State of Washington v. Lawrence Wilbert Adams, Jr.

FILED
Aug. 9, 2016
In the Office of the Clerk of Court
WA State Court of Appeals, Division Ill
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
DIVISION THREE
STATE OF WASHINGTON,
Respondent,
V.
LAWRENCE W. ADAMS,
Appellant.
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No. 33078-8-111
UNPUBLISHED OPINION
PENNELL, J. -Lawrence Adams, Jr. appeals various aspects of the sentence
imposed upon him in Spokane County Superior Court. Finding no error, we affirm.
FACTS
Mr. Adams was convicted of felony assault after a bench trial and sentenced to 303
months' confinement. The sentencing court imposed $18,668.66 in legal financial
obligations (LFOs) and ordered Mr. Adams to submit a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
sample. The judgment and sentence also provided this latter requirement would "not
apply if it is established that the Washington State Patrol crime laboratory already has a
sample from the defendant for a qualifying offense." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 142. Mr.
Adams did not make any objections to the judgment and sentence on the record.

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No. 33078-8-111
State v. Adams
ANALYSIS
Mr. Adams challenges the superior court's imposition of LFOs. Although no
objection was made in the trial court, Mr. Adams asks us to review the issue pursuant to
State v. Blazina, 182 Wn.2d 827, 344 P.3d 680 (2015). Mr. Adams's Blazina claim fails
because the LFOs at issue here are all mandatory rather than discretionary. 1 As such, they
must be imposed regardless of the defendant's ability to pay. State v. Stoddard, 192 Wn.
App. 222,225, 366 P.3d 474 (2016).
In addition to his general objection to the imposition of LFOs, Mr. Adams makes
two specific objections to the imposition of a mandatory $100 DNA collection fee under
RCW 43.43.7541. Again, these arguments have been raised for the first time on appeal.
First, Mr. Adams argues that imposition of the DNA fee without inquiry into ability to
pay violates his substantive due process rights. 	Second, he argues the mandatory DNA
fee violates his equal protection rights by requiring first-time felony offenders to pay the
fee once, while requiring repeat felony offenders to pay the fee multiple times.
1 The sentencing court imposed a $500.00 victim assessment fee, a $200.00
criminal filing fee, and a $100.00 DNA collection fee. 	Each of these is mandated by
statute. See RCW 7.68.035; RCW 36.18.020(2)(h); RCW 43.43.7541. The sentencing
court also imposed restitution of $17,868.66. Restitution is required where, as here, the
offender is convicted of an offense resulting in injury to a person. RCW 9.94A.753(5).
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No. 33078-8-III
State v. Adams
Under RAP 2.5(a), we have discretion to decline review of errors raised for the
first time on appeal. An exception applies when a party presents "manifest error affecting
a constitutional right." RAP 2.5(a). In order to prove manifest error, "[t]he defendant
must identify a constitutional error and show how, in the context of the trial, the alleged
error actually affected the defendant's rights." State v. McFarland, 127 Wn.2d 322, 333,
899 P .2d 1251 ( 1995). "[I]t is this showing of actual prejudice that makes the error
'manifest', allowing appellate review." Id. (quoting State v. Scott, 110 Wn.2d 682, 688,
757 P.2d 492 (1988)). 	One caveat is that the facts necessary to the adjudication must be
in the record on appeal for the exception to apply. Id.
Although Mr. Adams's arguments involve alleged violations of his constitutional
rights, the record before us is insufficient to grant relief. A substantive due process
challenge to the imposition of LFOs would involve analyzing Mr. Adams's financial
circumstances at the time of recoupment. See State v. Blank, 131 Wn.2d 230, 241-42, 930
P.2d 1213 (1997). Because recoupment has not begun, we cannot yet assess those
circumstances. Additionally, standing to make an equal protection claim requires proof
that an individual has been negatively impacted by a classification scheme. See State v.
Handley, 115 Wn.2d 275, 290-91, 796 P.2d 1266 (1990). No such proof is contained in
the record. Given these circumstances, we decline to review Mr. Adams's arguments for
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No. 33078-8-III
State v. Adams
the first time on direct appeal under RAP 2.5(a). Stoddard, 192 Wn. App. at 226-27.
Finally, Mr. Adams argues the trial court erred in ordering him to submit a sample
of his DNA under RCW 43.43.754 because he has already submitted a DNA sample as a
result of a prior conviction. We disagree. Mr. Adams'sjudgment and sentence form
specifies a DNA sample need not be collected "if it is established that the Washington
State Patrol crime laboratory already has a sample from the defendant for a qualifying
offense." CP at 142. This is consistent with the statute. Particularly given there was no
evidence before the superior court regarding whether the state patrol in fact had a sample
of Mr. Adams's DNA, the court did not err in ordering the DNA collection.
Based on the foregoing, the felony judgment and sentence of the trial court is
affirmed.
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.
Pennell,J. JG=
WE CONCUR:
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