State Of Washington v. Michael Boswell ( 2014 )

ILED
COURT OF APPEALS
DIVISION II
2014 DEC 30 AM 9: 43
STATE OF WASHINGTON
BY
TY
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
DIVISION II
STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 44365 -1 - II
Respondent,
v.
MICHAEL TODD BOSWELL, PUBLISHED OPINION
Appellant.
LEE, J. — A jury found Michael Todd Boswell guilty of two counts of attempted first
degree murder. Boswell appeals, arguing that ( 1) double jeopardy bars his conviction for two
counts of attempted murder, ( 2) the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on attempted
third degree assault as a lesser included offense, and ( 3) the jury instructions on attempted first
degree murder omitted an essential element of the crime. Because we hold that the unit of
prosecution for attempted murder is based on a course of conduct, Boswell' s convictions for two
counts of attempted murder do not violate double jeopardy. We further hold that third degree
assault is not a lesser included offense of attempted murder and that the jury instructions included
all essential elements of attempted first degree murder. Accordingly, we affirm.
No. 44365 -1 - II
FACTS
Boswell and Jessica Fix had been in a romantic relationship. About a month before
November 14, 2011, Fix told Boswell that she wanted to end their relationship. Boswell became
very upset and was crying, so Fix decided to stay with him. Just prior to November 14, Fix again
discussed ending their relationship, but Boswell again became upset and Fix did not end the
relationship.
Early in the morning on November 14, Fix returned home from working the prior evening,
and Boswell made her peppermint tea. After drinking the tea, Fix became nauseous, began
vomiting, and then fell asleep on the living room couch.
Later, Fix woke up with a loud ringing in her ears and blood dripping from her head. She
saw Boswell sitting on the opposite side of the couch holding a gun. Fix left the house and went
to the hospital. At the hospital, Fix was treated for a brain hemorrhage and liver failure. Doctors
determined that Fix' s head wound was consistent with a gunshot wound and that her liver failure
was caused by an extremely high dose of acetaminophen.
The State charged Boswell with two counts of attempted first degree murder. Count 1
alleged that Boswell " on or about November 14, 2011, with a premeditated intent to cause the
death of another person ... did an act which was a substantial step toward the commission of that
crime." Clerk' s Papers ( CP) at 62. Count 2 alleged that Boswell " on or about November 14, 2011,
at a separate time than the acts charged in Count 1, with a premeditated intent to cause the death
of another person ... did an act which was a substantial step toward the commission of that crime."
CP at 62.
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At trial, Boswell testified that Fix' s injuries were caused by his failed suicide attempts.
First, Boswell crushed a large amount of Tylenol and methocarbamol in a glass and then used a
second glass as a shaker to help dissolve the pills in the liquid. Then, he inadvertently put Fix' s
tea in the second glass containing a large amount of Tylenol residue. He became ill after
consuming the medication he mixed for himself but failed in his suicide attempt. After his failed
suicide attempt with the Tylenol, Boswell decided to attempt to take his own life with a gun.
Boswell' s arm slipped when he attempted to shoot himself, and he accidentally shot Fix in the
head.
Boswell requested that the trial court instruct the jury on third degree assault as a lesser
included offense of the attempted first degree murder predicated on the shooting. The trial court
concluded that third degree assault was not a lesser included offense of attempted first degree
murder and did not instruct the jury on third degree assault.
The trial court gave the following " to convict" instruction on the attempted first degree
murder charge in count 1:
To convict the defendant of the crime of Attempted Murder in the First
Degree as charged in Count 1, each of the following elements of the crime must be
proved beyond a reasonable doubt:
1) That on or about November 14, 2011, the defendant did an act that was
a substantial step toward the commission .of Murder in the First Degree;
2) That the act was done with the intent to commit Murder in the First
Degree; and
3) That the act occurred in the State of Washington.
If you find from the evidence that each of these elements has been proved
beyond a reasonable doubt, then it will be your duty to return a verdict of guilty.
On the other hand, if, after weighing all the evidence, you have a reasonable
doubt as to any one of these elements, then it will be your duty to return a verdict
of not guilty.
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CP at 80. The " to 'convict" instruction on the attempted first degree murder charge in count 2
contained the same elements. CP at 81.
The jury found Boswell guilty of both counts of attempted first degree murder. Boswell
appeals.
ANALYSIS
A. DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Boswell argues that double jeopardy bars his convictions for two counts of attempted first
degree murder because the unit of prosecution for crimes of attempt is the intent to commit the
crime and not each substantial step toward committing that crime. We disagree.
The United States and Washington Constitutions prohibit double jeopardy. U. S. CONST.
amend. V; WASH. CONST. art 1, § 9. We review alleged double jeopardy violations de novo. State
v. Villanueva -Gonzalez, 180 Wash. 2d 975, 979 -80, 329 P.3d 78 ( 2014). " The prohibition on double
jeopardy generally means that a person cannot be prosecuted for the same offense after being
acquitted, be prosecuted for the same offense after being convicted, or receive multiple
punishments for the same offense." Villanueva -Gonzalez, 180 Wash. 2d at 980.
Although Boswell alleges a constitutional error, . determining whether Boswell' s
convictions constitute multiple punishments for the same offense requires determination of
legislative intent and presents a question of statutory interpretation. Villanueva -Gonzalez, 180
Wash. 2d at 980. " The legislature is tasked with defining criminal offenses, and the prohibition on
double jeopardy imposes [ f]ew, if any, limitations' on that power. "' Villanueva -Gonzalez, 180
Wash. 2d at 980 ( quoting Sanabria v. United States, 437 U.S. 54, 69, 98 S. Ct. 2170, 57 L. Ed. 2d 43
1978)).
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When a defendant has multiple convictions under the same statutory provision, we
determine whether there is a double jeopardy violation by asking "' what act or course of conduct
has the Legislature defined as the punishable act. "' Villanueva -Gonzalez, 180 Wash. 2d at 980
quoting State v. Adel, 136 Wash. 2d 629, 634, 965 P.2d 1072 ( 1998)). Boswell was convicted of
two counts of attempted first degree murder under RCW 9A.28. 020 and RCW 9A.32.030.
Therefore, we, must determine what act or course of conduct the legislature intended as the
punishable act under RCW 9A.28. 020 and RCW 9A.32. 030. State v. Turner, 102 Wash. App. 202,
206, 6 P.3d 1226 ( 2000) ( citing Adel, 136 Wash. 2d at 634), review denied, 143 Wash. 2d 1009 ( 2001).
RCW 9A.28. 020( 1) states:
A person is guilty of an attempt to commit a crime if, with intent to commit a
specific crime, he or she does any act which is a substantial step toward the
commission of that crime.
And, RCW 9A.32. 030 states, in part:
1) A person is guilty of murder in the first degree when:
a) With a premeditated intent to cause the death of another person, he or
she causes the death of such person or of a third person.
Therefore, attempted first degree murder requires ( 1) intent to commit first degree murder and ( 2)
a substantial step toward committing first degree murder.
Boswell argues that the unit of prosecution for attempted murder is defined by the
defendant' s intent to commit the murder and relies on cases analyzing the unit of prosecution for
other inchoate offenses such as solicitation and conspiracy. Specifically, Boswell relies on State
v. Varnell, 162 Wash. 2d 165, 170 P.3d 24 ( 2007) ( unit of prosecution for solicitation) and State v.
Bobic, 140 Wash. 2d 250, 996 P.2d 610 ( 2000) ( unit of prosecution for conspiracy) to support his
proposition that a defendant may only be convicted of one count of attempted first degree murder
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for every act taken to further the intent to kill a person.1 These cases, however, do not support
Boswell' s proposition because the unit of prosecution for solicitation and conspiracy is different
than the unit of prosecution for attempted murder.
Varnell and Bobic did not determine the unit of prosecution for solicitation and conspiracy
based exclusively on the defendant' s intent. Rather, they focus on the actual act that is necessary
to commit solicitation or conspiracy. In -Varnell, the defendant was convicted of five counts of
solicitation to commit murder based on one conversation in which he asked an undercover officer
to kill four people. 162 Wash. 2d at 167 -68. Our Supreme Court reversed, reasoning that the unit of
prosecution for solicitation was the act of promoting or facilitating a crime rather than the crime
the defendant was soliciting. Varnell, 162 Wash. 2d at 169. Therefore, the defendant could only be
convicted of one count of solicitation based on one conversation regardless of how many crimes
the defendant solicited during that conversation. Varnell, 162 Wash. 2d at 170.
Similarly, in Bobic the defendants were convicted of one count of conspiracy for each
crime they conspired to commit ( conspiracy to commit first degree theft, conspiracy to commit
first degree possession of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit first degree trafficking in
1 Boswell also relies on State v. Luther, 157 Wash. 2d 63, 134 P.3d 205, cert. denied, 549 U.S. 978
2006), for the proposition that our Supreme Court has already established that attempt is defined
by intent rather than action. But, Boswell' s reliance on Luther is misplaced. In Luther, the court
held that there was sufficient evidence to support a conviction for attempted possession of child
pornography if the State provided that the defendant believed he was possessing child pornography
or clearly intended to obtain child pornography, regardless of whether the State proved that the
sexually explicit images were actually children. 157 Wash. 2d at 73 -74. A large portion of the Luther
analysis rested on the fact that the defendant' s argument was essentially an impossibility defense
which the legislature has specifically stated is not a defense to criminal attempt. Luther, 157
Wash. 2d at 73 -74. Therefore, Luther provides no guidance in determining the appropriate unit of
prosecution for attempted first degree murder.
No. 44365 -1 - II
stolen property). 140 Wash. 2d at 256. Again, our Supreme Court focused on the act necessary to
commit conspiracy —an agreement to engage in a criminal enterprise. Bobic, 140 Wash. 2d at 265.
Therefore, our Supreme Court held that the appropriate unit of prosecution for conspiracy is the
agreement to engage in a criminal enterprise, not the number of crimes that could be committed in
the course of carrying out that criminal enterprise. Bobic, 140 Wash. 2d at 265.
Thus, contrary to Boswell' s assertion, Yarnell and Bobic do not stand for the proposition
that the unit of prosecution for all inchoate crimes is based on the defendant' s intent. Rather, they
stand for the proposition that the unit of prosecution for inchoate crimes is the act necessary to
support the inchoate offense, not the underlying crime.
Boswell argues that if the unit of prosecution for attempt is based on the act rather than the
intent, the State will be able to charge a defendant with one, count for each substantial step taken
toward commission of the crime ( e. g., separate counts for each shot fired in an attempt to kill
someone or procuring a gun, driving to the scene, waiting at the scene, etc.). But, as the State
points out, Boswell' s interpretation also leads to an absurd result. Under Boswell' s unit of
prosecution analysis, a defendant could only ever be charged with one count of attempted murder
against one victim, regardless of how many attempts the defendant makes on the victim' s life. For
example, as the State points out, Boswell could be released from prison, make another attempt on
Fix' s life, and, as long as he does not succeed, he could not be charged with another count of
attempted first degree murder. It is clear that the legislature did not intend such a result. The
Boeing Co. v. Doss, 180 Wn. App. 427, 437, 321 P.3d 1270 ( 2014) ( "` We do not interpret statutes
to reach absurd and fundamentally unjust results. ") ( quoting Flanigan v. Dep 't ofLabor & Indus.,
123 Wash. 2d 418, 426, 869 P.2d 14 ( 1994)); State v. J.P., 149 Wash. 2d 444, 450, 69 P.3d 318 ( 2003)
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We do not interpret statutes to reach ' absurd results ') ( quoting State v. Delgado, 148 Wash. 2d
723, 733, 63 P.3d 792 ( 2003)).
Although we agree with Boswell that the unit of prosecution for attempted first degree
murder should not allow the State to arbitrarily charge an unlimited number of counts based on
each substantial step taken toward the commission of first degree murder, we also agree with the
State that Boswell' s interpretation cannot be what the legislature intended. Therefore, we adopt
the analysis used to determine the unit of prosecution for offenses that involve a continuing course
of conduct. Under this analysis, double jeopardy does not bar Boswell' s convictions for two counts
of attempted first degree murder.
State v. Hall, 168 Wash. 2d 726, 230 P.3d 1048 ( 2010), and State v. Chouap, 170 Wash. App.
114, 285 P .3d 138 ( 2012) provide a reasonable analytical structure to determine the appropriate
unit of prosecution for first degree attempted murder. In Hall, the defendant was convicted of
three counts of witness tampering after calling a witness over 1, 200 times in an attempt to convince
her not to testify against him. 168 Wash. 2d at 729. Our Supreme Court held that the unit of
prosecution for witness tampering is the " ongoing attempt to persuade a witness not to testify in a
proceeding." Hall, 168 Wash. 2d at 734. Because the defendant' s conduct was continuous, aimed at
a single person, and meant to tamper with her testimony in a single proceeding, there was only one
unit of prosecution. Hall, 168 Wash. 2d at 736. However, our Supreme Court noted circumstances
in which multiple units of prosecution could be present:
Our determination might be different if Hall, had changed his strategy by,
for example, sending letters in addition to phone calls or sending intermediaries, or
if he had been stopped by the State briefly and found a way to resume his witness
tampering campaign.
Hall, 168 Wash. 2d at 737.
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In Chouap, the defendant was convicted of two counts of attempting to elude a police
vehicle based on events that occurred during the same evening. 170 Wn. App. at 118 -21. We
determined that the defendant' s convictions did not violate double jeopardy because the " second
pursuit was separated from the first by time, by Chouap' s return to lawful driving, and by different
pursuing police officers."
Chouap, 170 Wash. App. at 125.
Reading Hall and Chouap together, the proper analysis to determine the
. unit of prosecution
for crimes involving a course of conduct is whether there are facts that make each course of
conduct separate and distinct. Factors that can be considered in addressing whether each course
of conduct is separate or distinct include the method used to commit the crime; the amount of time
between the two courses of conduct; and whether the initial course of conduct was interrupted,
failed, or abandoned. Hall, 168 Wash. 2d at 737 -38.
Here, Boswell engaged in two separate distinct courses of conduct in his attempts to take
Fix' s life. First, he attempted to poison her by crushing pills, mixing them in tea, and giving the
tea to her. After this attempt on Fix' s life failed, there was a period of time before Boswell engaged
in his second course of conduct. Fix was sleeping and Boswell had a period of time to consider
his actions after Fix fell asleep. Then Boswell acquired the gun and shot Fix in the head. Because
Boswell employed different methods of attempting to kill Fix, the attempts were separated by a
period of time and the second attempt began only after the first attempt had failed, Boswell' s two
convictions properly represent two units of prosecution. Even Boswell' s own testimony supports
this analysis. Boswell admitted that his first plan to take his own life was limited to using the
Tylenol. It was only after that plan failed that Boswell formulated the plan to use the gun. There
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was no evidence that Boswell' s original plan included using both the Tylenol and the gun as part
of one continuous plan.
Using a course of conduct analysis to determine the appropriate unit of prosecution for
attempted first degree murder clearly leads to the most sensible result. It prevents the State from
arbitrarily charging multiple counts based on each conceivable substantial step leading up to the
commission of the crime, and it allows the State to hold defendants accountable for repeated
attempts on one victim' s life. Based on this analysis, we hold that Boswell' s two convictions for
attempted first degree murder do not violate the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy.
B. LESSER INCLUDED OFFENSE
Boswell asserts that the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on third degree
assault as a lesser included offense. State v. Harris, 121 Wash. 2d 317, 849 P.2d 1216 ( 1993),
resolves this issue. However, Boswell argues that the rule in Harris has been implicitly rejected
Workman2
by subsequent case law applying the test to determine lesser included offenses. We
disagree.
A defendant is entitled to an instruction on a lesser included offense if two conditions are
met:
First, each of the elements of the lesser offense must be a necessary element of the
offense charged. Second, the evidence in the case must support an inference that
the lesser crime was committed.
State v. Workman, 90 Wash. 2d 443, 447 -48, 584 P.2d 382 ( 1978) ( internal citations omitted). We
review the first element of the test, the legal prong, de novo. State v. LaPlant, 157 Wash. App. 685,
2 State v. Workman, 90 Wash. 2d 443, 447 -48, 584 P.2d 382 ( 1978).
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687, 239 P.3d 366 ( 2010). And, we review the second prong of the test, the factual prong, for an
abuse of discretion. LaPlant, 157 Wash. App. at 687.
In Harris, our Supreme Court held that assault is not a lesser included offense of attempted
murder because, the legal prong of the Workman test was not met. 121 Wash. 2d at 321. The court
explained that under the legal prong " if it is possible to commit the greater offense without
committing the lesser offense, the latter is not an included crime." Harris, 121 Wash. 2d 320 ( citing
State v. Bishop, 90 Wash. 2d 185, 191, 580 P.2d 259 ( 1978)). The court reasoned that, to commit
attempted murder, the defendant must take a substantial step toward committing the murder, but
that step does not necessarily require the defendant to commit an assault ( obviously an element of
first degree assault). Harris, 121 Wash. 2d at 321. Harris controls the outcome of this case, and we
hold that the trial court did not err by refusing to give Boswell' s proposed instruction on third
degree assault as a lesser included offense of attempted first degree murder.
Boswell argues that the rule in Harris is no longer good law because our Supreme Court
has implicitly abrogated the rule announced in Harris. Boswell cites primarily to State v. Berlin,
133 Wash. 2d 541, 947 P.2d 700 ( 1997), to support his proposition.
Boswell' s reliance on Berlin is misplaced. Boswell reads Berlin as instructing us to
consider the crimes as charged when determining whether a lesser included instruction is
appropriate; therefore, the analysis in Harris is improper because it categorically states that assault
cannot be a lesser included offense of attempted murder. Under Boswell' s application of Berlin,
third degree assault is a lesser included offense of attempted murder in this case because, by
shooting Fix in the head, Boswell necessarily committed third degree assault. But Boswell' s
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analysis is based on a misreading of Berlin, a misapplication of the law our Supreme Court
articulated in Berlin, and a conflation of the two prongs of the Workman test.
In Berlin, the defendant was charged with second degree murder with intentional murder
and felony murder charged as alternative means. 133 Wash. 2d at 550. Our Supreme Court held that
manslaughter can be a lesser included offense of second degree murder. Berlin, 133 Wash. 2d at 551.
In doing so, the court reaffirmed its adherence to the Workman test and clarified the application of
the legal prong of the test. Berlin, 133 Wash. 2d at 548, 550 -51.
The court explained that under the legal prong of the Workman test, the court examines the
statutory elements of the crime charged, not the statute as a whole. Berlin, 133 Wash. 2d at 548.
However, this clarification is relevant only so far as the statute under which the defendant is
charged presents alternative means of committing the crime. Berlin, 133 Wash. 2d at 548. Therefore,
the rule under Berlin is that when a defendant is charged with an alternative means crime, the court
determines whether a lesser included offense instruction is appropriate based on the alternative
means charged, not the statute as a whole. 133 Wash. 2d at 550 ( " We emphasize that both the
statutory language of RCW 10. 61. 006 and the language of Workman necessitate that we examine
the elements of the offense charged"). Attempt is not an alternative means crime. Therefore, the
clarification articulated in Berlin does not apply. Berlin does not change or undermine the analysis
employed by our Supreme Court in Harris.
Furthermore, nothing in Berlin stands for the proposition that we are required to examine
the elements of the offense based on the alleged facts supporting the charge. Rather, Berlin is
clear — when examining the legal prong of the Workman test we look at the statutory elements of
the crime to determine whether each element of the lesser offense is a necessary element of the
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charged offense. 133 Wash. 2d at 550 -51. We do not examine the facts underlying the charge unless
we reach the factual prong of the Workman test. Berlin, 133 Wash. 2d at 551. Accordingly, contrary
to Boswell' s assertion, there is nothing in Berlin that supports deviating from the rule or analysis
articulated by our Supreme Court in Harris. We hold that the trial court did not err in refusing to
instruct the jury on third degree assault as a lesser included offense to attempted murder.
C. JURY INSTRUCTIONS
Finally, Boswell argues that the " to convict" jury instructions omitted an essential element
of the crime because the jury instruction failed to include the element of premeditation.3 We
disagree.
We explicitly rejected this argument in State v. Reed, 150 Wash. App. 761, 208 P.3d 1274,
review denied, 167 Wash. 2d 1006 ( 2009). We held that the essential elements of attempt are ( 1) the
specific intent to commit a crime and ( 2) a substantial step toward committing that crime. See
Reed, 150 Wash. App. at 772 -73. As we explained:
Reed' s argument conflates the intent necessary to prove an attempt with that
necessary to prove first degree murder. The State did not charge Reed with
completed first degree murder; thus, to prove only an attempt to commit first degree
murder, the State was not required to prove that Reed acted with premeditated intent
to commit murder, only that he attempted to commit murder.
Reed, 150 Wn. App. at 772 -73. Reed is controlling. The jury instruction properly
instructed the jury on the essential elements of attempt. Reed, 150 Wash. App. at 774 -75.
3 Boswell failed to object to the " to convict" instructions at the trial court. Generally, a party may
not raise an issue for the first time appeal. RAP 2. 5( a)( 3). However, because jury instructions
omitting an essential element relieve the State of its burden to prove each element of the crime
beyond a reasonable doubt, the error is considered a manifest error affecting a constitutional right
that may be raised for the first time on appeal. State v. Chino, 117 Wash. App. 531, 538, 72 P.3d
256 ( 2003).
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Boswell asks us to reconsider the decision in Reed based on State v. Vangerpen, 125 Wash. 2d
782, 888 P.2d 1177 ( 1995). Boswell alleges that Vangerpen explicitly states that premeditation is
an essential element of attempted first degree murder. We decline Boswell' s request.
In State v. Vangerpen, 71 Wn. App. 94, 856 P.2d 1106 ( 1993), aff'd, 125 Wash. 2d 782, 888
P.2d 1177 ( 1995), the defendant was charged with attempted first degree murder by an information
that stated:
T] he defendant Shane Michael Vangerpen in King County, Washington on or
about July 20, 1991, with intent to cause the death of another person did attempt to
cause the death of Officer D.C. Nielsen, a human being.
71 Wash. App. at 97 n.1. Our Supreme Court held that the information failed to charge the defendant
with attempted first degree murder because acting with the intent to cause a death is second degree
murder rather than first degree murder. Vangerpen, 125 Wash. 2d at 791. In other words, Vangerpen
states that, because ofthe specific language contained in the information, the State failed to charge
the defendant with attempted first degree murder when the information omitted " one of the
statutory elements of first degree murder." 125 Wash. 2d at 791.
Vangerpen does not articulate what the essential elements of attempted first degree murder
are. Our Supreme Court has clearly established that the essential elements of criminal attempt are
an intent to commit a specific crime and a substantial step toward committing that crime. See, e. g.,
State v. DeRyke, 149 Wash. 2d 906, 910, 73 P.3d 1000 ( 2003). Therefore, an instruction on attempt
is not defective for failing to include the essential elements of the attempted underlying crime.
DeRyke, 149 Wash. 2d at 910 -11. Because Vangerpen addresses whether the language used in the
information in that case properly charged the defendant with attempted first degree murder, not
what all the essential elements of first degree murder are, Vangerpen is not grounds for us to
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abandon our decision in Reed. Accordingly, Boswell' s challenge to the " to convict" instructions
fails.
We reject Boswell' s contention that the unit of prosecution for attempted first degree
murder is defined by the defendant' s intent. Instead, we hold that the unit of prosecution for
attempted first degree murder is defined by a course of conduct. Under the facts presented here,
Boswell' s convictions for two counts of attempted first degree murder do not violate double
jeopardy. Further, under Harris, third degree assault is not a lesser included offense of attempted
first degree murder. And, our decision in Reed continues to be good law; thus, the " to- convict"
instruction did not omit an essential element of the crime. Accordingly, we affirm.
Lee, J.
We concur:
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