Opinion ID: 2632445
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Discretion to cite and release rather than arrest

Text: ¶ 86 Gonzales next claims that his attorney erred by not arguing that Officer Black failed to use discretion to issue a citation or make a full custodial arrest for driving with a suspended license as required by former RCW 46.64.015 (1987) [23] and CrRLJ 2.1(b)(1). [24] Gonzales also asserts that Officer Black always makes full custodial arrests for driving while license suspended and always searches vehicles when he makes stops for that offense. ¶ 87 The State does not respond specifically to the ineffective assistance of counsel claim, but argues that even if the statute requires police officers to use discretion, there is no evidence that Officer Black did not use it here. It notes that he only testified that he chose to arrest in this case. Further, the State argues that various factors favored arrest over citing and releaseGonzales did not have a driver's license, he could not show he owned the car, and he did not have a valid registration. ¶ 88 A police officer has discretion to make a full custodial arrest or to issue a citation for the offense of driving while license suspended. State v. Pulfrey, 154 Wash.2d 517, 525-27, 111 P.3d 1162 (2005). If an officer has probable cause to believe a person is driving with a suspended license, he or she may place that person under custodial arrest without considering other alternatives he or she has available under the statute or the rule while conducting an investigation. Id. at 526, 111 P.3d 1162. Further, as the State notes, there is no indication in the record that Officer Black did not use discretion when he arrested Gonzales. ¶ 89 We conclude there is no reasonable probability that the outcome of the proceeding would have been different even if Gonzales' attorney had argued that Officer Black failed to use the required discretion when he arrested Gonzales for driving while license suspended.