acts admissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 608(b) generally include “forgery, uttering forged instruments, bribery, suppression of evidence, false pretenses, cheating, [and] embezzlement”
How later courts described this case
- acts admissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 608(b) generally include “forgery, uttering forged instruments, bribery, suppression of evidence, false pretenses, cheating, [and] embezzlement”
- prosecutor should not have argued in closing the danger presented by the American Indian Movement “which the jurors ha[d] no right to consider”
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
FILED
JUNE 8, 2021
In the Office of the Clerk of Court
WA State Court of Appeals, Division III
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
DIVISION THREE
STATE OF WASHINGTON, )
) No. 37019-4-III
Respondent, )
)
v. )
)
JOSEPH MARIO ZAMORA, ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION
)
Appellant. )
SIDDOWAY, J. — After a 911 caller’s dog barked at a person walking down the
private road in front of her home, she reported that the person appeared to be looking into
cars. Joseph Zamora turned out to be walking to the home of his niece. He proved to be
high on drugs, however, and the State concedes that after police responded to the 911
call, a confrontation with Mr. Zamora “escalated far beyond what should have happened
when a lone officer confronted a suspicious trespasser on a cold, icy winter night.” Br. of
Resp’t at 32. Mr. Zamora’s near death while resisting arrest resulted in an internal police
investigation and prompts him to make some novel arguments on appeal.
We affirm the convictions but remand for resentencing.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
On Super Bowl Sunday, February 5, 2017, Joseph Zamora, who was homeless at
the time, spent time at the home of his brother, James Murphy. That evening, he decided
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
to walk to where his niece, Alyssa Murphy lived, a few blocks away. Mr. Zamora later
admitted to smoking methamphetamine two or three days earlier, but he could not recall
if he smoked any meth that day.
At around 9:30 p.m. that evening, then-Moses Lake Police Officer Kevin Hake1
was on patrol when he received a report of a suspicious person carrying a suitcase and
looking into vehicles on Space Street. The complaint had been phoned in by Brandi
Moncada, who lived on Space Street and reported that an individual wearing “darkish
clothes” and carrying some sort of bag was lurking around cars parked on the street.
Report of Proceedings (RP) at 288. Because of the lack of street lighting, Ms. Moncada
could not tell if the individual was male or female.
It had been snowing and road conditions were bad, but Officer Hake was only a
quarter mile away, so he was able to respond quickly. When he arrived at Space Street
he immediately saw what turned out to be Joseph Zamora, carrying some kind of case,
walking down the road. Officer Hake and Mr. Zamora were traveling in the same
direction, so the officer drove beyond him, pulled over, and got out of his patrol car. He
signaled with his hand at Mr. Zamora, who was then about 20 feet away, and told Mr.
Zamora he needed to speak with him. Mr. Zamora continued to walk toward Officer
Hake and stopped when he reached him.
1
Hake was no longer a police officer at the time of trial and was addressed at trial
as “Mr. Hake.” We refer to him as Officer Hake in recounting the events of February 5,
2017, but as Mr. Hake in recounting events at trial and thereafter.
2
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Officer Hake did not have a body camera and his patrol car dash camera did not
work. He would later testify that he proceeded to ask Mr. Zamora where he was going,
where he was coming from, what his name was, and for identification, but Mr. Zamora
would not answer. Instead, Mr. Zamora leaned in to read Officer Hake’s name tag, stood
back up straight, and stared at him. Officer Hake became nervous, sensing that
something was not right. He claims Mr. Zamora had no expression in his eyes, which he
described as “the size of silver dollars.” RP at 321. Mr. Zamora appeared to be “looking
through” Officer Hake. Id. Officer Hake noticed that Mr. Zamora’s left hand was
partially in his left pocket and that some of his fingers were holding a boot by pinching it
against his body. He appeared to be “fiddling with something” with the fingers in his
pocket, and Officer Hake thought he might have drugs he was trying to discard. RP at
322.
When Mr. Zamora stepped to his right as if to go around Officer Hake, the officer
stuck out his arm and told Mr. Zamora he was not free to leave. He got on his radio and
said, “I’ve got one resisting.” RP at 323. Mr. Hake explained at trial that there had been
a storm, the roads were icy, and he “wanted to get people coming to my location, because
I knew it was going to take some time.” RP at 324. Even though Mr. Zamora had done
nothing threatening, Officer Hake was scared and felt “something was going to happen.”
RP at 324.
3
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
After Officer Hake told Mr. Zamora that deputies needed to speak to him because
they had a report of someone looking through vehicle windows, Mr. Zamora turned, the
boot fell from his grip, and the officer saw movement in Mr. Zamora’s left arm. Officer
Hake responded by grabbing at Mr. Zamora, hooking Mr. Zamora’s arms at the elbows,
and trying, unsuccessfully, to use his own leg to sweep Mr. Zamora’s legs out from under
him. Officer Hake describes that as being the moment “when the struggle started.” RP at
326.
Blow by blow details of what turned out to be a lengthy struggle between Mr.
Zamora, Officer Hake, and other officers are immaterial to the issues that Mr. Zamora
raises on appeal. Suffice it to say the struggle was intense and unrelenting. Officer
Hake, although taller and heavier than Mr. Zamora, realized that Mr. Zamora was
stronger. Before other officers arrived, Officer Hake and Mr. Zamora exchanged dozens
of blows and the officer eventually drew his handgun and placed it against Mr. Zamora’s
ear, temple, and in his mouth; over the radio, Officer Timothy Welsh heard Officer Hake
say, “Put your hands behind your back, I’ll fucking kill you.” RP at 644. Officer Hake
was prepared to shoot Mr. Zamora until he heard sirens, assuring him that help was
coming.
The arrival of Officer Welsh was not enough to cause Mr. Zamora to quit
resisting, and even two against one, the officers were unable to handcuff him. Officer
Welsh tried to control Mr. Zamora’s left arm, having observed that Officer Hake was
4
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
controlling Mr. Zamora’s right side, but Mr. Zamora was able to “out-muscl[e]” him. RP
at 628. It was only after four more officers arrived that they were able to handcuff Mr.
Zamora. He continued kicking and flailing, so they used rope to hobble him; in the
process of the officers trying hobble his legs, Mr. Zamora managed to kick Officer Welsh
squarely in the chest. Officers then tied Mr. Zamora’s hobbled feet to his handcuffs.
In the course of restraining Mr. Zamora, the officers collectively struck him
repeatedly, pepper sprayed him in the face twice, and officers Welsh and Omar Ramirez
used their stun guns to drive stun2 him with five second bursts: Officer Ramirez drive
stunned Mr. Zamora’s upper body twice, while Officer Welsh drive stunned his lower
body once. The officers contended the force was necessary, given Mr. Zamora’s
unremitting physical resistance and unnatural stamina and strength.
After Mr. Zamora was successfully restrained, he was moaning, and the officers
summoned medical aid.
Responding emergency medical technicians (EMTs) determined on arriving that
Mr. Zamora was not breathing and had no pulse. They immediately started CPR,3
administered oxygen, gave him epinephrine, and administered two defibrillations. Once
2
Officer Ramirez testified at trial that to perform a drive stun, probes are removed
from the stun gun, it is placed in contact with the target’s body, and when fired, it
delivers a painful electrical arc. Officers Ramirez and Welsh testified that ordinarily a
drive stun results in the target’s immediate compliance. In Mr. Zamora’s case, it
appeared to have no effect.
3
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
5
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
his heart started again, they transported him to the emergency room of Samaritan
Hospital in Moses Lake, from which he was transferred to Sacred Heart Hospital in
Spokane.
Before the transfer, Mr. Zamora was treated at Samaritan Hospital by Dr. Joshua
Frank. Dr. Frank was told that Mr. Zamora had been very aggressive, erratic and
exceedingly strong when resisting arrest. The doctor later testified that the most common
cause of such behaviors would be that the individual was under the influence of a
substance, usually a stimulant. A urine sample revealed that Mr. Zamora had
methamphetamine, amphetamine, and THC4 in his system. Mr. Zamora’s sister visited
him at Sacred Heart Hospital shortly after he was admitted and four weeks later, while he
was still in the intensive care unit. Photographs she took of him were later admitted at
trial.
When police searched Mr. Zamora’s left jacket pocket following his arrest, they
found a blue handled folding knife with the blade locked open.
It turned out that the house to which Mr. Zamora was walking was the home of the
parents of his niece Alyssa’s boyfriend, Crawford, who is the father of her child.
Crawford’s parents, the Torreses, live on Space Street. Alyssa had lived in their home for
two years. Mr. Zamora’s struggle with police took place in the Torreses’ front yard.
4
Tetrahydrocannabinol.
6
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Crawford’s father, Javier Torres, even watched the struggle from his living room
window, not knowing that Alyssa’s uncle was involved.
The investigation uncovered no evidence that anyone’s car was broken into that
night or that any property was stolen. It turned out that the “suitcase” Mr. Zamora was
carrying was the case for a DJ Hero music video game. RP at 744.
Internal investigation and pretrial motions in limine
The State did not immediately charge Mr. Zamora. The lawyer appointed to
represent him learned from interviewing the six Moses Lake police officers who
responded to the incident that none had prepared a police report. An internal
investigation had been commenced by the Moses Lake Police Department, apparently
almost immediately. Responding officers were told by some unidentified person at a
“higher level” that rather than prepare a report, they would be submitting to an interview.
RP at 234. The officers’ interviews were transcribed and produced to defense counsel,
who discovered that they all included language, consistent with Garrity v. New Jersey,
385 U.S. 493, 499-500, 87 S. Ct. 616, 17 L. Ed. 2d 562 (1967), that the officers’
statements could not be used against them in a criminal prosecution.5 The internal
investigation apparently found no wrongdoing by the officers.
5
The statements are not included in the record on appeal, nor was the language
that defense counsel contended made the statements “Garrity statements” read into the
record. This is the implication of counsel’s argument, however.
7
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
The separate investigation into whether Mr. Zamora should be charged was
referred to Sergeant Matt Andersen of the Washington State Patrol, who spoke to Officer
Hake briefly on the night of the incident. Defense counsel learned from officer
interviews that none of them agreed to be interviewed by Sergeant Andersen; the sergeant
relied instead on their Garrity statements. Sergeant Andersen did speak with other
witnesses, including Mr. Zamora, and wrote a report in September 2017 that
recommended that charges of assault in the third degree and disarming a law enforcement
officer be filed against Mr. Zamora. In May 2018, Mr. Zamora was charged with two
counts of third degree assault for his alleged assaults of Officer Hake and Officer Welsh.
Among pretrial motions in limine filed by the State was a motion to exclude
evidence of a prior confrontation involving Mr. Hake. The State argued that while Mr.
Zamora claimed self-defense, he could offer evidence of Mr. Hake’s prior confrontation
to prove reasonable apprehension only if he was aware of it on February 5, 2017.
Defense counsel did not oppose the motion. He told the court he was aware that
Mr. Hake had been charged with “an assault four and a disorderly conduct by way of
fighting words” that was subject to a stipulated order of continuance. RP at 12. He
agreed with the State that “[f]or purposes of self-defense, it might be relevant if the
defendant had known about that prior to this incident. But that is not my understanding,
your Honor.” RP at 12. The court granted the motion.
8
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
The State also asked the trial court to exclude any reference to the fact that the
Moses Lake Police Department conducted an internal investigation. Its motion stated it
had no objection to the use of statements made during the investigation in accordance
with the rules of evidence, but asked the court to order that the statements be referred to
as “statements recorded about the incident” or other similar language. Clerk’s Papers
(CP) at 164.
Defense counsel vigorously objected to any requirement that the officers’
statements be referred to in a manner suggesting they were typical officer statements. He
argued that he should be able to ask the officers
if they made a Garrity statement as part of an investigation,
whether they knew what a Garrity statement was,
what their understanding was of the reason for making a Garrity statement,
who told them to make a Garrity statement, and
whether the officers made themselves available to interview by Sergeant Andersen
for purposes of his investigation of the case against Mr. Zamora.
RP 401-02, 419-20. Defense counsel explained that “the use of an immunized statement
that . . . can’t be used to prosecute them is something that I would like the jury to know
about.” RP at 420.
The trial court heard extensive argument of the motion and ultimately granted it,
explaining that asking the officers about whether their statement was a Garrity statement
and the purpose of such a statement called for legal conclusions. It found that other
9
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
questions were not relevant and would cause jurors to speculate as to their relevance. Its
final concern was that the questions would introduce and waste time on a collateral issue.
Voir dire
The trial court allowed each side an hour for voir dire. The first topic the
prosecutor offered for discussion was border security:
[PROSECUTOR:] So first of all, let’s just take a general topic that seems to
be in the media every day, and I’ll ask you a general question, and that is
some people say today in our society we have—we don’t have enough
border security. Some people say we have too much or we don’t need that.
So the question is which one do you feel like you’re closer to? So I’m
probably going to call on some people and just hear what you have to say
about that.
RP at 71-72.
When one juror said she believed there are a lot of great people who come and
look for a better opportunity, that she believes in an opportunity for a lot of great people
to come into our country, and that a rock wall is ridiculous, the prosecutor said to her:
Sorry for this, and I don’t mean to get off on a jag, could you make room
for the possibility that someone who—a loved one or family member of
somebody who was either killed or had problems with somebody that’s
been previously deported or criminally is wrongly in the country, that that
happens to them, and that they feel like we need more border security, can
you make room for that?
RP at 75.
When a juror responded she locked her door to protect herself, but did not believe
in a border wall, the prosecutor said to her:
10
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Can you make room for the idea that when they hear that 100,000 people
come across illegally a month, and of those we’ve got people from
countries that—countries on our list that aren’t even allowed in the country
are part of that group?
....
. . . That they feel that we’ve got a big problem and a porous border,
meaning people are just coming across and we don’t know who is here, that
a lot of people have some fear about that. Can you make room for that?
RP at 76-77. The prosecutor then moved on to whether jurors locked their doors at night,
whether they had been robbed before, and trespassing. Its few mentions of immigration
or the border thereafter were in the context of asking jurors whether they had views on
any of the topics covered in its hour-long voir dire.
The next morning, outside the presence of the jury, the trial court asked defense
counsel if he had a strategic reason for not objecting to the State’s voir dire questioning
about border security and illegal immigrants. The court explained that it reviewed ER
413 and case law after the prior day’s proceedings and had a concern that defense
counsel’s failure to object might be raised as an issue on appeal. Defense counsel
answered that he contemplated objecting. He also observed that Mr. Zamora is not an
immigrant. He explained, however, “I’m not sure that that benefited the state. That
might have been to their detriment. Which is why I didn’t object. I’m not sure that the
jury will take those comments as beneficial to the state.” RP at 221. Defense counsel
11
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
added that the State’s questioning was “discussed back at the office,”6 he planned to
address it in closing argument, and “I think that it might provide an advantage to me in
closing argument.” RP at 221, 224.
After the trial court explained that it wanted to get defense counsel’s thought
process on the record in the event of appeal, it asked the prosecutor if there was anything
he wanted to say. He responded:
Well, I’d just say very briefly, your Honor, I guess I’m somewhat surprised
by that. I didn’t bring up the specific points that you talked about. I think
the general question was I said some people—if the court recalls, some
people, because this is a hot topic right now, some people feel that we need
more border security, some people feel we don’t. I wasn’t suggesting
anything about the defendant. I’m just curious about that.
Because one of the situations we have is about security. In other
words, the reason for the question is, from my end, was that, you know,
following up with did they lock their doors, that kind of thing, because we
have a situation, a vehicle prowl, that precipitated this whole event. And so
I wanted to get their idea about how they—just generally how they felt
about that.
They brought up to me some points, I think, in response to things
that the jurors were saying back to me in response to my general question,
then I said a couple of things specifically. But I in no way intimated or was
suggesting to the jury that the defendant is not a citizen of the country or is
here illegally. That was not my intent at all. I was just simply responding
to the questions I think they were asking me or our colloquy between us.
RP at 224-25. The prosecutor assured the court that the State would not intimate or
suggest that Mr. Zamora was an illegal immigrant or not a citizen.
6
There had been a lunch break between the State’s first and second rounds of voir
dire.
12
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Shortly thereafter, defense counsel told the court that, with permission, it would
raise his client’s legal status in opening statement. The court said he could raise it in a
nonargumentative way. During his opening statement, defense counsel said to the jury:
[DEFENSE COUNSEL:] One of the things that I wanted to address
right off the bat was yesterday in voir dire you were asked some questions,
specifically about a border wall, cross border crime, immigrants coming in
and committing crime, and I had a concern that that might put in your
minds that there’s an issue of immigration in this case. There is not. I
don’t want you to waste any more time thinking about that or wondering
when you’re going to hear evidence of that. My client is a U.S. citizen and
so that is not at issue in this trial.
RP at 265.
Trial
At trial, the State called as witnesses Ms. Moncada (the 911 caller), Mr. Hake,
Officer Welsh, three other responding officers, Dr. Frank, and Sergeant Andersen. The
defense called as witnesses Mr. Zamora’s sister, the EMTs who responded to the officers’
call for medical assistance, and Javier Torres. Ms. Moncada, the law enforcement
witnesses, and the medical professionals testified consistent with the facts set forth above.
Mr. Torres testified that he watched the struggle associated with Mr. Zamora’s
arrest from a window, but did not know it was Mr. Zamora who was being restrained.
When asked what he saw, Mr. Torres testified he saw an officer “got the person, put their
hands on the back and then threw to the floor.” RP at 825-26. He did not see fighting
between Mr. Zamora and Officer Welsh. When more officers showed up, Mr. Torres
13
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
testified officers were kicking, punching, and elbowing a man on the ground. Mr. Torres
did not see the man on the ground fight back, but did see the officers tie Mr. Zamora up
with rope.
When cross-examined, Mr. Torres affirmed that he never went outside to see if he
could help. The prosecutor then asked, “That’s not a common occurrence for you, is it, to
have an officer and an individual involved in some kind of fight or something on the
ground in front of your home?” RP at 834. Mr. Torres answered, “Oh, if it’s a cop, I
don’t have nothing to do and nothing to say.” RP at 834.
During closing, the State argued:
There was a witness that came in for defense, Javier Torres, that said
that officers were kicking at him, that the defendant was just on the ground,
that he’d think he said his hands were behind his back, just being very
compliant, that officers were just, you know, they’re all just kicking at him.
That’s not what the evidence supports.
And if you think about—if you remember what Javier Torres said,
the exact quote, when talking about police, Javier stated, “If it’s a cop, I
don’t have nothing to do and nothing to say.” This is a guy who doesn’t
like the police. He—you know, when Officer Hake is out there struggling
with the guy, he just stays inside, closes his door, doesn’t offer any help.
Then obviously, you know, for someone to come into court and say that on
the stand, “I don’t want nothing to do with police, I got nothing to say to
them,” he doesn’t like law enforcement.
RP at 902-03. Defense counsel did not object.
The jury deliberated for almost two full days before returning its verdict. During
its deliberations, it asked for definitions for “excessive force” and “necessary force.”
14
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
CP at 243. “Excessive force” was a term used in their instructions.7 “Necessary force”
was the term the State had used in closing to describe the force it argued was justifiably
used against Mr. Zamora. The trial court expressed a concern that it was too late to
provide a definition, because the parties would have no opportunity to argue its
application. Counsel for the parties agreed no definition should be given. The trial court
responded by telling the jury it had received all of the court’s instructions.
On the afternoon of the third day of deliberations, Mr. Zamora was found guilty as
charged. He was sentenced based on an agreed offender score of 7. He appeals.
ANALYSIS
Mr. Zamora makes seven assignments of error in his opening brief. We granted
permission for him to file a supplemental brief to address an issue raised by the
Washington Supreme Court’s recent decision in State v. Blake, 197 Wn.2d 170, 481 P.3d
7
Jury instruction 11 said:
It is a defense to a charge of assault in the third degree that force
used was lawful as defined in this instruction.
A person may use force to resist an arrest or detention only if the
person being arrested or detained is in actual and imminent danger of
serious injury from an officer’s use of excessive force. The person may
employ such force and means as a reasonably prudent person would use
under the same or similar circumstances.
The State has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that
the force used by the defendant was not lawful. If you find that the State
has not proved the absence of this defense beyond a reasonable doubt, it
will be your duty to return a verdict of not guilty as to count one, count two,
or both.
CP at 217, 237 (emphasis added).
15
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
521 (2021). He contends (1) he received ineffective assistance of counsel in light of three
prejudicial errors of his trial lawyer, (2) the trial court erred in ruling he could not cross-
examine officers with his proposed Garrity questions, (3) the State’s evidence negating
self-defense was insufficient, (4) the prosecutor committed misconduct during voir dire
and closing argument, and (5) his offender score was miscalculated in two respects: by
failing to recognize that two of his prior convictions had washed out, and because he has
two convictions for unlawful possession of a controlled substance that must be vacated in
light of Blake. We review the challenges in the order stated.
I. INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL IS NOT SHOWN
Mr. Zamora contends he received ineffective assistance of counsel in light of three
prejudicial errors: his trial lawyer (1) failed to move to suppress evidence of his
assaultive behavior, (2) failed to object to the exclusion of Mr. Hake’s prior conduct
charged as fourth degree assault and disorderly conduct, and (3) failed to request a jury
instruction defining excessive force.8
To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must
demonstrate that defense counsel’s representation was deficient, i.e., it fell below an
objective standard of reasonableness, and counsel’s deficient representation prejudiced
8
Mr. Zamora also makes a passing reference to his trial lawyer being ineffective
for failing to object to the prosecutor’s statements during voir dire and closing argument.
He does not provide argument in support of this alleged ineffective assistance, however,
so the passing reference will not be addressed. See RAP 10.3(a)(6).
16
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
the defendant, i.e., there is a reasonable probability that, except for counsel’s
unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. State v.
McFarland, 127 Wn.2d 322, 334-35, 899 P.2d 1251 (1995). If a defendant fails to
establish one prong, we need not consider the other. State v. Hendrickson, 129 Wn.2d
61, 78, 917 P.2d 563 (1996).
In order for the court to find deficient performance, the defendant must establish
“‘that counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as the “counsel”
guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth Amendment [to the United States Constitution].’”
State v. Grier, 171 Wn.2d 17, 32-33, 246 P.3d 1260 (2011) (quoting State v. Thomas, 109
Wn.2d 222, 225, 743 P.2d 816 (1987)). “The threshold for the deficient performance
prong is high” and there is “‘a strong presumption that counsel’s performance was
reasonable.’” Id. at 33 (quoting State v. Kyllo, 166 Wn.2d 856, 862, 215 P.3d 177
(2009)). “When counsel’s conduct can be characterized as legitimate trial strategy or
tactics, performance is not deficient.” Kyllo, 166 Wn.2d at 863.
Failure to move to suppress evidence of assaultive behavior
Mr. Zamora first contends that his trial lawyer should have moved to suppress
evidence of his assaultive conduct on grounds that when Officer Hake held out his arm
and told Mr. Zamora he was not free to leave, it was a seizure unsupported by a
reasonable suspicion that Mr. Zamora was, or was about to be, engaged in a crime. The
17
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
State argues in response that even if the seizure was unlawful, exclusion of evidence of
Mr. Zamora’s alleged assault was not an available remedy.
Mr. Zamora replies that exclusion of evidence was an available remedy, relying on
State v. Cormier, 100 Wn. App. 457, 462-63, 997 P.2d 950 (2000). Br. of Appellant at
32.9 But Cormier does not hold that if an individual is unlawfully searched or seized then
evidence of his responsive assault is inadmissible. It states the opposite. It cites State v.
Mierz, 127 Wn.2d 460, 901 P.2d 286 (1995), for the proposition that evidence of a
defendant’s assaultive behavior is properly admitted regardless of any alleged Fourth
Amendment violation. Id. at 473. Other case law is in accord. “When an individual
assaults a police officer whose intrusion allegedly violates Fourth Amendment
protections, evidence of the assault is outside the scope of the exclusionary rule.” State v.
McKinlay, 87 Wn. App. 394, 398, 942 P.2d 999 (1997) (citing Mierz, 127 Wn.2d at 471-
75). “A contrary rule would allow one who was subject to an illegal search [or seizure]
to respond with unlimited force and be immunized from prosecution.” Id. (citing State v.
Aydelotte, 35 Wn. App. 125, 132, 665 P.2d 443 (1983)).
9
Mr. Zamora also cites State v. Valentine, 132 Wn.2d 1, 21, 935 P.2d 1294
(1997), State v. Westlund, 13 Wn. App. 460, 467, 536 P.2d 20 (1975), and State v.
Bradley, 141 Wn.2d 731, 10 P.3d 358 (2000), for support. None of those decisions deals
with suppression motions or exclusion of evidence of assaultive behavior. All are
prosecutions for assault of a police or corrections officer in which self-defense was
asserted as a defense, but they address other issues. Clearly, since the jury in each of
those cases was hearing prosecution of the assault, defense counsel either never moved to
suppress evidence of the assault or, if it did, it lost the motion and did not challenge
denial of the motion on appeal.
18
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
A motion to suppress evidence of Mr. Zamora’s assaultive conduct was legally
insupportable even if the seizure was unlawful. Deficient representation is not shown.
Mr. Hake’s prior assault and disorderly conduct charges
Mr. Zamora next contends his trial lawyer was ineffective because he failed to
oppose the State’s request that the court exclude evidence of the assault and disorderly
conduct charges against Mr. Hake that were the subject of a stipulated continuance for
dismissal. He argues the State presented evidence of Mr. Hake’s work experience and
training that it later relied on in arguing that the officer was able to exercise “amazing
restraint” when his contact with Mr. Zamora resulted in a violent struggle. RP at 890.
Likening this evidence and argument to that involved in State v. York, 28 Wn. App. 33,
621 P.2d 784 (1980), Mr. Zamora argues that his lawyer could and should have
impeached Mr. Hake with his prior violent conduct.
York involved ER 608(b), and the ability to cross-examine a witness about specific
instances of conduct that are probative of truthfulness or untruthfulness. In York, the
State’s prosecution of two counts of delivery of a controlled substance relied on the
testimony of an undercover investigator—its only witness to the sales—who had been
paid $20 per successful drug buy. Id. at 34-35. On direct examination, the private
investigator testified to his long work history including his background as a military
policeman investigating drug usage and his previous work for the police department as an
undercover agent. Id. at 34. The defense sought to cross-examine him about being fired
19
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
from a trainee position with a Montana sheriff’s department. Id. at 35. It sought to
establish that he was unemployed and not above fabricating or otherwise adjusting his
testimony about drug buys in order to obtain money. Id. The State moved to exclude
evidence of the investigator’s adverse work history and the court granted the motion,
finding it was a collateral matter. Id. at 34. In closing argument, the prosecutor told
jurors there was “no reason at all to doubt” the investigator’s testimony. Id. at 35.
York had called a number of alibi witnesses who testified that he was not present
at the location where the alleged drug buy occurred, so this court observed that the
undercover investigator’s credibility “was not, therefore, collateral; it was the very
essence of the defense.” Id. at 36. That being the case, “as a matter of fundamental
fairness, the defense should have been allowed to bring out the only negative
characteristics of the one most important witness against York. . . . [W]e find this area of
impeachment to be of considerable importance to the defense and cannot in good
conscience condone the trial court’s action.” Id. at 37.
Mr. Zamora fails to articulate how the fact that Mr. Hake engaged in conduct
charged as fourth degree assault and disorderly conduct would be “probative of . . .
untruthfulness” and thereby a permissible area of questioning under ER 608(b). See
United States v. Page, 808 F.2d 723, 730 (10th Cir. 1987) (acts admissible under Federal
Rule of Evidence 608(b) generally include “forgery, uttering forged instruments, bribery,
suppression of evidence, false pretenses, cheating, [and] embezzlement”) (alteration in
20
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
original).10 Charges of fourth degree assault and disorderly conduct imply aggressive
conduct, not untruthful conduct. Evidence of Mr. Hake’s stipulation to fourth degree
assault and disorderly conduct was more likely to suggest a propensity for aggression in
order to show action in conformity therewith—a purpose for which the evidence would
be inadmissible under ER 404(b).
This court observed in York that it would not have reversed the conviction if the
undercover investigator’s prior employment troubles “had no substantial bearing upon the
witness’ credibility.” 28 Wn. App. at 37. Mr. Zamora does not demonstrate that his trial
lawyer could plausibly have argued that Mr. Hake’s acts of criminal aggression were a
permissible subject matter of questioning under ER 608(b) and York. Deficient
representation is not shown.
Jury instruction defining “excessive force”
Mr. Zamora next contends that his trial lawyer’s failure to request a jury
instruction defining “excessive force” was prejudicial and deficient representation. He
does not argue that his lawyer should have advocated for giving such an instruction
during jury deliberations. He contends, instead, that his trial lawyer should have made an
earlier, timely request for such an instruction.
10
“Where our evidence rules mirror their federal counterparts, we may look to
federal case law interpreting the federal rules as persuasive authority in interpreting our
own rules.” In re Det. of Pouncy, 168 Wn.2d 382, 392 n.9, 229 P.3d 678 (2010).
21
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State v. Zamora
For cases involving third degree assault of a police officer, there is no pattern
criminal instruction on excessive force that accompanies WPIC11 17.02.01, the self-
defense instruction that refers to excessive force. Mr. Zamora suggests that his trial
lawyer could have proposed the pattern instruction used in civil cases involving an
unreasonable force claim under the Fourth Amendment.12
11
11 WASHINGTON PRACTICE: WASHINGTON PATTERN JURY INSTRUCTIONS:
CRIMINAL (4th ed. 2016) (WPIC).
12
The instruction, which appears at 6A WASHINGTON PRACTICE: WASHINGTON
PATTERN JURY INSTRUCTIONS: CIVIL § 342.03 (7th ed. 2019) (WPI), states:
A seizure of a person is unreasonable under the Fourth Amendment
if [a police officer] [(name of other person acting under color of state law)]
uses excessive force [in making a lawful arrest] [and] [or] in defending
[himself] [herself] [others]]. Thus, in order to prove an unreasonable
seizure in this case, the plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the
evidence that the officer[s] used excessive force when (insert factual basis
of the claim).
Under the Fourth Amendment, a police officer may only use such
force as is objectively reasonable under all of the circumstances. In other
words, you must judge the reasonableness of a particular use of force from
the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene and not with the 20/20
vision of hindsight.
In determining whether (name of officer(s)) used excessive force in
this case consider all of the circumstances known to the officer[s] on the
scene [including but not limited to:
a) severity of the crime;
b) circumstances to which the officer was responding;
c) whether (name of plaintiff) reasonably appeared to pose an
immediate threat to [name of defendant] or others;
d) whether (name of plaintiff) actively resisted [arrest] [detention];
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No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
What is missing from this argument on appeal is why it was defective
representation not to request the civil instruction. Mr. Zamora implies that a definition
was necessary for him to argue his theory of the case, but that is not so. “‘Trial courts
must define technical words and expressions used in jury instructions, but need not define
words and expressions that are of ordinary understanding or self-explanatory.’” In re
Det. of Pouncy, 168 Wn.2d 382, 390, 229 P.3d 678 (2010) (quoting State v. Brown, 132
Wn.2d 529, 611-12, 940 P.2d 546 (1997)). Mr. Zamora does not identify any argument
that his trial lawyer was unable to make because the jury did not have a definition of
excessive force.
A tactical reason for not requesting an instruction on excessive force is that it
would deflect the jury’s attention from what trial counsel treated as the more defense-
friendly focus of the court’s instructions: whether the State proved beyond a reasonable
doubt that the force used by Mr. Zamora was not lawful. Defense counsel was able to
e) whether (name of plaintiff) attempted to evade [arrest]
[detention];
f) the amount of time available to (name of defendant) at the time
[he][she] made the decision to use force, and what type and
degree of force was necessary;
g) whether there was a change of circumstances during which (name
of defendant) had to make a decision about the type and amount
of force that appeared to be necessary;
h) whether alternative methods of using force for [arrest] [detention]
were available to (name of defendant) at that time; and
i) whether the officer issued a warning to the suspect if feasible].
23
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
argue that the physical struggle was started by Officer Hake. He was able to argue that
Mr. Zamora had no pepper spray, no stun gun, and no handgun to use against six officers.
He was able to argue that none of the officers’ hearts stopped and that none of them was
hospitalized, in intensive care, four weeks after the encounter.
Mr. Zamora’s argument on appeal boils down to the fact that the jury turned out to
want a definition of excessive force. But “‘[a] fair assessment of attorney performance
requires that every effort be made to eliminate the distorting effects of hindsight, to
reconstruct the circumstances of counsel’s challenged conduct, and to evaluate the
conduct from counsel’s perspective at the time.’” Grier, 171 Wn.2d at 34 (alteration in
original) (quoting Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 689, 104 S. Ct. 2052, 80 L.
Ed. 2d 674 (1984)). Here again, deficient representation is not shown.
II. THE TRIAL COURT DID NOT ABUSE ITS DISCRETION IN EXCLUDING EVIDENCE THAT
THE OFFICERS INVOLVED PROVIDED GARRITY STATEMENTS
Mr. Zamora contends the trial court abused its discretion and deprived him of his
right to present a defense when it excluded evidence that the responding officers who
testified had provided Garrity statements.
Both the federal and state constitutions protect the rights of criminal defendants to
present a complete defense and to confront adverse witnesses. State v. Orn, 197 Wn.2d
343, 482 P.3d 913, 917 (2021); U.S. CONST. amend. VI; WASH. CONST. art. I, § 22.
“‘The primary and most important component’ of the confrontation right ‘is the right to
24
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
conduct a meaningful cross-examination of adverse witnesses.’” Orn, 197 Wn.2d at 347
(quoting State v. Darden, 145 Wn.2d 612, 620, 41 P.3d 1189 (2002)).
Meaningful cross-examination does not mean unlimited cross-examination.
Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 679, 106 S. Ct. 1431, 89 L. Ed. 2d 674 (1986);
State v. Romero-Ochoa, 193 Wn.2d 341, 348, 440 P.3d 994 (2019), cert. denied, 141 S.
Ct. 398 (2020). A trial court has wide latitude to place reasonable limits on cross-
examination based on concerns about prejudice, confusion of the issues, undue delay or
waste of time, and marginal relevance. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. at 679; see also State v.
Lee, 188 Wn.2d 473, 487, 396 P.3d 316 (2017).
We review de novo whether the trial court’s evidentiary rulings abridged a
defendant’s Sixth Amendment rights. Orn, 197 Wn.2d at 350. We review the exclusion
of evidence under the evidentiary rules for abuse of discretion. Id. at 351.
We apply a three-part test to determine whether a trial court violated a defendant’s
right to confront a witness by limiting the scope of cross-examination:
First, the evidence must be of at least minimal relevance. Second, if
relevant, the burden is on the State to show the evidence is so prejudicial as
to disrupt the fairness of the fact-finding process at trial. Finally, the
State’s interest to exclude prejudicial evidence must be balanced against the
defendant’s need for the information sought, and only if the State’s interest
outweighs the defendant’s need can otherwise relevant information be
withheld.
Lee, 188 Wn.2d at 488 (quoting Darden, 145 Wn.2d at 622).
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No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
In arguing that the trial court violated his rights by limiting cross-examination, Mr.
Zamora devotes most of his analysis to the second and third steps of the test rather than
the crucial threshold issue of minimal relevance. Evidence is relevant if it has “any
tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination
of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.”
ER 401.
Evidence that impeaches or discredits a witness is relevant. Lee, 188 Wn.2d at
488. Mr. Zamora asserts that the fact that the officers provided Garrity statements
detracts from their credibility, but he never explains why that would be the case. His
argument is all conclusory. See Br. of Appellant at 43-44 (“factors surrounding making a
Garrity statement went directly to [the officers’] mental state, credibility, and colored the
entire investigation”; “[b]ecause each officer participated in the Garrity statements to
preserve their employment, and their credibility was at issue . . . [the evidence] should
have been allowed”; “Whether officers had been warned they had to make a statement or
lose their job, and the statements could not be used to prosecute them bore directly on
their credibility”).
In arguing for his right to cross-examine, Mr. Zamora’s trial lawyer explained his
understanding of the context and consequences of providing a Garrity statement:
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: A Garrity statement, your Honor, is a
statement that’s made with a warning that is similar to a Miranda warning,
with the exception that it has an added clause that nothing in the statement
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No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
can be used to prosecute the person making that statement unless they lie in
the statement.
....
. . . [T]he Garrity warning includes that the statements being made
under immunity from prosecution, basically use immunity, that they are
required to make the statement for purposes of the investigation into their
conduct, but that unless they commit perjury or they lie in the statement,
that it can’t be used for any other conviction purposes, your Honor.
THE COURT: For any criminal purposes?
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Yes. Except for I believe it’s specific to
perjury. I think it does still allow for convictions for perjury.
RP at 402-04.
If Mr. Zamora established in cross-examination that the officers provided
statements about the incident knowing they would not face prosecution for any
wrongdoing reported, but only if they perjured themselves, it would not discredit or
impeach their testimony. It would arguably enhance it. Because Mr. Zamora was unable
to demonstrate that his proposed examination was minimally relevant, the trial court did
not err or abuse its discretion in imposing the limitation.
III. EVIDENCE SUFFICIENCY
Mr. Zamora next contends that the State’s evidence was insufficient to disprove
self-defense. Evidence is sufficient if, when viewed in the light most favorable to the
State, it permits a rational trier of fact to find the essential elements of the crime beyond a
reasonable doubt. State v. Green, 94 Wn.2d 216, 221, 616 P.2d 628 (1980), overruled on
other grounds by Washington v. Recuenco, 548 U.S. 212, 126 S. Ct. 2546, 165 L. Ed. 2d
27
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
466 (2006). Courts must draw all reasonable inferences from the evidence in favor of the
State and interpret the evidence most strongly against the defendant. State v. Salinas, 119
Wn.2d 192, 201, 829 P.2d 1068 (1992). Appellate courts defer to the fact finder on the
resolution of conflicting testimony, credibility determinations, and the persuasiveness of
the evidence. State v. Thomas, 150 Wn.2d 821, 874-75, 83 P.3d 970 (2004).
Mr. Zamora asserts that once Officer Hake grabbed him by the elbows and said,
“Put your hands behind your back, I’ll fucking kill you,” any citizen in that situation
would fear being seriously harmed. To begin with, the evidence was not that those
events happened simultaneously.
More importantly, the arrestee’s fear must be of actual, imminent danger if he
does not resist, not actual, imminent danger if he does resist. Jurors could reasonably
find that Mr. Zamora did not face actual, imminent danger if he put his hands behind his
back, allowed himself to be handcuffed, and awaited the arrival of the deputies Officer
Hake told Mr. Zamora wanted to question him. “[T]he established rule for use of force in
self-defense cases involving arrests requires the person face a situation of actual,
imminent danger.” State v. Bradley, 141 Wn.2d 731, 738, 10 P.3d 358 (2000). “Orderly
and safe law enforcement demands that an arrestee not resist a lawful arrest . . . unless the
arrestee is actually about to be seriously injured or killed.” State v. Holeman, 103 Wn.2d
426, 430, 693 P.2d 89 (1985) (quoting State v. Westlund, 13 Wn. App. 460, 467, 536 P.2d
20 (1975)).
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No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, reasonable jurors
could find that Officer Hake’s initial use of force was based on a reasonable fear that Mr.
Zamora was reaching for a weapon, was not excessive, and did not actually put Mr.
Zamora’s life in imminent danger.
The evidence is also sufficient to support the conviction for assaulting Officer
Welsh. A jury could reasonably find that Officer Welsh was merely attempting to
restrain Mr. Zamora in order to effectuate what had become a valid arrest when Mr.
Zamora kicked him in the chest.
IV. PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT
Mr. Zamora contends for the first time on appeal that the prosecutor committed
misconduct in voir dire and in closing statement. The misconduct alleged to have
occurred in voir dire was the prosecutor’s irrelevant and allegedly inflammatory
discussion of issues of illegal immigration, border security, and juror fear of
undocumented immigrants. The misconduct alleged in closing argument is that the
prosecutor discounted the testimony of Javier Torres as someone who does not like law
enforcement, an argument Mr. Zamora contends was calculated to invite the jury to “slip
comfortably into an unconscious bias.” Br. of Appellant at 55.
Prosecutorial misconduct is not attorney misconduct in the sense of violating rules
of professional conduct. State v. Fisher, 165 Wn.2d 727, 740 n.1, 202 P.3d 937 (2009).
It is, instead, a term of art that refers to “prosecutorial mistakes or actions [that] are not
29
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
harmless and deny a defendant [a] fair trial.” Id. To succeed on a prosecutorial
misconduct claim, an appellant has the burden of establishing that the prosecutor’s
conduct was improper (as being at least mistaken) and was prejudicial. State v. Stenson,
132 Wn.2d 668, 718-19, 940 P.2d 1239 (1997). A defendant demonstrates prejudice by
proving there is a “‘substantial likelihood the . . . misconduct affected the jury’s
verdict.’” In re Pers. Restraint of Pirtle, 136 Wn.2d 467, 481-82, 965 P.2d 593 (1998)
(quoting State v. Pirtle, 127 Wn.2d 628, 672, 904 P.2d 245 (1995)).
Where, as here, there was no timely objection, reversal is required only if the
conduct is “‘so flagrant and ill-intentioned that it causes an enduring and resulting
prejudice that could not have been neutralized by a curative instruction to the jury.’”
State v. Warren, 165 Wn.2d 17, 43, 195 P.3d 940 (2008) (quoting Brown, 132 Wn.2d at
561). “This standard sets a much higher bar for reversal than the ‘improper and
prejudicial’ standard we employ when a defendant timely objects.” State v. Loughbom,
196 Wn.2d 64, 74, 470 P.3d 499 (2020). As such, our Supreme Court has only
sanctioned reversing convictions based on flagrant and ill intentioned misconduct “‘in a
narrow set of cases where we were concerned about the jury drawing improper inferences
from the evidence.’” Id. (quoting In re Pers. Restraint of Phelps, 190 Wn.2d 155, 170,
410 P.3d 1142 (2018)).
Mr. Zamora characterizes the prosecutor’s conduct as attempting to appeal to
racial stereotypes and jurors’ potential racial bias, a Sixth Amendment violation that our
30
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Supreme Court had held requires the State to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt
“‘did not affect the verdict.’” In re Pers. Restraint of Sandoval, 189 Wn.2d 811, 833-34,
408 P.3d 675 (2018) (quoting State v. Monday, 171 Wn.2d 667, 680, 257 P.3d 551
(2011)); U.S. CONST. amend. VI. But “this heightened standard does not apply every
time a prosecutor mentions race.” Id. at 834. Instead, the heightened standard applies
“only when a prosecutor mentions race in an effort to appeal to a juror’s potential racial
bias, i.e., to support assertions based on stereotypes rather than evidence.” Id.
Closing argument
We first address the prosecutor’s statements about Javier Torres in closing
argument. Mr. Zamora argues that when the prosecutor argued that jurors should
discount Mr. Torres’s testimony because he apparently does not like police, he committed
the “sin of Monday.” Br. of Appellant at 55. In Monday, the prosecutor argued a theme
that “black folk don’t testify against black folk.” 171 Wn.2d at 674.
The prosecutor in this case did not mention Mr. Torres’s race nor did he rely on
racial stereotyping to argue that Mr. Torres would be biased against police. He relied on
Mr. Torres’s testimony. Recall that when Mr. Torres was asked if it was not true that
officers and individuals did not commonly get involved in fights in front of his home, he
answered, “Oh, if it’s a cop, I don’t have nothing to do and nothing to say.” RP at 834.
Mr. Torres was the only eyewitness to Mr. Zamora’s struggle with officers whose
testimony was favorable to Mr. Zamora. Whatever Mr. Torres’s race, the prosecutor
31
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
would naturally point to any evidence suggesting Mr. Torres had a bias against police.
The argument was not about Latinos, it was specific to Mr. Torres. When a prosecutor
makes a logical argument that jurors should discount unhelpful testimony from a witness,
the fact that the witness is a person of color does not, standing alone, make the argument
racist.
Voir dire
Mr. Zamora’s unpreserved complaint about voir dire implicates several legal
concerns. It triggered the trial court’s concern because of ER 413, adopted in 2018,
which imposes strict limits on the admissibility of evidence of the immigration status of
parties and witnesses in light of “the prejudicial nature of evidence of immigration
status.” ER 413(a)(4). While the rule does not apply to the conduct of voir dire, it
reflects a recognition that jurors can have strongly held biases about persons who are in
the country illegally that should not play any part in a defendant’s criminal trial.
It raises the concern that a defendant’s criminal responsibility must be decided on
the basis of the evidence against him, not on the basis of fear about a class of persons to
which he belongs (or in this case, might be perceived to belong). Cf. State v. Belgarde,
110 Wn.2d 504, 508, 755 P.2d 174 (1988) (prosecutor should not have argued in closing
the danger presented by the American Indian Movement “which the jurors ha[d] no right
to consider”), aff’d, 118 Wn.2d 1021, 826 P.2d 147 (1992). In a case in which our
32
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Supreme Court recently reversed a conviction that had been encouraged throughout trial
as a step in the “war on drugs,” the high court explained:
Justice can be secured only when a conviction is based on specific evidence
in an individual case and not on rhetoric. We do not convict to make an
example of the accused, we do not convict by appeal to a popular cause,
and we do not convict by tying a prosecution to a global campaign against
illegal drugs.
Loughbom, 196 Wn.2d at 69-70.
The prosecutor’s references to border security and immigration were limited to
voir dire, the purpose of which is to “discover[ ] any basis for challenge for cause and for
the purpose of gaining knowledge to enable an intelligent exercise of peremptory
challenges.” CrR 6.4(b). The prosecutor’s exploration of the prospective jurors’
attitudes about locked doors and neighborhood safety was understandable. This was a
case in which a citizen’s mistaken report of vehicle prowling almost resulted in the death
of an individual who, until seized by a police officer, was guilty of nothing more than
walking while high on drugs. Both sides would be interested in knowing whether venire
members were vigilant, hypervigilant, or relatively unconcerned about crime in their
neighborhoods.
Adding border security and illegal immigration as a layer to the questioning was
irrelevant and unnecessarily politicized it. But defense counsel could have asked for a
sidebar and objected, and the trial court would have been well within its authority to
instruct the prosecutor that the topics were off-limits. Our system vests a trial judge with
33
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
considerable latitude in shaping the limits and extent of voir dire. Lopez-Stayer v. Pitts,
122 Wn. App. 45, 50, 93 P.3d 904 (2004). Such a limitation would have been consistent
with the reasoning behind ER 413.
Mr. Zamora’s lawyer was in a superior position to assess whether the voir dire was
harming the defense. It is evident from the report of proceedings that a number of jurors
had no anti-immigrant bias and spoke up; defense counsel had the opportunity to observe
other jurors and assess their reaction. The questions, responses, facial expressions and
body language could inform his challenges and juror selection. Having steered clear of
any controversy himself, he then used his opening statement to nullify any improper
relevance that jurors might have attached. His firsthand conclusion, vetted with others at
his office, was that “I’m not sure that [the voir dire] benefitted the state. That might have
been to their detriment.” RP at 221.
Mr. Zamora is unable to demonstrate that the prosecutor’s conduct caused an
enduring and resulting prejudice that could not have been neutralized.
V. OFFENDER SCORE
In his opening brief, Mr. Zamora challenged his offender score on the basis of
convictions he contended should have washed out. The State contended that Mr.
Zamora’s allegation of error was not supported by the record. But it also reported that in
a CrR 7.8 motion that had been withdrawn, Mr. Zamora had identified a different legal
error in his offender score. It did not object to resentencing.
34
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
Following the recent decision in Blake, Mr. Zamora filed a motion with this court
for additional relief, arguing that he had two prior convictions for unlawful possession of
a controlled substance that must be vacated, resulting in a two-point reduction in his
offender score. While the State does not agree that this panel can provide all of the relief
requested by Mr. Zamora’s motion, it continues to support resentencing.
We agree that resentencing is required.
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL GROUNDS
In a pro se statement of additional grounds (SAG) Mr. Zamora raises seven: (1)
Washington State Patrol Sergeant Matt Andersen sat next to the prosecutor for the entire
trial and twice reached for his gun; (2) public defender Tyson Lang is friends with Kevin
Hake, giving rise to a conflict of interest; (3) Sergeant Andersen led Mr. Zamora to
believe he was investigating the officers involved, which led to Mr. Zamora giving
Sergeant Andersen his medical report; (4) Mr. Zamora has only one juvenile felony that
the State counted as two, over Mr. Zamora’s objection; (5) if Officer Hake had asked or
said he was going to search Mr. Zamora for self-protection, Mr. Zamora would have let
him do it; (6) the mistake made in calculation of Mr. Zamora’s offender score in this case
is the same mistake made in Grant County Superior Court case no. 14-1-00428-4; and (7)
the State was allowed to lie to the jury about Mr. Hake.
The offender score issues identified as Mr. Zamora’s fourth and sixth grounds can
be argued at resentencing. As for his first ground, Sergeant Andersen was the State’s ER
35
No. 37019-4-III
State v. Zamora
615 representative at trial and was entitled to sit at counsel table. Mr. Zamora’s
opportunity to present the evidence advanced in his fifth ground was at trial; he identifies
no basis on which his failure to present that evidence provides a basis for appeal. His
remaining grounds are not supported by evidence in the record. If he has evidence to
support them and a legal basis on which he believes they entitle him to relief, his remedy
is to seek relief by personal restraint petition. State v. Norman, 61 Wn. App. 16, 27-28,
808 P.2d 1159 (1991).
We affirm the convictions and remand for resentencing.
A majority of the panel has determined this opinion will not be printed in the
Washington Appellate Reports, but it will be filed for public record pursuant to RCW
2.06.040.
_____________________________
Siddoway, J.
WE CONCUR:
_____________________________ _____________________________
Lawrence-Berrey, J. Pennell, C.J.
36