Court Opinion

ID: 9930289
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-06 16:19:56.845239+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:11:17.257540
License: Public Domain

FILED
                                                          FEBRUARY 6, 2024
                                                      In the Office of the Clerk of Court
                                                     WA State Court of Appeals, Division III

         IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
                            DIVISION THREE

STATE OF WASHINGTON,                         )         No. 39149-3-III
                                             )
                     Respondent,             )
                                             )
              v.                             )         UNPUBLISHED OPINION
                                             )
TIMOTHY EDWARD NATION,                       )
                                             )
                     Appellant.              )

       LAWRENCE-BERREY, J. — Timothy Nation appeals the trial court’s imposition of a

victim penalty assessment (VPA) and DNA collection fee due to recent legislation. The

State concedes. We accept the State’s concession and remand for the sentencing court to

strike both legal financial obligations (LFOs) from Mr. Nation’s judgment and sentence.

                                         FACTS

       A jury convicted Timothy Nation of custodial assault. During sentencing, defense

counsel asked the trial court to waive all discretionary fines because Mr. Nation was

disabled and received disability payments as income. The court agreed, but noted that

there were mandatory fines that could not be waived. As a result, the court imposed a

mandatory $500 VPA and a mandatory $100 DNA collection fee. Mr. Nation timely

appealed.
No. 39149-3-III
State v. Nation

                                      ANALYSIS

      Mr. Nation contends the VPA and the DNA collection fees must be struck from his

judgment and sentence due to changes in the law. The State concedes. We accept the

State’s concession.

      VPA

      Under former RCW 7.68.035(1)(a) (2018), the sentencing court was required to

impose a VPA on any individual found guilty of a crime. Effective July 1, 2023,

the legislature amended RCW 7.68.035 to preclude superior courts from imposing a

VPA on a defendant who, at the time of sentencing, is found to be indigent as defined in

RCW 10.01.160(3). See LAWS OF 2023, ch. 449, § 1(4). Statutory amendments related to

LFOs imposed upon conviction generally apply to all cases pending on direct appeal that

are not yet final. See, e.g., State v. Wemhoff, 24 Wn. App. 2d 198, 201-02, 519 P.3d 297

(2022); State v. Ramirez, 191 Wn.2d 732, 749, 426 P.3d 714 (2018).

      Mr. Nation’s case is pending on direct appeal and is not yet final. And although

the sentencing court did not check the indigency box on Mr. Nation’s judgment and

sentence, it seemed to have found him to be indigent based on its decision to impose only

mandatory LFOs. Therefore, the amended statute applies, and we direct the sentencing

court to strike the VPA from his judgment and sentence.

                                            2
No. 39149-3-111
State v. Nation

       DNA collection fee

       Similarly, under former RCW 43.43.7541 (2018), the sentencing court was

required to impose a DNA collection fee of $100 for every sentence imposed for the

crimes specified in RCW 43.43.754. Effective July 1, 2023, the legislature amended

RCW 43.43.7541 by removing language that authorized imposition of the DNA collection

fee. See LAWS OF 2023, ch. 449, § 4. Again, the new statute applies to Mr. Nation's case

because it is pending on direct appeal. We therefore direct the sentencing court to strike

the DNA collection fee from his judgment and sentence.

      Affirmed, but remanded to strike the VPA and DNA collection fees.

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

Washington Appellate Reports, but it will be filed for public record pursuant to

RCW 2.06.040.

                                          Lawrence-Berrey, J.

WE CONCUR:

Fearing,~ >

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