Court Opinion

ID: 9794389
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 03:04:58.894421+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:15:05.171185
License: Public Domain

Johnson, J.
(dissenting) — Although I agree with the majority's conclusion that the Legislature likely did not intend to transform a repeat DWI into a felony when it amended RCW 46.61.515(2), the language of this section of the statute is not ambiguous and therefore is not subject to "interpretation".
The relevant statutory provisions are contained in two paragraphs within RCW 46.61.515(2). In the first, the Legislature authorizes nonsuspendable ("mandatory") jail sentences of up to 1 year. In the second, the Legislature authorizes a suspended term of 180 days "in addition to" the mandatory sentence described in the first paragraph. A repeat DWI offender thus faces a potential sentence of up to V/2 years in length. Under Washington law, this turns the offense into a felony, see RCW 9A.04.040(2), and deprives the district court of jurisdiction. See RCW 3.66.060.
The majority purports to avoid this result by applying principles of statutory interpretation, yet it ignores the primary principle that unambiguous language is to be applied as written. E.g., State v. Smith, 117 Wn.2d 263, 270-71, 814 P.2d 652 (1991); Tacoma v. State, 117 Wn.2d 348, 356, 816 P.2d 7 (1991); Sidis v. Brodie/Dohrmann, Inc., 117 Wn.2d 325, 329, 815 P.2d 781 (1991). The District Court and the Superior Court found the language unambiguous, as did the *560Court of Appeals prior to remand. See State v. Elgin, 54 Wn. App. 739, 742, 775 P.2d 991, review denied, 113 Wn.2d 1025 (1989). Neither party identifies any ambiguous language in the statute.
Directly contradicting the statute's clearly expressed terms, the majority adds its own limitation that the sum total of the mandatory sentence and the suspended sentence not exceed 1 year in duration. Such a limitation makes good policy, as it preserves district court jurisdiction over all aspects of DWI prosecutions. Yet this is a matter for legislative, not judicial, consideration. Here, the statute clearly authorizes incarceration in excess of 1 year with no indication anywhere that the Legislature intended otherwise. The majority's holding to the contrary is not warranted under any principle of statutory interpretation.
Because district courts lack jurisdiction over a felony, I would affirm the Superior Court's judgment vacating the sentence Elgin received under RCW 46.61.515(2). Nevertheless, I would not dismiss the prosecution. Even if the District Court lacked jurisdiction under RCW 46.61.515(2)'s provisions for repeat offenders, the court still retains jurisdiction to impose a sentence under the general provisions of RCW 46.61.515(1). Pursuant to RCW 46.61.515(1), "[e]very person who is convicted of [a DWI offense] shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than twenty-four consecutive hours nor more than one year . . .." I would remand for resentencing under RCW 46.61.515(1) and leave the redrafting of RCW 46.61.515(2) to the Legislature.
Utter and Smith, JJ., concur with Johnson, J.