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State Of Washington, V Gregoria Ivan Layna
49171-1
| Wash. Ct. App. | Oct 3, 2017
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Background

  • Owner Oberst reported her motor home stolen from a barn; she had not been to the property for weeks and could not fix the exact theft date.
  • Witness Anderson saw a motor home on a dirt road and observed Layna in or near it; she saw it later coasting; dates she recalled varied.
  • Liz Allen (a prior seller) saw the motor home parked at a house on Feb. 26 with its plate covered and reported it.
  • Deputy Rasmussen located and impounded the motor home; it was hotwired, battery dead, interior gutted; no barn property was found in the vehicle or on Layna.
  • Layna was charged with burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, and trafficking in stolen property (1st and 2nd degree). Jury convicted on theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, and trafficking in the second degree; acquitted of burglary and trafficking in the first degree.
  • At sentencing the court imposed $1,000 discretionary LFOs without a full inquiry into Layna’s present/future ability to pay; payments were deferred two years and set at $50/month.

Issues

Issue Plaintiff's Argument Defendant's Argument Held
Sufficiency of evidence for theft of a motor vehicle State: possession, hotwiring, and presence at locations supports theft conviction Layna: State failed to prove he wrongfully obtained or exercised unauthorized control; no evidence he took it from the barn or when Reversed — evidence insufficient to prove Layna stole the motor home
Sufficiency of evidence for trafficking in stolen property (2d deg.) State: evidence of concealment, attempts to sell, and possession supports trafficking Layna: No proof of intent to sell or dispose Affirmed — sufficient evidence a jury could infer intent to dispose/sell (trafficking)
Admission of CAD (911) call logs / Confrontation Clause State: CAD logs are admissible and corroborative Layna: Admission violated Sixth Amendment confrontation right because dispatchers (who prepared logs) did not testify Admission was constitutional error (testimonial hearsay) but harmless beyond a reasonable doubt given overwhelming other evidence
Imposition of discretionary LFOs without inquiry State: discretionary LFOs appropriate Layna: Sentencing court failed to conduct individualized inquiry into present/future ability to pay as required by Blazina Reversed — court must perform Blazina-style inquiry and reconsider discretionary LFOs on remand

Key Cases Cited

  • State v. Salinas, 119 Wn.2d 192 (1992) (standard for sufficiency of the evidence review)
  • State v. Ague–Masters, 138 Wn. App. 86 (2007) (deference to jury on credibility)
  • State v. Rich, 184 Wn.2d 897 (2016) (de novo review of sufficiency challenges)
  • State v. Koslowski, 166 Wn.2d 409 (2009) (testimonial statement/confrontation analysis)
  • State v. Powers, 124 Wn. App. 92 (2004) (CAD call logs are testimonial)
  • State v. Franklin, 180 Wn.2d 371 (2014) (harmless error standard for constitutional errors)
  • State v. Watt, 160 Wn.2d 626 (2007) (presumption that constitutional error is prejudicial)
  • State v. Blazina, 182 Wn.2d 827 (2015) (requirement for individualized inquiry into ability to pay before imposing discretionary LFOs)
  • State v. Clark, 191 Wn. App. 369 (2015) (standard of review for imposition of discretionary LFOs)
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Case Details

Case Name: State Of Washington, V Gregoria Ivan Layna
Court Name: Court of Appeals of Washington
Date Published: Oct 3, 2017
Docket Number: 49171-1
Court Abbreviation: Wash. Ct. App.