State Of Washington v. Kristina Cawyer ( 2014 )

FILED
COURT OF APPEALS
DIVISION 1i
2014 JUL 29 PHI: 37
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTO
DIVISION II
STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 44271 -0 -II
Respondent,
v.
KRISTINA MARIE CAWYER, PUBLISHED OPINION
Appellant.
WORSWICK, J. — Kristina Cawyer appeals the sentencing court' s restitution order,
entered following her Alford' plea to two counts of first degree custodial interference. Cawyer
argues that the sentencing court exceeded its statutory authority by ordering her to pay restitution
for the State' s extradition expenses, which were incurred to extradite her from Ohio to
Washington. Cawyer also argues that RCW 10. 01. 160 did not give the sentencing court the
authority to order her to pay the State' s extradition expenses as a court cost. We hold that the
sentencing court exceeded its authority under the restitution statute, RCW 9. 94A.753, by
imposing restitution for the State' s extradition expenses, but.that RCW 10.01. 160 gives the
sentencing court authority to require the defendant to pay the State' s extradition expenses as a
court cost. We affirm the amount ordered for the State' s extradition expenses, and remand for
the sentencing court to modify its restitution order consistent with this opinion.
1
N. Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162 ( 1970).
No. 44271 -0 -II
FACTS
Kristina Cawyer and her former husband Samuel2 lived in Washington State, where they
shared custody of two minor children pursuant to a parenting plan. Cawyer then moved with the
children from Washington to South Carolina. Cawyer failed to comply with two separate court
orders requiring her to return the children to Samuel in Washington. The State charged Cawyer
with two counts of first degree custodial interference.3
Cawyer moved with the children to Ohio, where she was arrested and jailed pursuant to a
warrant. The Clallam County Prosecutor' s Office incurred expenses to extradite Cawyer from
Ohio to Washington to face the custodial interference charges.
Cawyer entered an Alford plea to both counts of first degree custodial interference. The
sentencing court sentenced Cawyer to 30 days on each count, running concurrently, and gave her
credit for time served. The sentencing court did not impose a suspended sentence or probation,
but ordered Cawyer to pay $ 2, 707. 56 in restitution to the Clallam County Prosecutor' s Office for
expenses it incurred to extradite her to Washington. 4 Cawyer objected below to the order
requiring her to pay restitution for the State' s extradition expenses. The sentencing court
justified the restitution order as follows:
Again, it would appear to me that an extradition is different than what the statute
contemplates. It is an expense which is not ordinarily incurred. It' s occasionally
2 Because Kristina and Samuel share the same last name, we use Samuel' s first name for clarity,
intending no disrespect.
3 RCW 9A.40. 060( 2).
4 The restitution award for extradition expenses was awarded to the Clallam County Prosecutor' s
Office. But the State of Washington is the party to the appeal. For clarity, we refer to the
Clallam County Prosecutor' s Office and the State collectively as " the State."
2
No. 44271 -0 -II
incurred. And I would note that the felony judgment and sentence form has
actually [ sic] a box for extradition costs built into it, which indicates at least
somebody at the State level contemplated that those costs might be incurred and
would be compensable.
I' m going to impose the restitution costs, under the circumstances as I read
the statute it allows the State to have those extraordinary sort of costs that are not
incumbent necessarily for the administration of justice or for having a jury trial or
those sorts of things.
Specifically in a case such as this, where there was [ sic] a third party
provided services to get her here, I think it' s reasonable to require her to pay those
as part of the consequences of her actions.
Verbatim Report of Proceedings ( VRP) at 48 -51. Cawyer appeals the restitution order.
ANALYSIS
Cawyer argues that the sentencing court did not have authority to order her to pay the
State' s extradition expenses as restitution under RCW 9. 94A.753, or as a court cost under RCW
10. 01. 160. We hold that the sentencing court exceeded its authority under the restitution statute,
RCW 9. 94A.753, by imposing restitution for the State' s extradition expenses. But we hold that
the sentencing court had authority to order Cawyer to pay $2, 707. 56 for the State' s extradition
expenses as a court cost under RCW 10. 01. 160.
I. THE STATE' S EXTRADITION EXPENSES As RESTITUTION UNDER RCW 9. 94A.753
Cawyer argues that because the State was not a victim of Cawyer' s custodial interference,
the sentencing court exceeded its statutory authority under the restitution statute by imposing
restitution for the State' s extradition expenses.
We reverse a sentencing court' s restitution determination only for a clear abuse of
discretion or misapplication of law. State v. Corona, 164 Wash. App. 76, 78, 261 P.3d 680 ( 2011).
A [sentencing] court abuses its discretion when its decision is manifestly unreasonable or based
on untenable grounds; this standard is also violated when a [ sentencing] court makes a
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No. 44271 -0 -II
reasonable decision but applies the wrong legal standard or bases its ruling on an erroneous view
of the law." Corona, 164 Wash. App. at 78 -79. When, as here, we review whether the sentencing
court applied the wrong legal standard or based its ruling on an erroneous view of the law, we
review de novo the choice of law and its application to the facts of the case. Corona, 164 Wn.
App. at 79.
The sentencing court' s authority to order restitution is derived entirely from statute. State
v. Smith, 119 Wash. 2d 385, 389, 831 P.2d 1082 ( 1992). RCW 9. 94A.753 authorizes the sentencing
court to impose restitution against a criminal defendant. RCW 9. 94A.753( 3) places limits on this
authority, stating in part:
R] estitution ordered by a court pursuant to a criminal conviction shall be based
on easily ascertainable damages for injury to or loss of property, actual expenses
incurred for treatment for injury to persons, and lost wages resulting from injury.
The amount of restitution shall not exceed double the amount of the
offender' s gain or the victim' s loss from the commission of the crime.
Restitution is appropriate only if a causal connection exists between the defendant' s
offense and the victim' s injuries for which restitution is sought. State v. Vinyard, 50 Wash. App.
888, 893, 751 P.2d 339 ( 1988). A causal connection exists if "but for" the offense, the loss or
damages to a victim' s property would not have occurred. State v. Tobin, 161 Wash. 2d 517, 519,
524 -25, 166 P.3d 1167 ( 2007). The State must prove this causal connection between the
expenses and the offense by a preponderance of the evidence. State v. Kinneman, 122 Wash. App.
850, 860, 95 P.3d 1277 ( 2004) aff'd, 155 Wash. 2d 272, 119 P.3d 350 ( 2005).
The sentencing court may award restitution only to victims. Kinneman, 122 Wash. App. at
866. A victim is " any person who has sustained emotional, psychological, physical, or financial
injury to person or property as a direct result of the crime charged." RCW 9. 94A.030( 53).
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No. 44271 -0 -II
While restitution is limited to victims, the definition of "victim" is not limited to the offense' s
immediate victim. Tobin, 161 Wash. 2d at 524; Kinneman, 122 Wash. App. at 866. Rather, an
individual or entity is a " victim" of an offense if the offense directly victimized that individual or
entity, or if the offense caused that individual or entity to incur expenses to assist others who
were directly victimized by the offense. See State v. Davison, 116 Wash. 2d 917, 920 -21, 809 P.2d
1374 ( 1991); Kinneman, 122 Wash. App. at 866 -67; State v. Ewing, 102 Wash. App. 349, 350, 7
P.3d 835 ( 2000).
In Tobin, our Supreme Court upheld the sentencing court' s order imposing restitution for
the State' s expenses where the defendant' s offenses directly victimized the State. 161 Wash. 2d at
519 -20, 528. In Tobin, the defendant pleaded guilty to offenses arising out of an illegal crab and
geoduck harvesting scheme. 161 Wash. 2d at 520 -21. The sentencing court ordered the defendant
to pay restitution for expenses that the State incurred to investigate the defendant' s case and to
resurvey the crab -and -geoduck- inhabited lands. 161 Wash. 2d at 522. Our Supreme Court upheld
the order imposing restitution for the .State' s expenses because the offenses directly victimized
the State, and thereby caused the State to incur extraordinary and unusual expenses. See 161
Wash. 2d at 527 -28.
Tobin is distinguishable from this case. In Tobin, the defendant engaged in illegal crab
and geoduck harvesting. Tobin' s offenses directly victimized the State by depleting the State' s
crab and geoduck population and by damaging the State' s environment. 161 Wash. 2d at 519, 529-
30. Because the offenses directly victimized the State, the sentencing court in Tobin had
authority to impose restitution for the State' s expenses.
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No. 44271 -0 -II
Here, in contrast, Cawyer was convicted of custodial interference —an offense that
directly victimized Samuel and the children. But Cawyer' s offense neither directly victimized
the State, nor caused the State to incur extradition expenses to assist those who were directly
victimized by Cawyer' s offense. Rather, Cawyer' s offense caused the State to incur extradition
expenses to assist its prosecution of Cawyer. Thus, we hold that the State does not qualify as a
victim of Cawyer' s custodial interference because Cawyer' s offense neither directly victimized
the State nor caused the State to incur expenses to assist those who were directly victimized by
Cawyer' s offense. Therefore, the sentencing court erred by requiring Cawyer to pay the State' s
extradition expenses as restitution.5
II. THE STATE' S EXTRADITION EXPENSES AS A COURT COST UNDER RCW 10. 01. 160
The State argues that the sentencing court had authority to award the extradition expenses
as a court cost under RCW 10. 01. 160 Cawyer responds that RCW 10. 01. 160 did not give the
sentencing court authority to order her to pay the State' s extradition expenses as a court cost for
two reasons. First, Cawyer argues that the legislature' s removal of a clause in former RCW
9. 94A. 120( 10) ( 1988), which gave the sentencing court authority to impose a court cost for
extradition expenses, revealed the legislature' s intent to deprive the sentencing court of that
authority. Second, Cawyer argues that RCW 10. 01. 160 itself does not give the sentencing court
authority to impose a court cost for extradition expenses. We agree with the State.
5 Our holding that a sentencing court may not impose restitution for the State' s extradition
expenses, because it was not a victim of the offense, is consistent with the holdings of the
majority of states to have considered this issue. See, e. g., State v. Wildman, 296 N.J. Super. 565,
687 A.2d340, 341 -42 ( 1997) ( extradition expenses cannot be recovered by a county under the
guise of restitution becausecounty does not qualify as a victim who has
a sustained a loss); State
v. Maupin, 166 Ariz. 250, 801 P.2d 485, 488 ( Ct. App. 1990) ( " extending the term `victim' to
include a county seeking reimbursement for extradition costs would strain the commonly
accepted meaning of the word `victim ").
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The sentencing court required Cawyer to pay extradition expenses in a restitution order.
But we may uphold the sentencing court' s order where it reaches the right result, but for the
wrong reason. Hoflin v. City of Ocean Shores, 121 Wash. 2d 113, 134, 847 P.2d 428 ( 1993); see
also Tropiano v. City of Tacoma, 105 Wash. 2d 873, 876 -77, 718 P.2d 801 ( 1986) ( we may affirm
the sentencing court on any correct ground within the pleadings and proof).
We review statutory interpretation de novo. In re Det. of Williams, 147 Wash. 2d 476, 486,
55 P.3d 597 ( 2002). We interpret statutes so as to give effect to legislative intent. In re Pers.
Restraint of Nichols, 120 Wn. App. 425, 431, 85 P.3d 955 ( 2004). If a statute' s meaning is plain
on its face, we give effect to that plain meaning. State v. Jacobs, 154 Wash. 2d 596, 600, 115 P.3d
281 ( 2005). If the statute is susceptible to more than one reasonable interpretation, it is deemed
ambiguous and we " may resort to statutory construction, legislative history, and relevant case
law for assistance in discerning legislative intent." Christensen v. Ellsworth, 162 Wash. 2d 365,
373, 173 P.3d 228 ( 2007).
The sentencing court' s authority to impose court costs and fees is statutory. See State v.
Hathaway, 161 Wn. App. 634, 652, 251 P.3d 253 ( 2011). Because statutes imposing court costs
are in derogation of common law, they should be strictly construed. State v. Moon, 124 Wn.
App. 190, 195, 100 P.3d 357 ( 2004).
A. Removal of Extradition Expenses from Former RCW 9. 94A. 120( 10) ( 1988)
Cawyer argues that the legislature' s removal of a clause in former RCW 9. 94A. 120( 10)
1988), 6 which authorized the sentencing court' s imposition of a court cost for extradition
6 Former RCW 9. 94A. 120 ( 2001) was recodified as RCW 9. 94A.505. See LAws OF 2001, ch. 10,
6; compare former RCW 9. 94A. 120 ( 2001) with RCW 9. 94A. 505.
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No. 44271 -0 -II
expenses, revealed the legislature' s intent to deprive the sentencing court of this authority. LAWS
OF 1989, ch. 252, § 4. The State argues that a closer reading of the amendment reveals the
legislature' s intent to consolidate extradition expenses into the broader cost category of "legal
financial obligations." We agree with the State.
In 1989, the legislature completely rewrote former RCW 9. 94A. 120( 10):
If a sentence imposed includes (( a fine or restitution)) payment of a legal financial
obligation, the sentence shall specify (( a reasonable manner and time in which the
fine or restitution shall be paid. Restitution to victims shall be paid prior to any
terms as it deems appropriate under the circumstances, as are necessary ( a) to pay
to this statc by extradition was required, ( b) to make recoupment of the cost of
provided by law)) the total amount of the legal financial obligation owed, and
shall require the offender to pay a specified monthly sum toward that legal
financial obligation. Restitution to victims shall be paid prior to any other
payments of monetary obligations.
LAws OF 1989, ch. 252, § 4 ( emphasis added); compare former RCW 9. 94A. 120( 10) ( 1988) with
former RCW 9. 94A. 120( 10) ( 1990). This rewrite removed a clause granting the sentencing court
the authority to impose a court cost for " reimbursement of the state for costs of extradition." See
LAWS OF 1989, ch. 252, § 4. But the rewrite also removed clauses granting the sentencing court
the authority to order court costs, defense attorney fees, contributions to drug funds, and " other
payments as provided by law." See LAWS OF 1989, ch. 252, § 4. In place of these removed cost
categories, the legislature added a new cost category: " legal financial obligations." LAws OF
1989, ch. 252, § 4.
The legislature' s comprehensive rewrite of former RCW 9. 94. 120( 10) ( 1988) does not
reveal a legislative intent to remove the sentencing court' s authority to impose a court cost for
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No. 44271 -0 -II
extradition expenses. Rather, it reveals a legislative intent to consolidate cost categories,
including extradition expenses, into a new catch -all cost category of "legal financial obligations."
Thus, we hold that the legislature did not intend to remove the sentencing court' s authority to
impose a court cost for extradition expenses by rewriting former RCW 9. 94A. 120( 10) ( 1988).
B. Authority To Impose a Court Costfor Extradition Expenses Under RCW 10.01. 160
Cawyer argues that RCW 10. 01. 160 does not give the sentencing court authority to
impose a court cost for extradition expenses for two reasons. First, Cawyer argues that
extradition expenses do not constitute " expenses specially incurred by the state in prosecuting
the defendant." See RCW 10. 01. 160( 2). Second, Cawyer argues that the legislature revealed its
intent to exclude extradition expenses from RCW 10. 01. 160 by including clauses that explicitly
authorize court costs for "[ e] xpenses incurred for serving of warrants for failure to appear." We
disagree with Cawyer' s two arguments.
1. Expenses Specially Incurred by the State in Prosecuting the Defendant
RCW 10. 01. 160 states in part:
1) The court may require a defendant to pay costs. Costs may be imposed only
upon a convicted defendant, except for ... costs imposed upon a defendant for
preparing and serving a warrant for failure to appear.
2) Costs shall be limited to expenses specially incurred by the state in
prosecuting the defendant .... Expenses incurred for serving of
warrants for
failure to appear ... may be included in costs the court may require a
defendant to
pay.
RCW 10. 01. 160 gives the sentencing court authority to order the defendant to pay court costs,
but limits those court costs to " expenses specially incurred by the state in prosecuting the
defendant." Division Three of this court held that RCW 10. 01. 160 authorizes the sentencing
No. 44271 -0 -II
court to impose a court cost for extradition expenses. State v. Lass, 55 Wash. App. 300, 307 -08,
777 P.2d 539 ( 1988). We agree with Division Three.
We consider Oregon' s interpretation of former OR. REV. STAT. § 161. 665 ( 1971) when
interpreting RCW 10. 01. 160 because the version of RCW 10. 01. 160 that the legislature adopted
was based on former OR. REV. STAT. § 161. 665. Utter v. Dep' t of Soc. & Health Servs., 140 Wn.
App. 293, 303, 309, 165 P.3d 399( 2007); see also State v. Carroll, 81 Wash. 2d 95, 109, 500 P.2d
115 ( 1972). An Oregon appeals court held that former OR. REV. STAT. § 161. 665 authorized the
sentencing court to impose a court cost for expenses incurred to transport the defendant to
Oregon to face criminal charges as an expense " specially incurred by the state in prosecuting the
defendant." State v. Armstrong, 44 Or. App. 219, 605 P.2d 736, 737 -38 ( Ct. App. 1980). Like
Oregon, the majority ofjurisdictions to have considered the issue have held that " prosecution
costs include[] extradition costs." Maroney v. State, 849 N.E.2d 745, 749 ( Ind. Ct. App. 2006).
Consistent with this authority, we hold that RCW 10. 01. 160' s clause " expenses specially
incurred by the state in prosecuting the defendant" includes extradition expenses. This is
because extradition expenses are incurred by the State in the special situation of prosecuting a
defendant in Washington State who is initially located outside of this state.
2. Expenses Incurredfor Serving of Warrants for Failure To Appear
Cawyer argues that the legislature intended to exclude extradition expenses from RCW
10. 01. 160 because RCW 10. 01. 160 includes clauses that authorize the imposition of a court cost
for "[ e] xpenses incurred for serving of warrants for failure to appear." We disagree.
7 Cawyer' s warrant was not a warrant for failure to appear. VRP at 47 -48.
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Expressio unius est exclusio alterius is a canon of statutory construction which states that
to express one thing in a statute implies the exclusion of the other. State v. Bravo Ortega, 177
Wash. 2d 116, 124, 297 P.3d 57 ( 2013). In other words, " where a statute specifically designates the
things or classes of things on which it operates —an inference arises in law that the legislature
intentionally omitted all things or classes of things omitted from it." Mason v. Ga. -Pac. Corp.,
166 Wash. App. 859, 864, 271 P.3d 381, review denied, 174 Wash. 2d 1015 ( 2012).
RCW 10. 01. 160 includes clauses that authorize and limit the imposition of court costs for
e] xpenses incurred for serving of warrants for failure to appear." But this wording does not
reveal a legislative intent to exclude extradition expenses for two reasons.
First, the legislature did not omit extradition expenses from RCW 10. 01. 160. Rather, it
included extradition expenses by allowing the sentencing court to impose a court cost for
expenses specially incurred by the state in prosecuting" the defendant. RCW 10. 01. 160; see
Lass, 55 Wash. App. at 307 -08; Armstrong, 605 P.2d at 737 -38; Maroney, 849 N.E.2d at 749.
Thus, no inference arises in law that the legislature intended to omit extradition expenses from
RCW 10. 01. 160 because extradition expenses were not omitted from it.
n
Second, under RCW 10. 01. 160( 2), "[ e] xpenses incurred for serving of warrants for
failure to appear" may be imposed upon a defendant who was not convicted, unlike other
expenses specially incurred by the [ S] tate in prosecuting the defendant." Thus, RCW.
10. 01. 160' s clauses that authorize and limit the imposition of a court cost for "[ e] xpenses
incurred for serving of warrants for failure to appear" reveal a legislative intent to limit a unique
court cost that may be collected from a defendant who is not convicted, rather than an intent to
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limit which court costs constitute " expenses specially incurred by the state in prosecuting the
defendant."
For these two reasons, the provision authorizing the imposition of a court cost for
e] xpenses incurred for serving of warrants for failure to appear" does not reveal a legislative
intent to exclude extradition expenses from RCW 10. 01. 160. Because RCW 10. 01. 160 gives the
sentencing court statutory authority to impose a court cost for extradition expenses as an expense
specially incurred by the state in prosecuting the defendant," we hold that RCW 10. 01. 160 gave
the sentencing court the authority to order the defendant to pay the State' s extradition expenses
as a court cost.
We affirm the amount that the sentencing court ordered for the State' s extradition
expenses under RCW 10. 01. 160, but reverse that amount' s characterization as restitution. We
remand for the sentencing court to modify its order consistent with this opinion.
We concur:
ianson, C. J. 9-
Melnick, J.
J.
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