Court Opinion

ID: 9960753
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-16 21:19:41.724721+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:19:52.186687
License: Public Domain

Filed
                                                                                       Washington State
                                                                                       Court of Appeals
                                                                                        Division Two

                                                                                        April 16, 2024

    IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

                                        DIVISION II
 STATE OF WASHINGTON,                                              No. 57874-3-II

                              Respondent,

        v.

 JAMES DOUGLAS MATTSON,                                     UNPUBLISHED OPINION

                              Appellant.

       CRUSER, C.J. – James Douglas Mattson appeals from his guilty plea convictions for

numerous counts of voyeurism. He argues that we should remand this matter to the trial court to

strike the $500 victim penalty assessment (VPA) and the $100 DNA collection fee imposed by the

trial court in light of recent amendments to RCW 7.68.035 and RCW 43.43.7541. The State

concedes that remand to strike the VPA and the DNA collection fee is appropriate. We accept the

State’s concession.

                                            FACTS

       At the sentencing hearing following his guilty plea, the trial court found that Mattson was

indigent pursuant to RCW 10.101.010(3). The trial court then imposed a $500 VPA and a $100

DNA collection fee.

                                           ANALYSIS

       Mattson asks that we remand this matter to the trial court to strike the VPA and the DNA

collection fee in light of recent amendments to RCW 7.68.035 and RCW 43.43.7541. He argues
No. 57874-3-II

that the recent amendments to these statutes provide that the VPA shall not be imposed on

defendants who, like himself, are indigent at the time of sentencing and that the DNA fee shall no

longer be collected. LAWS OF 2023, ch. 449, § 1, 4. The State concedes that remand for purposes

of striking the VPA and the DNA collection fee from Mattson’s judgment and sentence is

appropriate.

        Because Mattson’s case is currently on direct appeal, these statutory amendments apply to

Mattson. See State v. Ramirez, 191 Wn.2d 732, 749, 426 P.3d 714 (2018) (statutory amendments

pertaining to costs imposed upon conviction that take effect after sentencing apply to cases pending

on appeal). Thus, we accept the State’s concession.

        Accordingly, we remand for the superior court to strike the $500 VPA and the $100 DNA

collection fee from Mattson’s judgment and sentence.

        A majority of the panel having determined that this opinion will not be printed in the

Washington Appellate Reports, but will be filed for public record in accordance with RCW 2.06.040,

it is so ordered.

                                                     CRUSER, C.J.
 We concur:

 LEE, J.

 GLASGOW, J.

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