In Re: The Detention Of Randy R. Smith ( 2021 )

Filed
Washington State
Court of Appeals
Division Two
November 9, 2021
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
DIVISION II
In the Matter of the Detention of:
No. 54505-5-II
RANDY R. SMITH,
Appellant. UNPUBLISHED OPINION
CRUSER, J. – A jury found that Randy Smith was a sexually violent predator (SVP). He
appeals his commitment, arguing that (1) the trial court commented on the evidence by instructing
jurors that his prior offense was a “crime of sexual violence,”1 (2) the trial court erred by not
instructing jurors that he could be subject to a new SVP petition for a recent overt act (ROA), (3)
the trial court erred by refusing to substitute the phrase “sexually violent predator” with the phrase
“criteria for civil commitment” in the jury instructions,2 and (4) the trial court erred by allowing
the State’s expert to testify about the injuries suffered by the victim from his prior offense.
We hold that (1) Smith failed to preserve his challenge to the trial court’s instruction that
Smith’s prior offense was a “crime of sexual violence” on the basis that it was a comment on the
evidence, (2) Smith failed to preserve his argument that the trial court erred by not instructing
1
Br. of Appellant at 7.
2
Br. of Appellant at 32.
No. 54505-5-II
jurors that Smith could be subject to a new SVP petition, (3) the trial court did not err by refusing
to substitute the phrase “sexually violent predator” in the jury instructions, and (4) it was not error
for the trial court to admit the expert testimony regarding the injuries suffered by the victim from
Smith’s prior offense, but even if it was error, admission of the testimony was harmless.
Accordingly, we affirm Smith’s commitment as an SVP.
FACTS
Smith has two criminal convictions for sex offenses. In 1990, he was found guilty of first
degree child rape. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to voyeurism. In 2018, before the end of Smith’s
sentence for voyeurism, the State filed an SVP petition against him. The State used Smith’s 1990
conviction as the predicate sexually violent offense in its petition.
I. MOTIONS IN LIMINE
Prior to trial, Smith moved in limine to exclude evidence of the injuries sustained by the
victim in his 1990 offense. Smith argued that the evidence was hearsay, that it was unreasonable
for the State’s expert to rely on it, and that the evidence was “not particularly relevant and, as a
result, the prejudice outweigh[ed] the probative value.” Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 111. The State
opposed this motion, arguing that the injuries were relevant to its expert’s opinions regarding
Smith’s emotional and volitional impairments and Smith’s “callousness.” Id. at 421. The expert
indicated that there was enough evidence, aside from the victim’s injuries, for him to render the
same opinion without that evidence. The trial court denied Smith’s motion “for the reasons
articulated by the State in their response. I will allow evidence regarding the physical injury. The
proffer provided by the State is sufficient for that to be admitted.” Report of Proceedings (RP) at
38.
2
No. 54505-5-II
In addition, Smith moved to substitute the phrase “sexually violent predator” with the
phrase “criteria for civil commitment” throughout the proceedings. CP at 115. In support of his
motion, Smith provided the trial court with research showing that the term “sexually violent
predator” affects juror decisions, arguing that the phrase itself is prejudicial and should be replaced
during the trial. Id. at 116. The trial court also denied this motion, stating, “I understand the
concern. That is the term that the law uses.” RP at 44.
II. TRIAL TESTIMONY
A. Testimony of Smith
At trial, Smith testified via video deposition. His testimony included factual details
surrounding both of his sexual offenses. Regarding the 1990 offense, Smith testified that he had
been at a party and was having sexual relations with the woman who invited him. The two had
been separated, “which made [Smith] mad,” and he passed out. CP at 509. When he woke up, he
“started looking through the house for females” and found a three-year-old girl in her bedroom.
Id. Smith laid her on the floor, covered her mouth, and vaginally raped her for 10 to 15 minutes.
He attributed the rape to his being angry with the other people at the party, and said that he heard
voices telling him to “hurt somebody” and “make them pay for . . . doing what they did.” Id. at
574. A jury found Smith guilty of first degree child rape, and he received an exceptional sentence.
While in prison for that offense, Smith received an infraction for sexual harassment
towards staff. Smith was attracted to a female correctional officer because she was “small, petite”
and looked young for her age. Id. at 524. In an effort to “compromise staff for sexual reasons,” he
attempted to give her gifts, like jewelry that he had made. Id. He was released from prison in 2008.
3
No. 54505-5-II
In 2012, Smith began fantasizing about young girls. About twice a week, Smith walked
around stores to look for young girls and secretly photograph them. He would delete the photos
after using them to masturbate. The girls ranged in age from 6 years old to 17 years old. Smith did
this for about a year, until June 2013. Smith was arrested after a little girl at the store caught his
attention, and he “followed her over by the dressing room” and “tried taking a picture underneath
the dressing room door.” Id. at 556-57. Smith was charged with voyeurism and pleaded guilty.
Smith did not indicate in his testimony that the possibility of a future SVP petition would
have a deterrent effect on his future behavior.
B. Testimony of Dr. Arnold
In addition, the State presented expert testimony from Dr. Dale Arnold, a forensic
psychologist. Before Dr. Arnold began testifying as to his opinions regarding Smith’s mental state
and likelihood of reoffending, the trial court instructed the jury as follows:
Dr. Arnold is about to testify regarding information he reviewed which is
part of the basis for his opinion. You may consider this testimony only in deciding
what credibility and weight should be given to the opinions of Dr. Arnold. You may
not consider it as evidence that the information relied upon by the witness is true or
that the events described actually occurred.
3 Verbatim Report of Proceedings (VRP) at 491-92.
Dr. Arnold then testified about his evaluation of Smith and the risk assessment tools he
used to assess Smith’s risk of reoffending. Dr. Arnold described details of Smith’s 1990 offense
as information that he considered in rendering his opinion. He explained that, in his opinion, Smith
has a mental abnormality that makes him more likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence
if not confined to a secure facility. Dr. Arnold explained that this mental abnormality was sexual
attraction to children, and that Smith’s “antisocial personality plays a role because I think that can
4
No. 54505-5-II
lead to emotional impairment, meaning that for some people harming others is uncomfortable to
you; therefore, that discomfort you experience if you harm others keeps you from engaging in the
behavior.” Id. at 573-74.
During Dr. Arnold’s testimony, there were several occasions when he mentioned the
injuries sustained by the 1990 victim. First, when describing the actual event, Dr. Arnold stated,
“because of his size and her size, being three years old, it caused tissue damage, and so there was
a rip that went from her vagina to her rectum. . . . Ultimately she required surgery to correct some
of the tissue damage that had been done.” Id. at 516. Dr. Arnold later indicated that the reason
Smith received an exceptional sentence for his 1990 offense “was the damage that was done to the
child. It was exceptional in terms of the damage that was done.” Id. at 520. Lastly, when discussing
his evaluation relating to Smith’s sexual interests, Dr. Arnold testified, “even though the 1990
crime was violent and it caused, you know, tissue tearing of the child and everything, there is no
indication that the pain of the child caused him to be more sexually excited.” Id. at 611.
III. JURY INSTRUCTIONS
The trial court’s “Instruction No. 4” listed the elements that the State needed to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt, which included, “(1) That Randy Smith has been convicted of one
crime of sexual violence, namely Rape of a Child in the First Degree.” CP at 785. Smith did not
object or propose alternate language. In addition, “Instruction No. 8” informed the jury that
“‘[s]exual violence’ or ‘harm of a sexually violent nature’ means: Rape of a Child in the First
Degree, . . . Any attempt to commit one of the crimes listed above also constitutes a ‘sexually
violent offense.’” Id. at 789.
5
No. 54505-5-II
Smith also did not object to the absence of an instruction including language about the
possibility of a future petition based on an ROA, nor did he propose any such instruction. The jury
was instructed, “[i]n determining whether [Smith] is likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual
violence if not confined to a secure facility, you may consider all evidence that bears on the issue.”
Id. at 787. The jury was also instructed that,
As jurors, you are officers of this court. You must not let your emotions
overcome your rational thought process. You must reach your decision based on
the facts proved to you and on the law given to you, not on sympathy, bias, or
personal preference. To assure that all parties receive a fair trial, you must act
impartially with an earnest desire to reach a proper verdict.
Id. at 782.
IV. VERDICT AND APPEAL
The jury found that Smith was a sexually violent predator. The trial court entered an order
of commitment under RCW 71.09.060. Smith appeals.
DISCUSSION
I. SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR STATUTE
“For a person to be committed as an SVP, RCW 71.09.060(1) requires the State to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt that the person is a sexually violent predator within the meaning of the
commitment statute.” In re Det. of Taylor-Rose, 199 Wn. App. 866, 873, 401 P.3d 357 (2017). To
do so, the State must prove three elements:
(1) that the respondent “has been convicted of or charged with a crime of sexual
violence,” (2) that the respondent “suffers from a mental abnormality or personality
disorder,” and (3) that such abnormality or disorder “makes the person likely to
engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility.”
6
No. 54505-5-II
In re Det. of Post, 170 Wn.2d 302, 309-10, 241 P.3d 1234 (2010) (quoting RCW 71.09.020(19)).3
II. JUDICIAL COMMENT
In order to show that a person is an SVP, the State must first prove that the respondent “has
been convicted of or charged with a crime of sexual violence.” RCW 71.09.020(19). Smith argues
that the trial court improperly commented on the evidence by instructing jurors to find that Smith’s
prior conviction of first degree child rape qualified as a “crime of sexual violence,” and that this
instruction relieved the State of its burden of proof.4 Br. of Appellant at 7. We hold that Smith
failed to preserve this challenge.
A. LEGAL PRINCIPLES
Under article IV, section 16 of the Washington Constitution, a trial court is prohibited from
“ ‘conveying to the jury his or her personal attitudes toward the merits of the case’ or instructing
a jury that ‘matters of fact have been established as a matter of law.’ ” State v. Levy, 156 Wn.2d
709, 721, 132 P.3d 1076 (2006) (quoting State v. Becker, 132 Wn.2d 54, 64, 935 P.2d 1321(1997)). Impermissible judicial comments on the evidence are presumed to be prejudicial. Id. at
725. If there has been a comment on the evidence, we are required to reverse unless the record
affirmatively shows that no prejudice could have resulted or the State can show that the defendant
was not prejudiced. Id. “But because it is the trial court’s duty to declare the law, a jury instruction
3
RCW 71.09.020 has been amended since the events of this case transpired and the briefing was
filed. These amendments did not change the statutory language at issue in this case, but they did
change the numbering of listed definitions. See LAWS OF 2021, ch. 236, § 2. This opinion cites to
the current version of the statute.
4
Smith frames this issue in terms of due process, arguing that the State was relieved of its burden
to prove that the sexual crime he was convicted of was violent in fact. However, judicial comments
are analyzed under article IV, section 16 of the Washington Constitution and need not be analyzed
separately under the due process clause.
7
No. 54505-5-II
that does no more than accurately state the law pertaining to an issue is proper.” Taylor-Rose, 199
Wn. App. at 874.
“It has long been the law in Washington that an ‘appellate court may refuse to review any
claim of error which was not raised in the trial court.’ ” State v. O’Hara, 167 Wn.2d 91, 97-98,
217 P.3d 756 (2009) (quoting RAP 2.5(a)). However, there is an exception when the error is a
“manifest error affecting a constitutional right.” RAP 2.5(a); O’Hara, 167 Wn.2d at 98. Error is
manifest under RAP 2.5(a) if the appellant can show actual prejudice, demonstrated by a “
‘plausible showing by the [appellant] that the asserted error had practical and identifiable
consequences in the trial of the case.’ ” O’Hara, 167 W.2d at 99 (alteration in original) (internal
quotation marks omitted) (quoting State v. Kirkman, 159 Wn.2d 918, 935, 155 P.3d 125 (2007)).5
B. ANALYSIS
Because Smith did not object below, he must demonstrate that the trial court’s instructions
indicating that first degree child rape is a “crime of sexual violence” was a manifest error affecting
a constitutional right. See In re Det. of Monroe, 198 Wn. App. 196, 201, 392 P.3d 1088 (2017).
Smith fails to show that this was manifest error resulting in actual prejudice. In order to do
so, Smith must show that this instruction “ ‘had practical and identifiable consequences in the trial
of the case.’ ” O’Hara, 167 W.2d at 99 (quoting Kirkman, 159 Wn.2d at 935). Smith has not
5
Although the supreme court in Levy indicated that a judicial comment on the evidence will always
be considered even if raised for the first time on review, 156 Wn.2d at 719-20, subsequent cases
have clarified that RAP 2.5(a)(3) requires the appellant to demonstrate that “(1) the error is
manifest, and (2) the error is truly of a constitutional dimension.” O’Hara, 167 Wn.2d at 98; see
also Kirkman, 159 Wn.2d at 934 (“RAP 2.5(a)(3) does not permit all asserted constitutional claims
to be raised for the first time on appeal, but only certain questions of ‘manifest’ constitutional
magnitude.”).
8
No. 54505-5-II
demonstrated that the outcome of the trial would have been different had the jury been instructed
differently.
Here, the trial court instructed the jury that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt
“[t]hat Randy Smith has been convicted of one crime of sexual violence, namely Rape of a Child
in the First Degree.” CP at 785. Smith appears to only challenge the above instruction. However,
the trial court also instructed the jury that “‘[s]exual violence’ or ‘harm of a sexually violent nature’
means: Rape of a Child in the First Degree.” Id. at 789. Both of these instructions are consistent
with the pattern jury instructions.6
Smith argues that the language, “ ‘namely Rape of a Child in the First Degree,’ ” should
have been removed from Instruction No. 4 so that the jury could determine whether the offense
was violent “ ‘in fact.’ ” Br. of Appellant at 14-15.7 But the jury heard Smith testify that his victim
was three years old and that he raped her for 10 to 15 minutes while covering her mouth. The jury
also heard that Smith committed this rape out of anger. Smith does not argue that a different
instruction would have produced a different result or would have otherwise “ ‘had practical and
identifiable consequences in the trial of the case.’ ” O’Hara, 167 W.2d at 99 (quoting Kirkman,
159 Wn.2d at 935). Therefore, Smith has failed to show that the trial court’s instruction that his
6
The pattern instruction on the elements for commitment reads: “That(respondent’s name)has
been convicted of a crime of sexual violence, namely(identify crime of sexual violence).” 6A
WASHINGTON PRACTICE: WASHINGTON PATTERN JURY INSTRUCTIONS: CIVIL 365.10(1) (7th ed.
2019) (WPI). In addition, WPI 365.16 reads, “ ‘Sexual violence’ [or] [‘harm of a sexually violent
nature’] means:(identify the applicable crimes).” (Brackets in original.)
7
In making this argument, Smith relies on dictionary definitions for the word “violence.” This
type of argument was expressly rejected by the court in In re Detention of Coppin, 157 Wn. App.
537, 553, 238 P.3d 1192 (2010).
9
No. 54505-5-II
conviction for first degree rape of a child was a “crime of sexual violence” was a manifest error
affecting a constitutional right.
Accordingly, Smith has waived this challenge.8
III. INSTRUCTION ON POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE PETITION
Smith argues that the trial court erred in not instructing the jurors that he could be subject
to a new SVP petition in the future for an ROA. We disagree.
In Taylor-Rose, we held that specific language to this effect in a jury instruction is not
required for an SVP respondent to argue that the possibility of a future petition based on an ROA
would serve as a deterrent and decrease the likelihood of reoffense. Taylor-Rose, 199 Wn. App. at
885-86. We adhere to our decision in Taylor-Rose; therefore, the trial court’s instruction was not
erroneous and we reject this contention.9 10
8
We additionally note that we agree with the prior decisions of this court in Taylor-Rose and
Coppin that the terms “crime of sexual violence” and “sexually violent offense” are synonymous.
Taylor-Rose, 199 Wn. App. at 876; Coppin, 157 Wn. App. at 553-54. Thus, Instruction No. 4
accurately stated the law and was not a comment on the evidence. See Taylor-Rose, 199 Wn. App.
at 876.
9
Even if Taylor-Rose was wrongly decided, Smith cannot show that any error in the jury
instructions was manifest. For this to be manifest error, Smith must show that this omission in the
jury instructions “ ‘had practical and identifiable consequences in the trial of the case.’ ” O’Hara,
167 W.2d at 99 (quoting Kirkman, 159 Wn.2d at 935). Smith has not argued, much less
demonstrated, that the outcome of the trial would have been different had the jury been instructed
about the possibility of a future petition based on an ROA. Therefore, Smith has failed to show
that the trial court’s omission of such an instruction is a manifest error affecting a constitutional
right.
10
Smith also argues that “procedural and substantive due process require application of the
‘manifestly apparent’ standard in civil commitment cases” when reviewing jury instructions. Br.
of Appellant at 21. Even if we reviewed this issue on the merits, we have “previously rejected
application of the ‘manifestly apparent’ standard to review the sufficiency of jury instructions in
the civil commitment context.” Urlacher, 6 Wn. App. 2d at 739.
10
No. 54505-5-II
IV. INCLUSION OF “SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR” IN JURY INSTRUCTIONS
Smith argues that the trial court erred in including the phrase “sexually violent predator”
in the jury instructions. Br. of Appellant at 30. We disagree.
A. LEGAL PRINCIPLES
We review a trial court’s refusal to provide a proposed jury instruction for an abuse of
discretion. In re Det. of Pouncy, 168 Wn.2d 382, 390, 229 P.3d 678 (2010). “A trial court abuses
its discretion if its decision is manifestly unreasonable or based on untenable grounds.” In re Det.
of Urlacher, 6 Wn. App. 2d 725, 741, 427 P.3d 662 (2018). “A decision is based on untenable
grounds when it relies on an incorrect interpretation of the law or applies the wrong legal standard.”
Id. A trial court’s refusal of an instruction that does not accurately state the law is proper. Id.B. ANALYSIS
Smith argues that the phrase “sexually violent predator” is itself unfairly prejudicial, and
its inclusion in the instructions “inflamed the jury’s passions and prejudices.” Br. of Appellant at
31.
The SVP statute includes the phrase “sexually violent predator” throughout the statute. See
ch. 71.09 RCW. A “ ‘[s]exually violent predator’ ” is defined as “any person who has been
convicted of or charged with a crime of sexual violence and who suffers from a mental abnormality
or personality disorder which makes the person likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual
violence if not confined in a secure facility.” RCW 71.09.020(19). The purpose of the law is to
distinguish “sexually violent predators” from those who may be deemed appropriate for civil
commitment under chapter 71.05 RCW. RCW 71.09.010.
11
No. 54505-5-II
At trial, Smith requested that the trial court substitute the phrase “sexually violent predator”
with the phrase “criteria for civil commitment.” CP at 115. Smith provided the trial court with
research showing that the phrase “sexually violent predator” affects juror decisions. The trial court
denied this request on the basis that “[t]hat is the term that the law uses.” RP at 44. This was not
an abuse of the court’s discretion. Including this term in the jury instructions is consistent with the
pattern jury instructions11 and accurately states the law. Therefore, it was proper for the court to
deny Smith’s request that did not accurately state the law under which the State sought to commit
Smith. See Urlacher, 6 Wn. App. 2d at 741.
Smith argues that his due process rights were violated because the lack of neutral language
in the jury instructions “encourages jurors to prefer commitment even if the person is not mentally
ill and currently dangerous.” Br. of Appellant at 34. However, the jury was not encouraged to
prefer commitment. Rather, jurors were instructed to “not let [their] emotions overcome [their]
rational thought process” and to reach their decision “based on the facts provided to [them] and on
the law given to [them], not on sympathy, bias, or personal preference.” CP at 782. In addition,
the jurors were instructed to “act impartially” to “assure that all parties receive a fair trial.” Id. The
jury is presumed to follow the trial court’s instructions. See State v. Clark, 187 Wn.2d 641, 654,
389 P.3d 462 (2017).
We hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to substitute the phrase
“sexually violent predator” with “criteria for civil commitment” in the jury instructions.12
11
See, e.g., WPI 365.10 (“To establish that(respondent’s name)is a sexually violent predator, the
State must prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt.”).
12
To the extent that Smith intended this claim to cover any use of the phrase “sexually violent
predator” throughout the trial, rather than just in the jury instructions, our decision is the same.
12
No. 54505-5-II
V. EVIDENCE OF INJURIES SUSTAINED BY VICTIM IN PREDICATE OFFENSE
Smith argues that evidence of the injuries sustained by the victim in his 1990 offense should
have been excluded. We disagree.
A. STANDARD OF REVIEW
We “will not disturb a trial court’s rulings on a motion in limine or the admissibility of
evidence absent an abuse of the court’s discretion.” State v. Powell, 126 Wn.2d 244, 258, 893 P.2d
615 (1995).
B. ANALYSIS
1. Relevance
Smith suggests that the evidence of the victim’s injuries was not relevant because (1) the
evidence was not necessary for the State to establish the predicate offense and (2) the State’s
expert, Dr. Arnold, “did not tie the graphic evidence to any opinion he gave.” Br. of Appellant at
36.
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. The State had to prove that Smith “suffers from a mental
abnormality or personality disorder.” RCW 71.09.020(19).
Dr. Arnold relied on facts of the 1990 offense generally in rendering his opinion, but he
also relied on the evidence of the victim’s injuries specifically. In response to Smith’s motion in
limine, the State provided Dr. Arnold’s deposition testimony relating the injuries to Smith’s
emotional and volitional impairments and callousness, and the trial court denied Smith’s motion
“for the reasons articulated by the State.” RP at 38. Dr. Arnold similarly testified at trial that
13
No. 54505-5-II
Smith’s “antisocial personality plays a role because I think that can lead to emotional impairment,
meaning that for some people harming others is uncomfortable to you; therefore, that discomfort
that you experience if you harm others keeps you from engaging in the behavior.” 3 VRP at 573-
74. Dr. Arnold also testified that the victim’s injuries were relevant to Smith’s sexual interests. Id.
at 611 (“even though the 1990 crime was violent and it caused, you know, tissue tearing of the
child and everything, there is no indication that the pain of the child caused him to be more sexually
excited.”).
Because Dr. Arnold relied on the evidence in rendering his opinion, the evidence was
relevant.13
2. Probative Value vs. Unfair Prejudice
Nevertheless, Smith argues that evidence of the victim’s injuries should have been
excluded because it was highly prejudicial “and had (at most) minimal probative value.” Br. of
Appellant at 34. We disagree with Smith that the probative value of this evidence was outweighed
by the potential for prejudice.
Under ER 403, a trial court may exclude relevant evidence “if its probative value is
substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.”14 In rendering an opinion, an expert
witness may rely upon facts that need not be otherwise admissible in evidence if the facts are
13
It is worth noting that if Smith were correct that the State must prove that his crime of first
degree rape of a child was a crime of sexual violence “in fact,” as opposed to merely a sexually
violent offense as classified by the statute (issue I), then the victim’s injuries would most certainly
be relevant and admissible on that issue.
14
Smith argues that the trial court was required to balance these factors on the record, which the
trial court did not do. However, the requirement that this balance be on the record appears to only
apply to ER 404(b) evidence. See, e.g., Powell, 126 Wn.2d at 264. This evidence does not fall
under ER 404(b) because it was offered as a basis for an expert opinion under ER 703.
14
No. 54505-5-II
reasonably relied upon by experts in the field. ER 703. “An expert can testify regarding the basis
for his opinion for the limited purpose of showing how he reached his conclusion only if the
probative value of the basis for the opinion is not substantially outweighed by its prejudicial
nature.” State v. Acosta, 123 Wn. App. 424, 436, 98 P.3d 503 (2004).
Because the trial court admitted the testimony for the limited purpose of showing how Dr.
Arnold reached his opinions, “[t]he primary question is whether [he] reasonably relied” on
evidence of the victim’s injuries in rendering his opinions under ER 703. Id. In Acosta, the State’s
expert testified about the defendant’s criminal history in rebutting the claim that the defendant had
diminished capacity. Id. at 429. This court held that it was unreasonable for the expert to rely on
the defendant’s criminal record “because he did not know the facts surrounding the arrests and
convictions” and “his testimony failed to tie his findings regarding diminished capacity to Acosta’s
criminal history or mental state.” Id. at 436-37. In addition, the expert “had sufficient facts on
which to base his opinion without relying on the [criminal history].” Id. at 437.
Here, Dr. Arnold knew the facts surrounding Smith’s 1990 offense, and he tied his opinions
regarding Smith’s mental state to the evidence of the victim’s injuries during the trial. Even though
Dr. Arnold had sufficient other facts without relying on the evidence of the injuries, it was
reasonable for him to rely on this evidence in his comprehensive analysis of both Smith’s mental
state and likelihood of reoffending because the evidence was directly relevant to his opinions.
The court in Acosta explained that, even if the expert reasonably relied on the evidence, it
is still subject to ER 403 balancing. Id. Here, other factual details surrounding Smith’s underlying
offense permeated the SVP trial, including Smith’s own testimony that he held down a three-year-
old, covered her mouth, and forcibly raped her with his penis. In light of the other evidence the
15
No. 54505-5-II
jury heard from Smith himself, Dr. Arnold’s testimony did not unfairly prejudice Smith, and the
trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing Dr. Arnold to testify about the victim’s injuries.
3. Harmless Error
Even if it was error for the trial court to admit this testimony, any error was harmless.
“ ‘An evidentiary error which is not of constitutional magnitude, . . . requires reversal only
if the error, within reasonable probability, materially affected the outcome.’ ” Id. at 438 (quoting
State v. Stenson, 132 Wn.2d 668, 709, 940 P.2d 1239 (1997)). Therefore, we must “assess whether
the error was harmless by measuring the admissible evidence [ ] against the prejudice caused by
the inadmissible testimony.” Id.Here, the jury was given a limiting instruction to consider the bases for Dr. Arnold’s
opinions “only in deciding what credibility and weight should be given to the opinions of Dr.
Arnold.” 3 VRP at 491. Dr. Arnold referred to the victim’s injuries only a few times during the
trial. Although Smith did not discuss the victim’s injuries, he discussed the actual events of the
1990 offense in graphic detail.
The jury heard from Smith himself that he, a grown man, removed a 3-year-old child from
her bed and, while angry, held her down, placed his hand over her mouth, and forcibly raped her
for 10 to 15 minutes. This was a horrific act. A person of common understanding would conclude
that this act caused the victim extreme pain and terror, and it is in no way surprising that injury
ensued. In light of the admission of this evidence, it strains credulity to conclude that undue
prejudice ensued because the jury heard that the victim suffered an injury to her vaginal region as
a result of the rape.
16
No. 54505-5-II
Therefore, even if the trial court erred in allowing Dr. Arnold to testify about the victim’s
injuries in the 1990 case, this error was harmless, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion in
admitting the evidence.
CONCLUSION
We hold that Smith failed to preserve his argument that the trial court’s instruction that his
prior offense was a “crime of sexual violence” was a comment on the evidence. In addition, we
hold that Smith failed to preserve his argument that the trial court should have instructed the jury
that Smith could be subject to a new SVP petition for an ROA. We also hold that the trial court
did not err by refusing to substitute the phrase “sexually violent predator” in the jury instructions.
Finally, we hold that, it was not error for the trial court to admit the expert testimony regarding the
injuries suffered by the victim from Smith’s prior offense, but even if it was error, any resulting
error was harmless. Accordingly, we affirm.
A majority of the panel having determined that this opinion will not be printed in the
Washington Appellate Reports, but will be filed for public record in accordance with RCW 2.06.040,
it is so ordered.
CRUSER, J.
We concur:
MAXA, J.
LEE, C.J.
17
No. 54505-5-II
18