Opinion ID: 1360803
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: State v. Fisher

Text: On March 14, 1991, Seattle Police Officer Michael Alphin and his partner, Officer Wright, were working undercover, posing as buyers of illegal narcotics. Three other officers comprised the arrest team, which was in radio contact with Alphin and Wright. While driving around the Columbia City area of Seattle, Alphin came in contact with Larry Williams, who, in response to Alphin's offer to buy drugs, led Alphin and Wright to a corner where Alonzo King was standing. King, in turn, led Alphin and Williams to an apartment where they could each buy $20 worth of cocaine. Officer Alphin testified the door to the apartment was wide open. He entered the apartment and saw two persons lying on a couch which faced the door. The two persons were later identified as Michael Fisher and Stonya Connor. Fisher and Connor sat up and leaned forward when Alphin, Williams, and King entered. Following some incidental conversation, Fisher told Connor to go ahead and sell to them. Connor opened her hand to reveal two small rocks, appearing to Alphin to be rock cocaine. Alphin took one of the rocks, inspected it, and gave Connor a marked $20 bill. Williams looked at the other rock, but declined to buy it because it was too small. As Alphin turned to leave, he asked Fisher if he could come back later to make another purchase. Fisher responded yes, there would be more drugs later. On cross-examination, Alphin admitted this final exchange was not included in his first report but in a second report, prepared only after communication with the prosecuting attorney. Officer Alphin returned to his vehicle and told Officer Wright he had made a good buy. Wright radioed the arrest team to move in for the arrest. Alphin and Wright then left the area. The arrest team was comprised of officers Bruce, Christophersen, and Waltz. Christophersen testified that, following Officer Wright's radioed instructions, they went to the apartment. The door was open. Christophersen looked in and saw two persons matching the radioed description of Fisher and Connor. The three officers immediately entered the apartment with guns drawn, yelled police and you are under arrest, then arrested and handcuffed Fisher and Connor. Approximately 30 seconds elapsed from the radio signal to the arrest. After Fisher and Connor were read their rights and said they understood them, Officer Bruce asked where the buy money was. Connor told him it was in her brassiere. Fisher and Connor then were taken to the south precinct of the Seattle Police Department and placed in holding cells. Officer Tammy Baldwin searched Connor, finding in her brassiere four $20 bills and a 35mm film canister containing what appeared to be rock cocaine. One of the $20 bills was the marked bill used by Officer Alphin to purchase cocaine from Fisher and Connor. The rock purchased from Connor by Officer Alphin and the rock obtained in Officer Baldwin's search of Connor both were tested and determined to be cocaine. Fisher, Connor, Williams, and King each were charged with delivery of a controlled substance, and Fisher and Connor were charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. RCW 69.50.401(a)(1)(i). Because the apartment was located 540 feet from Whitman Elementary School, a school zone enhancement allegation was added for each count under RCW 69.50.435. Fisher's first trial ended in a mistrial, with the jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict. In Fisher's second trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts with the school zone enhancement allegations. He was sentenced to two 65-month, standard range concurrent terms. Through different counsel on appeal, Fisher challenged his warrantless arrest and claimed ineffective assistance of trial counsel for failure to challenge the arrest at trial. The Court of Appeals, Division One, affirmed Fisher's conviction. State v. Fisher, 74 Wn. App. 804, 874 P.2d 1381 (1994). The court held his failure to seek suppression of evidence obtained following his warrantless arrest waived his right to have it suppressed under article I, section 7 of the Washington Constitution. As in McFarland, the Court of Appeals held counsel's representation was deficient per se, but concluded it could not determine from the record on appeal whether a motion to suppress would have been granted if made. Unlike Division Two in McFarland, however, Division One remanded for a suppression hearing.