Opinion ID: 1122539
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Hansen contends there was insufficient evidence to find a violation under RCW 9A.72.160. Hansen bases this contention on the premise that there was no evidence presented at trial which established Hansen intended or knew his threat would reach the judge. [5] A challenge to the sufficiency of evidence requires the reviewing court to consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, and the court must reject the challenge if a rational trier of fact could have found all of the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Green, 94 Wn.2d 216, 220-21, 616 P.2d 628 (1980). A claim of insufficiency admits the truth of the State's evidence and all inferences that reasonably can be drawn therefrom. State v. Spruell, 57 Wn. App. 383, 385, 788 P.2d 21 (1990). Because we conclude RCW 9A.72.160(1) does not require that the defendant's threat must be made with the intent or knowledge that the threat reach the judge, no evidence is required to prove such intent. Therefore, the elements required to be proven under RCW 9A.72.160(1) are: (1) that a person directs a threat, either directly or indirectly; (2) to a judge; and (3) because of a ruling or decision by that judge in any official proceeding. In the present case, the record supports the trial court's finding that these elements were present. The elements are established by Hansen's statement to Youtz that he was going to get a gun and blow [the judge] away. This satisfies both the first element, as it was a threatening statement made indirectly, i.e., to a third party, and the second element, since the judge was one of the objects of the threat. The third element is proven by the fact that Hansen made the threat because of Judge Dixon's earlier official action when Hansen was convicted of a felony. Viewing the evidence most favorably to the prosecution, a rational trier of fact could find all the elements of RCW 9A.72.160(1) beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, we conclude there was sufficient evidence introduced at trial to prove that Hansen was guilty of intimidating a judge under RCW 9A.72.160.