/Fli:E, 

IN CLERKS OFFICE 

IUI'I\EME COURT, .STATE OF Wi\llHINO'Illll 

DATE !£\f 1 0 201§ 

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This opinion was filed for record 

at (}'oo c;U\,1. onNW 10 1 2f)L~ 

d&c-~Ci~ SUSAN L. CARLSON 

SUPREME COURT CLERK 

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON 

STATE OF WASHINGTON, NO. 92775-8 

Petitioner, 

v. ENBANC 

MIGUEL ANGEL ALBARRAN, 

Respondent. 

Filed f,:nv 1 o 2016 

GORDON McCLOUD, J.-A jury found Miguel Albarran guilty of several 

crimes, including second degree rape of a child (in violation of RCW 9A.44.076) 

and second degree rape (in violation ofRCW 9A.44.050(1)(b)), based on a single 

act. At sentencing, the parties and the trial court all agreed that the rape and child 

rape convictions violated double jeopardy protections. U.S. CONST. amend. V; 

WASH. CaNST. art. I, § 9. The remedy for a double jeopardy violation is vacation of 

the conviction for the lesser offense; here, the trial court concluded that the lesser 

offense was second degree child rape and vacated that conviction. 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

Albarran appealed because the enhanced second degree rape carried a 

mandatory sentence of 25 years, while the vacated conviction did not. Albarran 

argued that a different and more important violation occurred in this case: a violation 

of the so-called "general-specific rule." State v. Albarran, No. 46162-5-II, slip op. 

at 17 (Wash. Ct. App. Dec. 1, 2015) (unpublished), 

www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/D2%2046162-5-II%20Unpublished%200pinion.pdf. 

The remedy for a violation of the "general-specific" rule is vacation ofthe conviction 

for the "general" offense; Albarran contends that the more general offense in this 

case is second degree rape. The Court of Appeals agreed with Albarran, vacated the 

conviction for second degree rape, reinstated the conviction for second degree rape 

of a child, and remanded for resentencing. I d. at 17-21. 

We granted the State's petition for review and now reverse. State v. Albarran, 

185 Wn.2d 1025,377 P.3d 722 (2016). 

FACTS 

Albarran began dating T.P.'s mother in 2010 and moved into the home she 

shared with T.P. in July 2012. T.P.'s mother testified that on the morning of April 

1, 2013, she was walking past T.P. 's room on her way to the laundry room when she 

noticed Albarran on T.P. 's bed with his face near her vagina. She immediately began 

shouting at Albarran, asking him what he was doing to her 13-year-old daughter. 

The shouting woke T.P. T.P. testified that she had no recollection of what occurred 

2 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

while she was sleeping. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) swabs taken from T.P.'s 

underwear and leg matched Albarran's semen and saliva. 

Albarran denied any wrongdoing. He testified that he was in T.P.'s room only 

because he saw that she had kicked her blanket onto the floor and he was in the 

process of covering her back up when T.P.' s mother walked by. As for the presence 

of his semen and saliva on T.P., Albarran speculated that T.P.'s mother had 

intentionally transferred his DNA onto T.P.'s leg and underwear using a vibrator 

that she and Albarran used during intercourse in an attempt to frame him for rape as 

revenge for his many sexual affairs. 

Because T.P. was 13 and asleep during the rape, the State charged Albarran 

with both second degree child rape (RCW 9A.44.076) and second degree rape of a 

person incapable of consent due to physical helplessness or mental incapacity (RCW 

9A44.050(1)(b)). With respect to the second degree rape charge, the State also 

charged the special aggravating factor that the rape involved a victim under age 15 

(RCW 9.94A837). This aggravating factor carried a mandatory minimum tenn of 

25 years in this case. The State also charged two other aggravating factors on each 

count. Those other aggravating factors did not carry a mandatory minimum term at 

all but allowed the sentencing court to impose an exceptional minimum term above 

the guidelines in its discretion. 

3 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

Procedural History 

Prior to trial, Albarran moved to dismiss the second degree rape charge on 

double jeopardy grounds. He renewed the motion at trial. The State agreed with 

Albarran that the double jeopardy clause bars conviction for both crimes but argued 

that Albarran's motion was premature because he had not yet been convicted. The 

trial court denied Albarran's motion and instructed the jury on all charges. The jury 

found Albarran guilty as charged. 

At sentencing, Albarran raised the double jeopardy motion again. The State 

conceded that under this court's decision in State v. Hughes, 166 Wn.2d 675, 684-

86, 212 P.3d 558 (2009), the simultaneous convictions of second degree rape and 

second degree child rape for a single act violated double jeopardy clause protections. 

Accordingly, it argued that the trial court should apply the remedy required for 

double jeopardy violations: vacation of the conviction that carries the lesser 

sentence. The parties agreed that, here, the lesser sentence attached to the second 

degree child rape conviction. 

But Albarran also argued that the simultaneous rape and child rape 

convictions violated a different legal doctrine-the '"general-specific' rule." 

Clerk's Papers (CP) at 42 (quoting State v. Conte, 159 Wn.2d 797, 803-04, 154 P.3d 

194 (2007); State v. Shriner, 101 Wn.2d 576, 580, 681 P.2d 237 (1984)). This rule 

provides that '"where a special statute punishes the same conduct which is [also] 

4 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

punished under a general statute, the special statute applies and the accused can be 

charged only under that statute."' Shriner, 101 Wn.2d at 580 (quoting State v. Cann, 

92 Wn.2d 193, 197, 595 P.2d 912 (1979)). This rule applies only where two statutes 

are "concurrent"-that is, where "the general statute will be violated in each instance 

where the special statute has been violated." I d. The purpose ofthe general-specific 

rule is to preserve the legislature's intent to penalize specific conduct in a particular, 

less onerous way1 and hence to minimize sentence disparities resulting from 

unfettered prosecutorial discretion. Id. at 581-83. Albarran argued that second 

degree child rape is the more specific crime, relative to second degree rape 

predicated on the victim's mental or physical helplessness, and that the proper 

remedy was therefore vacation of his conviction for the latter (more general) crime. 

The trial court agreed with the State and vacated the second degree child rape 

conviction. It refused to apply the general-specific rule and concluded that the other, 

more typical, double jeopardy remedy applied. It added that even if the generalspecific rule did apply, it was unclear whether child rape would qualify as the more 

1 We have never applied the rule to bar prosecution under a more lenient "general" 

statute. E.g., Shriner, 101 Wn.2d at 580; State v. Danforth, 97 Wn.2d 255, 257-58, 643 

P.2d 882 (1982); State v. Walls, 81 Wn.2d 618,622,503 P.2d 1068 (1972). Courts in other 

jurisdictions have adopted rules equivalent to Washington's general-specific rule, e.g., 

Commonwealth v. Lussi, 562 Pa. 621, 626,757 A.2d 361 (2000); People v. Jenkins, 28 Cal. 

3d 494, 501-05, 170 Cal. Rptr. 1, 620 P.2d 587 (1980); and at least one has held that the 

general-specific rule does not bar the prosecutor from seeking a less severe penalty under 

more general statutes, Mitchell v. Superior Court, 49 Cal. 3d 1230, 1249-50,783 P.2d 731, 

265 Cal. Rptr. 144 (1989); RCW 9 .94A.421 (general-specific rule does not bar prosecutors 

from electing to charge under more general, but also more lenient, statute). 

5 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

specific crime because the crime of second degree rape of a person who was under 

age 15 and also incapable of consent due to physical helplessness or mental 

incapacity encompassed more elements than does second degree child rape. 

Division Two of the Court of Appeals reversed under the general-specific rule 

and remanded for resentencing. Albarran, slip op. at 17-21. We granted the State's 

petition for review. Albarran, 185 Wn.2d 1025. 

ANALYSIS 

As noted above, the parties agree that Albarran's convictions for both second 

degree rape and second degree rape of a child violate double jeopardy protections. 

That result is compelled by this court's decision in Hughes. 166 Wn.2d at 681-86. 

The remedy for a violation of double jeopardy protections is to vacate the "lesser" 

offense-meaning either the offense that forms part of the proof of the other (greater) 

offense or the offense that triggers the lesser sentence. State v. Weber, 159 Wn.2d 

252, 266-69, 149 P.3d 646 (2006). The rationale for this remedy is the presumption 

that the legislature does not intend a defendant to benefit (get a lighter sentence) 

from committing more crimes. Id. at 267. 

As this court recognized in Hughes, with respect to second degree rape and 

second degree child rape, "it is not apparent from the code alone which conviction 

6 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

is the lesser offense." 166 Wn.2d at 686 n.l3.2 Thus, with respect to this particular 

double jeopardy violation (convictions for second degree rape and second degree 

child rape arising from the same act), the "lesser" conviction must be identified on 

a case-by-case basis. I d. Here, however, the parties agree that Albarran's conviction 

for second degree child rape triggered the lesser sentence and is therefore the offense 

that would normally be vacated to remedy a double jeopardy violation.3 

2 This is because these two crimes carry the same mandatory maximum and, absent 

any special allegation, trigger the same mandatory minimum sentence as well. RCW 

9.94A.507(3)(b) (for second degree rape and second degree rape of a child, the court shall 

impose a maximmn and minimmn term, with the maximum term equal to the statutory 

maximum); RCW 9A.20.021 (statutory maximum for class A felony committed after July 

1, 1984, is life imprisonment); RCW 9A.44.076(2) (rape of a child in the second degree is 

class A felony), .050(2) (rape in the second degree is class A felony)~ RCW 9.94A.515 

(second degree rape and second degree rape of a child both included in "seriousness level" 

XI), .510 (seriousness level XI crime carries standard range sentence of78-l 02 months for 

defendant with offender score of zero), .507(3)(c)(i) (absent any special fmding, the 

minimum term imposed for a second degree rape or second degree child rape conviction 

"shall be either within the standard sentence range for the offense, or outside the standard 

range pursuant to RCW 9.94A.535, if the offender is otherwise eligible for such a 

sentence"). 

3 This is apparently because, on the second degree rape count, the State alleged and 

the jury found the special aggravating circtunstance that the victim was under 15 years 

old-which triggered a mandatory minimum sentence of25 years on that count-but there 

was no equivalent special allegation with respect to the second degree child rape charge. 

CP at 51 (Felony J. & Sentence) (citing RCW 9.94A.507(3)(c)(ii)), 21-22 (Third Am. 

Info.). The trial court agreed with the parties and ruled that the second degree child rape 

charge carried the lesser sentence, but it did so without considering the aggravating factors 

that the jury found with respect to that charge. See supra note 1. The trial court's ruling 

is questionable to the extent that it ignored these factors, but because the parties have 

neither challenged that ruling nor briefed this issue, we decline to address it here. We 

therefore accept the trial court's ruling that the second degree child rape charge carried the 

lesser sentence in this case. 

7 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

But Albarran nevertheless argues for vacating his second degree rape 

conviction instead. He contends that the double jeopardy rule is superseded by the 

general-specific rule-which requires that we vacate the conviction for the more 

general crime-and he argues that the more general crime here is second degree 

rape. In other words, Albarran argues that RCW 9A.44.050(l)(b) (second degree 

rape predicated on the victim's mental or physical incapacity) and RCW 

9A.44.076(l) (second degree rape of a child) are "concurrent statutes" triggering the 

general-specific rule because the rape of a child is always a rape predicated on the 

victim's mental or physical incapacity. 

As support for this theory, Albarran relies exclusively on Hughes. 166 Wn.2d 

675. He acknowledges that Hughes did not address the general-specific rule at all 

and that its holding was limited to the double jeopardy context, but he nevertheless 

argues that its reasoning supports his position. Specifically, Albarran cites portions 

of the Hughes opinion stating that proving the victim's youth relative to the 

perpetrator, per the child rape statute, and proving the victim's mental or physical 

helplessness, per the second degree rape statute, are just two different ways of 

proving the nonconsent element of second degree rape. See Resp't's Suppl. Br. at 

10-11 (citing Hughes, 166 Wn.2d at 684). He contends that this makes the two 

statutes "concurrent" and therefore triggers the general-specific rule. Id. at 11. 

8 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

This argument fails because it confuses the double jeopardy analysis with the 

analysis required by the general-specific doctrine. But these analyses are not the 

same. 

The double jeopardy analysis is designed to determine whether the legislature 

intended multiple punishments for different crimes arising from the same act. 

Hughes, 166 Wn.2d at 683-84. The general-specific rule, by contrast, is designed to 

determine whether the legislature intended to limit prosecutorial charging discretion, 

impliedly barring a prosecution for a general offense whenever the alleged criminal 

conduct meets the elements of a more specific crime. Shriner, 101 Wn.2d at 580-83 

(citing State v. Walls, 81 Wn.2d 618, 622-23, 503 P.2d 1068 (1072); State v. 

Danforth, 97 Wn.2d 255, 257-59, 643 P.2d 882 (1982)). Hughes held that the 

legislature intended "to preclude multiple punishments for the crimes of rape and 

rape of a child arising out of one act." 166 Wn.2d at 684. It said nothing about the 

legislature's intent to bar second degree rape prosecutions whenever the victim is 

between 12 and 14 years old, not married to the perpetrator, and at least 36 months 

younger than the perpetrator (the elements of second degree rape of a child, RCW 

9A.44.076). 

In fact, there is clear evidence of legislative intent to the contrary. The 

legislature has expressly authorized the prosecution of second degree rape crimes in 

9 
State v .. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

cases where the victim is under age 15, i.e., where the victim is a child, by enacting 

RCW 9.94A.837(1). That statute provides: 

In a prosecution for rape in the first degree, rape in the second degree, 

indecent liberties by forcible compulsion, or kidnapping in the first 

degree with sexual motivation, the prosecuting attorney shall file a 

special allegation that the victim of the offense was under fifteen years 

of age at the time of the offense whenever sufficient admissible 

evidence exists, which, when considered with the most plausible, 

reasonably foreseeable defense that could be raised under the 

evidence, would justifY a finding by a reasonable and objective fact 

finder that the victim was under fifteen years of age at the time of the 

offense, unless the prosecuting attorney determines, after consulting 

with a victim, that filing a special allegation under this section is likely 

to interfere with the ability to obtain a conviction. 

RCW 9.94A.837(1) (emphasis added). That special enhancement for victims under 

age 15 imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years. RCW 

9.94A.507(3)(c)(ii). This enhancement is unambiguous evidence that the legislature 

did not intend for child rape statutes to supplant second degree rape statutes or limit 

the punishments available to those who rape children. On the contrary, the 

enhancement shows· that the legislature meant to give prosecutors the power to 

charge rape of victims under age 15 as second degree rape, and to increase the 

punishments available for that crime. Albarran disputes the significance of this 

enhancement, arguing that the legislature could have intended for it to apply only to 

the other means of committing second degree rape that do not involve rape of a 

person incapable of consent (e.g., rape by forcible compulsion). 

10 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

But there is no such limiting language in the statute. The enhancement instead 

states that it applies to prosecutions for "rape in the second degree." We therefore 

interpret this enhancement as applying to any second degree rape prosecution. 

Henne v. City of Yakima, 182 Wn.2d 447, 453, 341 P.3d 284 (2015) ("Where the 

plain language of a statute is unambiguous and 'the legislative intent is apparent, .. 

. we will not construe the statute otherwise."' (alteration in original) (quoting State 

v. J.P., 149 Wn.2d 444, 450, 69 P.3d 318 (2003))). 

This interpretation is further buttressed by the fact that the enhancement was 

enacted in the same bill enacting another enhancement for victims with diminished 

capacities. LAws OF 2006, ch. 122, § 3. In that statute, the legislature expressly 

limited the application of the diminished capacity enhancement to certain 

prosecutions for second degree rape. That statute provides: 

In a prosecution for rape in the first degree, rape in the second 

degree with forcible compulsion, indecent liberties with forcible 

compulsion, or kidnapping in the first degree with sexual motivation, 

the prosecuting attorney shall file a special allegation that the victim 

of the offense was, at the time of the offense, developmentally 

disabled, mentally disordered, or a frail elder or vulnerable adult, 

whenever sufficient admissible evidence exists, which, when 

considered with the most plausible, reasonably foreseeable defense 

that could be raised under the evidence, would justify a finding by a 

reasonable and objective fact finder that the victim was, at the time of 

the offense, developmentally disabled, mentally disordered, or a frail 

elder or vulnerable adult, unless the prosecuting attorney determines, 

after consulting with a victim, that filing a special allegation under this 

section is likely to interfere with the ability to obtain a conviction. 

11 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

RCW 9.94A.838(1) (emphasis added). Given the absence of similar limiting 

language under RCW 9.94A.837(1), the legislature must have intended that the 

special child enhancement apply to all second degree rape prosecutions without 

exception and that prosecutors therefore have the authority to prosecute under either 

child rape or second degree rape statutes when the elements of each crime are met. 

Thus, equating the double jeopardy analysis with the concurrency analysis conflicts 

with the purpose of each: determining whether the legislature intended multiple 

punishments (or not) and determining whether the legislature intended multiple 

prosecutions (or not). 

CONCLUSION 

The general-specific rule is a means of answering the question, Did the 

legislature intend to give the prosecutor discretion to charge a more serious crime 

when the conduct at issue is fully described by a statute defining a less serious crime? 

But here we have a much more direct answer to that question: in RCW 9.94A.837(1 ), 

the legislature explicitly stated that RCW 9A.44.050(1)(b) (second degree rape 

predicated on the victim's mental or physical incapacity) can be charged where the 

complainant is a child. That means that it can be charged in the same circumstances 

where RCW 9A.44.076 (second degree rape of a child) is charged. The Court of 

Appeals erred by concluding otherwise. We therefore reverse the Court of Appeals 

and remand to the trial court to reinstate the judgment and sentence. 

12 
State v. Albarran (Miguel Angel), No. 92775-8 

WE CONCUR: 

13