Opinion ID: 2599595
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Factual Allegations Relied Upon by the Majority Are Insufficient to Meet the Aho Standard

Text: Crabtree pleaded guilty to the averments in the information, by repeating these same averments in his statement on plea of guilty. [1] Challenges to the sufficiency of the information are of constitutional magnitude if they concern the essential elements of the crime charged, and an information is constitutionally deficient if the defendant shows he was prejudiced by imprecise charging language. State v. Moavenzadeh, 135 Wash.2d 359, 363 n. 2, 956 P.2d 1097 (1998) (citing State v. Campbell, 125 Wash.2d 797, 802, 888 P.2d 1185 (1995)). The majority claims Crabtree admitted the offenses occurred after the statute came into effect, implying the trial court was aware of the alleged admission in light of the effective date of the statute, and discounting the effect of the information and formal statement of facts supporting that plea. Majority at 819. Notwithstanding, the trial court included the month of June in its findings of fact as well as the judgment and sentence for counts II and IV, all of which include the extra-statutory month. That should end the irrelevant inquiry about what the trial court was subjectively thinking. The majority cites State v. Zumwalt, 79 Wash.App. 124, 901 P.2d 319 (1995) to explain the protections offered by CrR 4.2(d). Majority at 819. However, Zumwalt also imposes the additional requirement that the factual basis [for the trial court's determination] must be developed on the record at the plea hearing. Zumwalt, 79 Wash.App. at 130, 901 P.2d 319 (citing State v. Osborne, 102 Wash.2d 87, 95, 684 P.2d 683 (1984)) (emphasis added). Whether the trial court considered and rejected the factual assertions or never considered them at all, by including the extra month the court expressly allowed for the prospect that the conduct could have occurred during the extended period. There can be no certainty the judge, before accepting the guilty plea ... determine[d] that the defendant's admitted conduct constitute[d] the charged offenses. Majority at 819. We are in no position to rewrite the same decision we are charged to review.