State Of Washington v. Michael Thanh Donery ( 2020 )

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
DIVISION ONE
STATE OF WASHINGTON, ) No. 79803-1-I
)
Respondent, )
)
v. )
)
MICHAEL THANH DONERY, ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION
)
Appellant. )
)
VERELLEN, J. — A defendant has a constitutional right to an impartial jury.
But the trial court’s denial of a defendant’s challenge of a juror for cause does not
violate any rights of the defendant if the challenged juror does not sit on the panel,
even if the defendant chose to exercise a peremptory challenge. Because neither
of the jurors Michael Donery challenged for bias were seated, he fails to establish
that the use of one of his peremptory challenges prejudiced his case.
Neither the Washington nor United States Constitutions require a trial court
to conduct a colloquy to determine that a defendant’s waiver of his right to testify is
voluntary, knowing, and intelligent.
Therefore, we affirm.
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FACTS
Michael Donery lived in an apartment at the United States Mission with
three roommates. One afternoon, Donery smoked methamphetamine and
became paranoid. He stabbed his roommates repeatedly, causing life-threatening
injuries.
When the police arrived, they found Donery walking around outside.
Donery waved the officer over, gave him the knife, and told him he stabbed his
roommates in self-defense. Donery was charged with three counts of first degree
assault with deadly weapon sentence enhancements on each count.
Before voir dire, the trial court decided to select 14 jurors for the panel,
including two alternates. The court allowed each party eight peremptory
challenges. During voir dire, Donery challenged jurors 4 and 47 for cause. The
court denied both motions. Donery exercised a peremptory challenge on juror 4.
The last juror chosen from the venire was juror 45. With one peremptory
challenge remaining, Donery accepted the jury.
At trial, after the State rested, the court asked Donery if he wanted to
present a case. Donery’s counsel requested a short recess. After the recess, the
defense rested. The jury convicted Donery of two counts of first degree assault,
and one count of second degree assault, with deadly weapon sentence
enhancements on each count.
Donery appeals.
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ANALYSIS
I. Right to an Impartial Jury
Donery argues that he was denied his right to an impartial jury under article
I, section 21 of the Washington Constitution and the Sixth Amendment because
the court refused to dismiss jurors 4 and 47 after they demonstrated actual bias
during voir dire.
We review a trial court’s decision denying a for cause challenge for abuse
of discretion.1 A trial court abuses its discretion when its decision is based on
untenable grounds or reasons.2 We review constitutional issues de novo.3
The Sixth Amendment and article I, section 21 of the Washington
Constitution guarantee a defendant the “right to . . . trial by an impartial jury.” 4
“Actual bias provides a basis to challenge a juror for cause.”5 A juror
demonstrates actual bias when exhibiting “‘a state of mind . . . in reference to the
action, or to either party, which satisfies the court that the challenged person
cannot try the issue impartially and without prejudice to the substantial rights of the
party challenging.’”6 Merely equivocal answers do not require that a juror be
1State v. Guevara Diaz, 11 Wash. App. 2d 843, 856, 456 P.3d 869, review
denied, 195 Wash. 2d 1025, 466 P.3d 772 (2020).
2 Id.
3 City of Seattle v. Evans, 182 Wash. App. 188, 191, 327 P.3d 1303 (2014),
aff’d on other grounds, 184 Wash. 2d 856, 366 P.3d 906 (2015).
4 U.S. CONST. amend. VI; W ASH. CONST. art. I, § 22.
5 Guevara Diaz, 11 Wash. App. 2d at 855.
6 Id. (alteration in original) (quoting RCW 4.44.170(2)).
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removed when challenged for cause.7 Where a trial court denies a defendant’s
for cause challenge and the defendant “elects to cure” by exercising a peremptory
challenge, and the defendant is later convicted by a jury in which no biased juror
sat, the defendant has not been deprived of any constitutional right.8 A defendant
must show prejudice from the denial of a for cause challenge, and the use of a
preemptory challenge in and of itself does not constitute prejudice.9
Donery argues that the court improperly denied his motion to excuse juror 4
for cause “forcing him to use an invaluable peremptory.” 10 After the court denied
his for cause challenge, Donery exercised one of his peremptory challenges to
remove juror 4 from the jury. The defense rested with one peremptory challenge
remaining. Because juror 4 was not seated, Donery’s right to an impartial jury was
not violated. As our Supreme Court held in State v. Schierman, the fact that a
defendant used a peremptory challenge after the court denied a defendant’s for
cause challenge is not sufficient to prove that the defendant’s right to an impartial
jury was violated.11 Donery’s use of a peremptory challenge to remove juror 4 fails
to establish prejudice.
7State v. David, 118 Wash. App. 61, 70-71, 74 P.3d 686 (2003), review
granted, cause remanded, 154 Wash. 2d 1032, 119 P.3d 852 (2005), opinion
withdrawn in part, modified in part, 130 Wash. App. 232, 122 P.3d 764 (2005).
8 State v. Schierman, 192 Wash. 2d 577, 632, 438 P.3d 1063 (2018); see also
State v. Fire, 145 Wash. 2d 152, 158, 34 P.3d 1218 (2001).
9 Fire, 145 Wash. 2d at 160.
10 Appellant’s Br. at 6.
11 192 Wash. 2d 577, 632, 438 P.3d 1063 (2018); see also Fire, 145 Wash. 2d at
163.
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Donery also challenged juror 47 for cause. The court denied Donery’s
motion. But the last juror seated was juror 45. Because juror 47 was not seated,
Donery’s right to an impartial jury was not violated.12
Donery contends that because article I, section 21 of the Washington
Constitution provides more protection than the Sixth Amendment, we should
engage in a Gunwall13 analysis and return to the Parnell14 rule. The Parnell rule
provided “[a] refusal to sustain challenges for proper cause, necessitating
peremptory challenges on the part of the accused, will be considered on appeal as
prejudicial where the accused has . . . exhaust[ed] all his peremptory challenges
before the final selection of the jury.”15 But our Supreme Court expressly
abrogated Parnell and adopted the rule from United States v. Martinez-Salazar16
that when a defendant is denied a for cause challenge and “elects to cure” by
exercising a peremptory challenge, absent a showing of prejudice, no
constitutional right has been violated.17 Further, even under the abrogated Parnell
12
Because both jurors 4 and 47 were not seated, we need not address
Donery’s arguments that they were biased.
13 State v. Gunwall, 106 Wash. 2d 54, 720 P.2d 808 (1986).
14
State v. Parnell, 77 Wash. 2d 503, 463 P.2d 134 (1969), abrogated by Fire,
145 Wash. 2d at 152.
15 Fire, 145 Wash. 2d at 159-60.
16 528 U.S. 304, 305, 120 S. Ct. 774, 145 L. Ed. 2d 792 (2000).
17 Fire, 145 Wash. 2d at 165.
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rule, Donery’s conviction would not warrant reversal because he did not “exhaust
all his peremptory challenges.”18 We need not engage in a Gunwall analysis.19
Donery fails to establish a violation of his right to an impartial jury.
II. Right to Testify
Donery argues that his constitutional right to testify under both the
Washington and United States Constitutions was violated because the trial court
failed to conduct a colloquy to ensure that Donery’s waiver of his right to testify
was voluntary, knowing, and intelligent. He does not contend that he was
unaware of his right to testify, that he wanted to testify, or that he was prevented
from testifying. His sole contention is that the trial court’s failure to conduct a
colloquy alone merits reversal.
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to “[t]the United States
Constitution guarantee[ ] criminal defendants the right to testify in their own
defense.”20 And article I, section 22 of the Washington Constitution provides that
“[i]n criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the right . . . to testify on his own
behalf.” The right to testify “is fundamental, and cannot be abrogated by defense
18 Fire, 145 Wash. 2d at 159-60.
19 We note our Supreme Court in Fire observed that no Washington case
has recognized a difference between the Washington right to an impartial jury and
its federal counterpart. 145 Wash. 2d at 163. And in State v. Munzanreder, Division
Three of this court held that the Washington right “should be interpreted as
providing the same degree of protection as the parallel federal constitutional right.”
199 Wash. App. 162, 174, 398 P.3d 1160 (2017).
20
State v. Lee, 12 Wash. App. 2d 378, 387, 460 P.3d 701, review denied, 195
Wash. 2d 1032, 468 P.3d 622 (2020).
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counsel or by the court. Only the defendant has the authority to decide whether or
not to testify. The waiver of the right to testify must be made voluntarily, knowingly
and intelligently, but the trial court need not obtain an on the record waiver by the
defendant.21 “‘We . . . rely on defense counsel to inform the defendant of his
constitutional right to testify . . . and on the defendant’s conduct in not taking the
stand as a valid waiver of [the right].’”22
In State v. Thomas, our Supreme Court interpreting the federal constitution
held, “[A] trial judge is not required to advise a defendant of the right to testify in
order for a waiver of the right to be valid.”23 And in State v. Robinson, our
Supreme Court noted that “[o]nly the defendant has the authority to decide
whether or not to testify . . . the trial court need not obtain an on the record waiver
by the defendant.”24 Further, we held in State v. Russ and most recently in State
v. Lee that no formal colloquy is required to have a valid waiver of the right to
testify on one’s own behalf under the Washington Constitution.25
Donery fails to offer any compelling reason why a colloquy is required under
the Washington Constitution and why we should depart from Russ and Lee.
Because neither the United States nor Washington Constitutions mandates a
21 Id. at 388-89.
22State v. Russ, 93 Wash. App. 241, 246, 969 P.2d 106 (1998), as amended
on reconsideration (Jan. 12, 1999) (first alteration omitted) (alterations in original)
(quoting State v. Robinson, 89 Wash. App. 530, 535, 953 P.2d 97 (1997)).
23 128 Wash. 2d 553, 557, 910 P.2d 475 (1996).
24 138 Wash. 2d 753, 758-59, 982 P.2d 590 (1999).
25 Russ, 93 Wash. App. at 243; Lee, 12 Wash. App. 2d at 389.
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colloquy to determine that a defendant’s waiver of his right to testify is voluntary,
knowing, and intelligent, Donery’s arguments to the contrary are not persuasive.
Therefore, we affirm.
WE CONCUR:
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