.3d 511 (2005); State v. Cunningham, 93 Wn.2d 823, 831, 613 P.2d 1139 (1980). The parties dispute whether Brush may raise error based on a Privacy Act violation for the first time on appeal. We need not resolve the issue, because even assuming the issue is properly before us and that the recordings were erroneously admitted in violation of the Privacy Act, the error was harmless, given the overwhelming, independent evidence of Brush's guilt. For this same reason, Brush's ineffective assistance of counsel claim fails since he cannot establish, as required by Strickland, that he was prejudiced by trial counsel's failure to object to the evidence.
[*10]No. 71067-2-1/11
him the opportunity entirely. The juror also forthrightly stated that missing the trip would not impact his ability to concentrate fully on the trial. The court then found that continued service on the jury "would be an undue financial hardship on this gentleman." (VRP (11/28/11) at 21-23.
Brush argues that the trial court abused its discretion because regardless of the hardship, the juror indicated he could still perform his duties as a juror. But where such service would cause the juror undue hardship, RCW 2.36.100(1) expressly permits the judge to dismiss the juror. The trial court's finding that missing the business trip would cause Juror 1 undue hardship is supported by the record. There was no abuse of discretion.[11]
IV. Lastly, Brush claims that the trial court erred in imposing an exceptional sentence. On review of an exceptional sentence an appellate court must (1) make a factual inquiry to determine whether the record supports the jury's special verdict on the aggravating circumstance under a clearly erroneous standard; (2) conduct a de novo review to determine whether the trial court's reasons for imposing an exceptional sentence are substantial and compelling; and (3) make a determination as to whether the trial court abused its discretion by imposing a sentence that is clearly excessive or clearly too lenient under the abuse of No. 71067-2-1/12 discretion standard. State v. Fowler, 145 Wn.2d 400, 405-06, 38 P.3d 335 (2002).
[*11]Under RCW 9.94A.535(3), a trial court has substantial and compelling reasons to impose an exceptional sentence if a jury finds any of several enumerated aggravating factors. Thus, in this case, the second prong of our analysis is satisfied because the trial court expressly based the exceptional sentence on the jury's special verdicts finding four statutory aggravating factors: deliberate cruelty under subsection (3)(a); excessive injury to the victim under subsection (3)(y); and two factors related to domestic violence under subsection (3)(h)(i) and (iii). Thus, our inquiry is limited to whether the record supports the special verdicts and, if so, whether the sentence imposed was clearly excessive.
Under subsection (3)(a), a jury may find an aggravating factor if:
(a) The defendant's conduct during the commission of the current offense manifested deliberate cruelty to the victim.
"Deliberate cruelty" requires a showing "of gratuitous violence or other conduct that inflicts physical, psychological, or emotional pain as an end in itself.... [T]he cruelty must go beyond that normally associated with the commission of the charged offense or inherent in the elements of the offense. . . ." State v. Tili, 148 Wn.2d 350, 369, 60 P.3d 1192 (2003) (citation omitted).
Here, the record indicates that the shooting of Bonney happened very rapidly; the entire incident was over in seconds and the actual shots occurred in rapid succession. Although the first nonlethal shot undoubtedly caused Bonney pain, there is no indication that Brush deliberately sought to inflict pain as an end No. 71067-2-1/13
[*12]in itself or to prolong Bonney's suffering in any way. Indeed, the evidence is to the contrary; all of the eyewitnesses suggested that he fired the second lethal shot almost immediately after the first. Given this evidence, we conclude that the jury's special verdict finding "deliberate cruelty" is unsupported by the record and clearly erroneous.
The jury also returned special verdicts finding Brush's crime was an "aggravated domestic violence offense" under RCW 9.94A.535(3)(h)(i) and (iii). CP at 232. Subsection (3)(h)(i) authorizes the jury to find an aggravating factor if:
(i) The offense was part of an ongoing pattern of psychological, physical, or sexual abuse of the victim manifested by multiple incidents over a prolonged period of time;...
Brush argues that the jury's special verdict on subsection (3)(h)(i) should be vacated because the trial court's instruction on that aggravating factor—Jury Instruction 26—was an improper comment on the evidence. Specifically, he challenges that portion of the instruction emphasized below:
An 'ongoing pattern of abuse' means multiple incidents of abuse over a prolonged period of time. The term 'prolonged period of time' means more than a few weeks. Supp. CP at 229; see also, 11A Washington Practice: Washington Pattern Jury Instructions: Criminal 300.17, at 720 (3d ed. 2008).
The Washington State Constitution, article IV, section 16, provides "fj]udges shall not charge juries with respect to matter of fact, nor comment thereon, but shall declare the law." A judge impermissibly comments on the evidence when he conveys a personal attitude toward the merits of the case. State v. Ratliff, 121 Wn. App. 642, 646, 90 P.3d 79 (2004). An instruction No. 71067-2-1/14
[*13]improperly comments on the evidence if the instruction resolves a disputed issue of fact that should have been left to the jury. State v. Eaker, 113 Wn. App. 111, 118, 53 P.3d 37 (2002). When a judge comments on the evidence in a jury instruction, we presume prejudice and the burden is on the State to show that the defendant was not prejudiced unless the record affirmatively show that no prejudice could have resulted. State v. Jackman, 156 Wn.2d 736, 743, 132 P.3d 136(2006).
In State v. Becker, 132 Wn.2d 54, 64-65, 935 P.2d 13231 (1997), the conviction was reversed because the language in a special verdict form resolved a factual dispute about whether a youth program was a school. The court concluded "[b]y effectively removing a disputed issue of fact from the jury's consideration, the special verdict form relieved the State of its burden to prove all the elements of the sentence enhancement statute."
Here, the jury instruction informed the jury, as a matter of law, that more than a few weeks was a prolonged period of time. Since there was evidence presented during the trial that the alleged domestic violence lasted for more than a few weeks, the instruction resolved any factual dispute whether the domestic violence was over a prolonged period of time. Thus, the instruction relieved the State of proving this element of the aggravating factor.
The State, relying on State v. Barnett, 104 Wn. App. 191, 203, 16 P.3d 74 (2001), argues that Instruction 26 merely defined the term "prolonged period of time" and that the definition of a term is a question of law on which the jury may be properly instructed. But because Barnettwas decided before Blakelv v.
[*14]No. 71067-2-1/15
Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 LEd.2d.403 (2004), the issue of whether the abuse was over a prolonged period of time was a matter for the court to decide, and not the jury. Since Blakelv, "responsibility for these determinations [has moved] to the jury as a matter of constitutional right." State v. Epefanio, 156 Wn. App. 378, 392, 234 P.3d 253 (2010). As such, whether a period of time is prolonged is an issue of fact for the jury to determine. And because Instruction 26 resolved that question for them it was a comment on the evidence and thus, error. In addition, we presume that Brush is prejudiced by this error. The State makes no argument that he was not and we are unable to affirmatively state based on the record that none occurred. Accordingly, this ground for the exceptional sentence cannot be sustained.[12] Brush also challenges the jury's special verdict finding the domestic violence aggravating factor based on subsection (3)(h)(iii), which provides for such a finding if:
(h) The current offense involved domestic violence, as defined in RCW 10.99.020, and (iii) The offender's conduct during the commission of the current offense manifested deliberate cruelty or intimidation of the victim. This factor must be supported by evidence that the offender's conduct during the commission of the current offense manifested "deliberate cruelty" or "intimidation of the victim."
[*15]No. 71067-2-1/16
As previously discussed, the record in this case is insufficient to establish "deliberate cruelty." And, although the jury was properly instructed on the "intimidation of the victim" prong, the special verdict form omitted this language and substituted the "excessive bodily harm" language set forth under subsection (3)(y), discussed infra. CP at 199, 206. Under the plain language of the statute, the jury's special verdict finding an "aggravated domestic violence" offense cannot be sustained on this ground.
Subsection (3)(y) permits a jury to find an aggravating factor if:
(y) The victim's injuries substantially exceed the level of bodily harm necessary to satisfy the elements of the offense... Brush cites State v. Stubbs, 170 Wn.2d 117, 240 P. 3d 143 (2010), for the proposition that no injury can "substantially exceed" the level of bodily harm necessary to cause death. In Stubbs, our Supreme Court considered whether subsection (3)(y) was sustained by the evidence in a first degree assault case. id. The issue was whether any level of injury could "substantially exceed" "great bodily harm," as defined by the criminal code RCW 9A.36.011(1)(a)(c); 9A.04.110(4)(c)). The court explained that "'[g]reat bodily harm,' ... encompasses the most serious injuries short of death. No injury can exceed this level of harm, let alone substantially exceed it" for purposes of subsection (3)(y). \± at 128.
It stands to reason that, if no injury can substantially exceed "great bodily harm," which leaves the victim just short of death, then no injury can substantially exceed death. We conclude, therefore, that Stubbs precludes a finding of the subsection (3)(y) aggravating factor where, as here, the victim's death is an No. 71067-2-1/17 element of the underlying crime. The jury's finding of the subsection (3)(y) aggravating factor was error.
[*16]The judgment of guilty is affirmed but because none of the jury's findings regarding the aggravating factors can be sustained on the record before us, the exceptional sentence in this case must be reversed. We remand for resentencing with instructions that the trial court may, if requested, impanel a jury to consider evidence of a prolonged pattern of abuse under RCW 9.94A.535(3)(h)(i). See RCW 9.94A.537(2); State v. Powell, 167 Wn.2d 672, 679-80, 223 P.3d 493 (2009), overruled on other grounds.[13]
We remand.
^<!^.rrf ,, (..>J< WE CONCUR:
[*17]