State Of Washington v. Joseph A. Peltier ( 2013 )

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
STATE OF WASHINGTON,
) DIVISION ONE
Appellant,
) No. 68942-8-1
V.
) PUBLISHED OPINION tnrn',-
JOSEPH ALBERT PELTIER,
vP '- . •—
Respondent. ) FILED: September 16, 2013
Dwyer, J. — By amended information, the State charged Joseph Peltier
with four felonies. The superior court dismissed the charges, ruling that the
applicable statutory limitation periods had expired prior to the charges being filed
and that, accordingly, the court was without authority to proceed. We affirm.
I
On September 6, 2002, the State charged Peltier with two counts of
second degree rape, one count of second degree child molestation, and one
count of second degree rape of a child. Each of the charges was filed within the
applicable limitation period.1
1One count of second degree rape, alleged to have been committed against B.M., was
allegedly committed in September 1993. The other count of second degree rape, alleged to have
been committed against S.B., was allegedly committed in October 1993. The applicable statute
of limitations provided that, ifthe offense was reported within one year after its commission, it
could not be charged more than ten years following its commission. Former RCW
9A.04.080(1 )(b)(iii)(A) (1993) (providing that violations of RCW 9A.44.050, rape in the second
degree, "shall not be prosecuted more than ten years after their commission" if"reported to a law
enforcement agency within one year" of commission).
No. 68942-8-1/2
Peltier and the State subsequently stipulated to a bench trial on agreed
documentary evidence. Pursuant to the stipulation agreement, on July 14, 2003,
the State filed an amended information charging Peltier with one count of rape in
the third degree and one count of indecent liberties. The charges set forth in the
amended information were not filed within the applicable limitation period.2 The
stipulation agreement did not acknowledge, however, that the charges were time-
barred.
The stipulation agreement did provide that Peltier agreed not to challenge
any conviction on the charged offenses, including by means of a personal
restraint petition. The agreement further provided:
If the defendant fails to appear for sentencing, or if prior to
sentencing the defendant commits any new offense or violates any
condition of release, the State may recommend a more severe
sentence.
If the defendant violates any other provision of this
agreement, the State may either recommend a more severe
sentence, file additional or greater charges, or re-file charges that
were dismissed. The defendant waives any objection to the filing of
additional or greater charges based on pre-charging or pre-trial
delay, statutes of limitations, mandatory joinder requirements, or
double jeopardy.
(Emphasis added.)
On January 28, 2004, based upon the agreed documentary evidence, the
The count of child molestation in the second degree and the count of rape of a child in
the second degree were both alleged to have been committed against S.G. in August 2001. The
applicable statute of limitations provided that such offenses "shall not be prosecuted more than
three years after the victim's eighteenth birthday or more than seven years after their
commission, whichever is later." Former RCW 9A.04.080(1 )(c) (1993).
2The count of rape in the third degree was alleged to have been committed in September
1993 against B.M. and in January 1995 against J.D. The amended information alleged that
Peltier committed the offense of indecent liberties in October 1993 against S.B. These offenses
were subject to a three-year statutory limitation period. Former RCW 9A.04.080(1 )(g) (1993).
No. 68942-8-1/3
superior court found Peltier guilty of the charges set forth in the amended
information. The court sentenced Peltier to 77 months of incarceration.3 In
August 2011, Peltier filed a personal restraint petition challenging his convictions
as barred by the applicable statute of limitations. The State conceded that the
offenses were time-barred and, thus, that the resulting judgment was invalid. ]n
re Pers. Restraint of Peltier, noted at 166 Wn. App. 1023, 2012 WL 432258, at
*1. We accepted the State's concession, granted Peltier's petition, vacated his
convictions, and remanded to the superior court for dismissal of the charges.
Peltier, 2012 WL 432258, at *1. On March 29, 2012, the superior court
dismissed the charges set forth in the amended information.
On that same day, the State filed a second amended information, charging
Peltier with one count of rape of a child in the second degree, one count of child
molestation in the second degree, and two counts of rape in the second degree.4
Peltier moved to dismiss the charges alleged in the second amended
information, asserting that, because the charges had been filed following the
expiration of the applicable statutory limitation periods, the court did not have
subject matter jurisdiction over the case.5
3Although the superior court initially sentenced Peltier to 90 months of incarceration, it
later amended the judgment and sentence to provide for a shorter term of confinement.
4The second amended information alleged that Peltier had committed the offenses of
rape of a child in the second degree and child molestation in the second degree against S.G. in
August 2001. It alleged that Peltier had committed one count of rape in the second degree
against J.D. in January 1995 and another count of rape in the second degree against S.B. in
October 1993. Three of the four charges alleged in the second amended information—involving
S.B. and S.G.—were identical to three of the four charges in the State's original information filed
in September 2002.
5 In opposing the motion to dismiss, the State argued that the limitation periods
applicable to the three offenses involving S.B. and S.G., all of which were charged in the original
information, were tolled because this court dismissed the charges alleged in the first amended
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No. 68942-8-1/4
The superior court determined that the issue before it was whether a
criminal statute of limitations is jurisdictional "such that it can or cannot be waived
when the parties are entering into their plea negotiations." The court agreed with
Peltier that Washington judicial authority indicated that a criminal statute of
limitations affects subject matter jurisdiction. Accordingly, the superior court
granted Peltier's motion to dismiss the charges alleged in the second amended
information. The court thereafter denied the State's motion for reconsideration.
The State appeals.
II
For over 30 years, Washington's Courts of Appeal have consistently held
that the expiration of a statutory limitation period, in a criminal case, deprives the
trial court of subject matter jurisdiction over that controversy. The trial court
understandably followed this authority in ordering the case dismissed. However,
an opinion of our Supreme Court, issued 13 years ago, indicates that the
holdings of these appellate court cases are no longer viable. Nevertheless, in
that same opinion, our Supreme Court made clear that a superior court judge has
no authority to sentence a defendant and enter judgment in a criminal case in
which the statutory limitation period expired before the charge was brought.
Thus, we affirm the order of dismissal, albeit on a different basis than that relied
upon by the trial court.
information, thus rendering that information void. The superior court rejected this argument. It is
not at issue on appeal. The State additionally asserted that the charges should not be dismissed
because Peltier had, in the stipulation agreement, expressly waived any objection to the filing of
additional charges based on a statute of limitations claim. That is the issue argued by the State
on appeal.
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No. 68942-8-1/5
It is disconcerting that, 124 years after statehood, there exists uncertainty
as to the effect of our criminal statutes of limitation.6 However, through time,
such uncertainty has existed in other jurisdictions as well.
Courts approach criminal statutes of limitations in one of
three ways. First is the view that the statute of limitations is a
jurisdictional limit on the subject matter of a court that cannot be
waived or forfeited; second is the view that a defendant may
"waive" the defense so long as he or she does so voluntarily,
intelligently, and knowingly after consulting with counsel; finally,
some courts hold that the statute of limitations is a defense that is
"forfeited" if not affirmatively raised in the trial court. See State v.
Timoteo, 87 Hawaii 108, 952 P.2d 865, 877 (1997) (Ramil, J.,
dissenting); State v. Pearson, 858 S.W.2d 879, 886 (Tenn.1993);
Padie v. State, 594 P.2d 50, 55-57 (Alaska 1979). Historically,
courts took the first approach, that is, that once the statute of
limitations ran, a court lacked subject matter jurisdiction. Timoteo,
952 P.2d at 877 (Ramil, J., dissenting); see also People v.
Verbruqqe, 998 P.2d 43, 45-46 (Colo.Ct.App.1999) (holding that,
because the statute of limitations had run, the trial court had no
jurisdiction to enter a conviction even though the defendant
requested an instruction on the offense). Over time, however,
courts have moved away from the jurisdictional view and toward
deciding that a defendant may waive the defense if it is beneficial to
him or her. See Timoteo, 952 P.2d at 877-78 (Ramil, J.,
dissenting); Adlestein, [Conflict of the Criminal Statute of
Limitations with lesser Offenses at Trial, 37 Wm. & Mary L. Rev.,
199, 259, 291 (1995)]. This appears to be because the primary
policy of a criminal statute of limitations, to protect the defendant, is
not served by strict adherence to a jurisdictional approach.
State v. Kerbv. 141 N.M. 413, 156 P.3d 704, 708-09 (2007).7
6We review de novo both questions of a court's subject matterjurisdiction, Cole v.
Harvevland, LLC, 163 Wn. App. 199, 205, 258 P.3d 70 (2011), and pure questions of law, Robb
v. City of Seattle. 176 Wn.2d 427, 433, 295 P.3d 212 (2013).
7The issue presented in Kerby was the same as the issue presented herein.
Defendant claims that the statute of limitations is "jurisdictional" and, thus, the
district court was without jurisdiction to try and sentence him. The State, by
contrast, argues that the statute of limitations is an "affirmative equitable
defense" that can be "waived."
No. 68942-8-1/6
For over 30 years, an uninterrupted series of Court of Appeals decisions—
from all three divisions—adopted the first of these approaches: holding that the
expiration of a criminal statutory limitation period deprived the superior court of
subject matter jurisdiction over the charge.
Recently, Division Three reaffirmed its view that, "[t]he statute of
limitations in a criminal case is jurisdictional." State v. Walker, 153 Wn. App.
701, 705, 224 P.3d 814 (2009). Additionally, the court reaffirmed that, "[bjecause
a criminal statute of limitations is jurisdictional, unlike the statute of limitations in
a civil action, it cannot be waived." Walker, 153 Wn. App. at 705 n.2. This was
consistent with the court's holding, 25 years previously, that a criminal "statute of
limitation is jurisdictional." State v. Ansell. 36 Wn. App. 492, 496, 675 P.2d 614(1984).
The Walker court's pronouncements were well-supported in the appellate
case law. More than 30 years ago, Division Two cited to out-of-state authority for
the proposition that, "a criminal statute of limitation is not merely a limitation upon
the remedy, but is a 'limitation upon the power of the sovereign to act against the
accused.' State v. Foqel. 16 Ariz.App. 246, 248, 492 P.2d 742, 744 (1972). It is
jurisdictional." State v. Glover, 25 Wn. App. 58, 61, 604 P.2d 1015 (1979).
Two years later, Division Two reaffirmed Glover's validity, citing it for the
proposition that, "a statute of limitations is viewed differently in the criminal than
in the civil context. In the civil law, such a statute provides repose and a
limitation on remedies; in the criminal law, such statutes create an absolute bar
Kerbv. 156 P.3d at 707-08.
No. 68942-8-1/7
to prosecution." State v. Eppens. 30 Wn. App. 119, 124, 633 P.2d 92 (1981).
Four years later, Division Two cited Glover for the proposition that, "a criminal
statute of limitation is jurisdictional." State v. Brvce. 41 Wn. App. 802, 807, 707
P.2d 694 (1985). Subsequently, Division Two reaffirmed its adherence to the
holdings in Glover and Eppens. State v. Kirk. 64 Wn. App. 788, 789 n.1, 828
P.2d 1128 (1992). It later cited Glover with approval in State v. Phelps, 113 Wn.
App. 347, 357, 57 P.3d 624 (2002).
Division One followed suit in 1985, observing that, "[a] criminal statute of
limitation is jurisdictional." State v. Fischer, 40 Wn. App. 506, 510, 699 P.2d 249(1985). Several years later, we reiterated that, "the criminal statute of limitations
is jurisdictional and creates an absolute bar to prosecution." State v. Novotny, 76
Wn. App. 343, 345 n.1, 884 P.2d 1336 (1994).
Six years later, we reversed a defendant's conviction, holding "that a
defendant cannot be convicted of a lesser offense upon a prosecution for a
greater crime commenced after the statute has run on the lesser offense." State
v. N.S.. 98 Wn. App. 910, 912, 991 P.2d 133 (2000). We did, however, note that,
"[sjome courts hold that the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense that
may be waived when the defendant seeks a jury instruction on a time-barred
lesser included offense; others find that it is jurisdictional and cannot be waived."
N.S., 98 Wn. App. at 915 n.12. We determined that we did not need to "address
this contentious issue" in order to resolve the case. N.S., 98 Wn. App. at 915
n.12.
7-
No. 68942-8-1/8
Our uncertainty was not a permanent condition. Two years ago, we
quoted Glover, 25 Wn. App. at 61, for the proposition that, "[a] criminal statute of
limitations presents a jurisdictional bar to prosecution. It is not merely a limitation
upon the remedy, but a 'limitation upon the power of the sovereign to act against
the accused.'" State v. Dash, 163 Wn. App. 63, 67, 259 P.3d 319 (2011)
(internal quotation marks omitted).
The second amended information filed in Peltier's prosecution alleged four
crimes, all of which were charged after the expiration of the limitation period
applicable to the respective offenses. Given the extensive Court of Appeals
decisional authority on the question, it is easy to see why the superior court
concluded that it did not have subject matter jurisdiction and ordered that the
charges be dismissed.
IV
Our Supreme Court has not often opined on the nature of criminal statutes
of limitation. It has noted, however, that,
[a]s a general proposition, it may be stated that there is no such
thing as a common law statute of limitation in criminal cases. Such
statutes of limitation are matters of legislative grace; they are a
surrendering by the sovereign of its right to prosecute. .. . [T]hey
are measures of public policy only, and subject to the will of the
Legislature as such.
State v. Hodgson, 108 Wn.2d 662, 667, 740 P.2d 848 (1987) (footnotes omitted).
This brings us to the seminal case in resolving the issues presented in this
appeal, In re Personal Restraint of Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d 342, 5 P.3d 12408
No. 68942-8-1/9
(2000). Stoudmire entered guilty pleas to two counts of indecent liberties,8 felony
offenses, was sentenced, and did not appeal from the judgment. Stoudmire, 141
Wn.2d at 347. In 1999, Stoudmire filed a personal restraint petition (PRP),
claiming that—because he was charged with the indecent liberty offenses after
the expiration of the applicable statutory limitation period—he was entitled to
vacation of the convictions.9 Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 347.
The State claimed that Stoudmire's PRP was time-barred.10 The Supreme
8At the same time, Stoudmire entered guilty pleas to other, additional offenses. The
existence of those convictions is not material to the issues presented herein.
9 In 1995, Stoudmire's first PRP had been dismissed. Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 347.
10 RCW 10.73.090 provides:
(1) No petition or motion for collateral attack on a judgment and sentence in a
criminal case may be filed more than one year after the judgment becomes final
ifthe judgment and sentence is valid on its face and was rendered by a court of
competent jurisdiction.
(2) For the purposes of this section, "collateral attack" means any form of
postconviction relief other than a direct appeal. "Collateral attack" includes, but is
not limited to, a personal restraint petition, a habeas corpus petition, a motion to
vacate judgment, a motion to withdraw guilty plea, a motion for a new trial, and a
motion to arrest judgment.
(3) For the purposes of this section, a judgment becomes final on the last of
the following dates:
(a) The date it is filed with the clerk of the trial court;
(b) The date that an appellate court issues its mandate disposing of a timely
direct appeal from the conviction; or
(c) The date that the United States Supreme Court denies a timely petition
for certiorari to review a decision affirming the conviction on direct appeal. The
filing of a motion to reconsider denial of certiorari does not prevent a judgment
from becoming final.
RCW 10.73.100 provides:
The time limit specified in RCW 10.73.090 does not apply to a petition or
motion that is based solely on one or more of the following grounds:
(1) Newly discovered evidence, ifthe defendant acted with reasonable
diligence in discovering the evidence and filing the petition or motion;
(2) The statute that the defendant was convicted of violating was
unconstitutional on its face or as applied to the defendant's conduct;
(3) The conviction was barred by double jeopardy under Amendment V of
the United States Constitution or Article I, section 9 of the state Constitution;
(4) The defendant pled not guilty and the evidence introduced at trial was
insufficient to support the conviction;
(5) The sentence imposed was in excess of the court's jurisdiction; or
(6) There has been a significantchange in the law, whether substantive or
procedural, which is material to the conviction, sentence, or other order entered
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No. 68942-8-1/10
Court described the procedural question as follows:
[Tjhis court now considers whether petitioner is entitled to relief
from his two convictions for indecent liberties because the statute of
limitations had run. As an initial matter, this court must determine
whether this claim is subject to the time bar in RCW 10.73.090
since Stoudmire's second PRP was not filed within the one-year
time period. That time bar presupposes two conditions: "No
petition or motion for collateral attack on a judgment and sentence
in a criminal case may be filed more than one year after the
judgment becomes final ifthe judgment and sentence is valid on its
face and was rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction." RCW
10.73.090(1). Petitioner claims the sentence was not valid on its
face and the court was not one of competent jurisdiction.
Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 352-53.
Put simply, Stoudmire claimed that, because the applicable statutory
limitation period had expired prior to him being charged with indecent liberties,
the superior court had lost subject matter jurisdiction over the charges and was,
therefore, not a court of competent jurisdiction when he was sentenced and
judgment entered.
In two sentences, the Supreme Court discounted this claim.
A court does not lack subject matter jurisdiction solely because
it may lack authority to enter a given order. Marlev v. Department
of Labor & Indus., 125 Wn.2d 533, 539, 886 P.2d 189 (1994). A
court has subject matter jurisdiction where the court has the
authority to adjudicate the type of controversy in the action, and it
does not lose subject matter jurisdiction merely by interpreting the
law erroneously. State v. Moen, 129 Wn.2d 535, 545, 919 P.2d 69(1996).
in a criminal or civil proceeding instituted by the state or local government, and
either the legislature has expressly provided that the change in the law is to be
applied retroactively, or a court, in interpreting a change in the law that lacks
express legislative intent regarding retroactive application, determines that
sufficient reasons exist to require retroactive application of the changed legal
standard.
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No. 68942-8-1/11
Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 353. This pronouncement and the cases cited in
support of it are quite important to the issues we face in this case.
Our constitution provides that, "[t]he superior court shall have
original jurisdiction ... in all criminal cases amounting to felony. . . ."
Wash. Const, art. IV, § 6.11 In Marlev, our Supreme Court discussed at
length the difference between a tribunal's lack of authority and a tribunal's
lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Section 11 of the Restatement [(Second) of Judgments] defines
subject matter jurisdiction: "Ajudgment may properly be rendered
against a party only if the court has authority to adjudicate the rype
of controversy involved in the action." (Italics ours.) We italicize
the phrase "type of controversy" to emphasize its importance. A
court or agency does not lack subject matter jurisdiction solely
because it may lack authority to enter a given order.
11 Wash. Const, art. IV, § 6 provides in full:
Superior courts and district courts have concurrent jurisdiction in cases in equity.
The superior court shall have originaljurisdiction in all cases at law which involve
the title or possession of real property, or the legality of any tax, impost,
assessment, toll, or municipal fine, and in all other cases in which the demand or
the value of the property in controversy amounts to three thousand dollars or as
otherwise determined by law, or a lesser sum in excess of the jurisdiction granted
to justices of the peace and other inferior courts, and in all criminal cases
amounting to felony, and in all cases of misdemeanor not otherwise provided for
by law; of actions of forcible entry and detainer; of proceedings in insolvency; of
actions to prevent or abate a nuisance; of all matters of probate, of divorce, and
for annulment of marriage; and for such special cases and proceedings as are
not otherwise provided for. The superior court shall also have original jurisdiction
in all cases and of all proceedings in which jurisdiction shall not have been by law
vested exclusively in some other court; and said court shall have the power of
naturalization and to issue papers therefor. They shall have such appellate
jurisdiction in cases arising in justices' and other inferior courts in their respective
counties as may be prescribed by law. They shall always be open, except on
nonjudicial days, and their process shall extend to all parts of the state. Said
courts and their judges shall have power to issue writs of mandamus, quo
warranto, review, certiorari, prohibition, and writs of habeas corpus, on petition by
or on behalf of any person in actual custody in their respective counties.
Injunctions and writs of prohibition and of habeas corpus may be issued and
served on legal holidays and nonjudicial days.
-11 -
No. 68942-8-1/12
The term "subject matter jurisdiction" is often confused
with a court's "authority" to rule in a particular manner. This
has led to improvident and inconsistent use of the term.
. . . Courts do not lose subject matter jurisdiction merely by
interpreting the law erroneously. Ifthe phrase is to maintain
its rightfully sweeping definition, it must not be reduced to
signifying that a court has acted without error.
(Footnote omitted.) In re Major, 71 Wn. App. 531, 534-35, 859
P.2d 1262(1993).
A tribunal lacks subject matter jurisdiction when it attempts to
decide a type of controversy over which it has no authority to
adjudicate.
[T]he focus must be on the words "type of controversy." If the
type of controversy is within the subject matter jurisdiction,
then all other defects or errors go to something other than
subject matter jurisdiction.
Robert J. Martineau, Subject Matter Jurisdiction as a New Issue on
Appeal: Reining in an Unruly Horse, 1988 BYU L. Rev. 1, 28.
Marlev, 125 Wn.2d at 539.
Similarly, in Moen, the court stressed "[t]he distinction between a
decision which exceeds jurisdiction and one which exceeds statutory
authority." 129 Wn.2d at 545. Thus, where a statute limited the time in
which a court could enter a restitution order, the court held that an
"untimely imposition of restitution as a condition of a sentence is not a
jurisdictional defect." Moen, 129 Wn.2d at 545.
The words used by the Supreme Court in Stoudmire, coupled with
the cases it cited as authority, give a clear impression that the court did
not believe that a statute—and, after all, a statute of limitation is simply a
statute—can divest the superior court of subject matter jurisdiction.
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Because the time-bar question was decided on another basis, however,
the Supreme Court did not "reach the issue of whether the trial court had
jurisdiction," Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 354, and its observations cannot be
treated as a holding.
Nevertheless, any doubt as to the court's intention dissipated three
years later with the issuance of two Supreme Court decisions. In Young v.
Clark, 149 Wn.2d 130, 65 P.3d 1192 (2003), the court explained the
constitution's limitation upon the legislature's power to limit or eliminate
superior court subject matter jurisdiction.
"Where the language of the constitution is clear, the words used
therein should be given their plain meaning." City of Tacoma v.
Taxpayers of City of Tacoma, 108 Wn.2d 679, 706, 743 P.2d 793(1987). On its face, article IV, section 6 allows the legislature to
limit the superior court's jurisdiction in certain matters, provided it
vests authority over such matters in some other court, presumably
a court of limited jurisdiction. See Moore v. Perrott. 2 Wash. 1, 4,
25 P.906 (1891) ("The language of the constitution is not that the
superior courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction, but it gives to the
superior courts universal original jurisdiction, leaving the legislature
to carve out from that jurisdiction the jurisdiction of the justices of
the peace, and any other inferior courts that may be created.").
Young, 149 Wn.2d at 133-34. Thus, the legislature may, by statute,
impinge on the constitutionally-established subject matter jurisdiction of
the superior court only where it simultaneously grants that subject matter
jurisdiction to some other court.12
The Supreme Court then immediately applied this constitutional
principle in ruling that a statute that required a lawsuit against a county to
12 See supra n.11.
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No. 68942-8-1/14
be commenced in that county or one of the two nearest counties related
only to venue, and did not restrict "the trial court's subject matter
jurisdiction." Shoop v. Kittitas County. 149 Wn.2d 29, 37, 65 P.3d 1194(2003).13 Thus, for a decade, the law has been that a statute may not
divest a superior court of subject matter jurisdiction unless it, at the same
time, assigns that subject matter jurisdiction to some other court.
Obviously, a statute of limitation does not do this.14 Thus, the Court of
13 In so doing, the court overruled two cases that had held that noncompliance with such
statutes' requirements deprived the superior court of subject matter jurisdiction. See Cossel v.
Skagit County. 119 Wn.2d 434, 834 P.2d 609 (1992); Avdelotte v. Audette. 110 Wn.2d 249, 750
P.2d 1276 (1988).
14 Appellate court decisions have adopted the Supreme Court's view that the legislature
cannot, by statute, simply eliminate superior court subject matter jurisdiction. We recently
summarized the law on this question.
A party may raise a question of subject matter jurisdiction for the first time at any
point in a proceeding, even on appeal. Cole fv. Harvevland. LLC, 163 Wn. App.
199,] at 205-06, 258 P.3d 70 [(2011)]. Because the absence of subject matter
jurisdiction is a defense that can never be waived, judgments entered by courts
acting without subject matter jurisdiction must be vacated even if neither party
initially objected to the court's exercise of subject matter jurisdiction and even if
the controversy was settled years prior. Cole, 163 Wn. App. at 205, 258 P.3d 70;
Shoop v. Kittitas County. 108 Wn. App. 388, 397-98, 30 P.3d 529 (2001), aff'd
on other grounds. 149 Wn.2d 29, 65 P.3d 1194(2003).
The consequences of a court acting without subject matter jurisdiction are
"draconian and absolute." Cole, 163 Wn. App. at 205, 258 P.3d 70. "'If the
phrase [subject matter jurisdiction] is to maintain its rightfully sweeping definition,
it must not be reduced to signifying that a court has acted without error.'" Marlev
v. Dep't of Labor& Indus.. 125 Wn.2d 533, 539, 886 P.2d 189 (1994) (quoting In
re Marriage of Major. 71 Wn. App. 531, 534-35, 859 P.2d 1262 (1993)). Thus,
appellate courts should "use caution when asked to characterize an issue as
'jurisdictional' or a judgment as 'void.'" Cote, 163 Wn. App. at 205, 258 P.3d 70.
Judicial opinions sometimes "misleadingly" indicate that the court is dismissing
an action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction when, in fact, the basis for the
ruling is that "some threshold fact has not been established." Cole, 163 Wn. App.
at 205, 258P.3d70.
Indeed, "[a]s the United States Supreme Court has observed, 'jurisdiction' is
a word of too many meanings." Cole. 163 Wn. App. at 208, 258 P.3d 70 (quoting
Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Env't. 523 U.S. 83, 90, 118 S. Ct. 1003, 140 L.
Ed. 2d 210 (1998)). That Court has noted that it and other courts have
"sometimes been profligate" in using the term "jurisdiction." Arbauqh v. Y & H
Corp.. 546 U.S. 500, 510, 126 S. Ct. 1235, 163 L. Ed. 2d 1097 (2006). Where
the question of jurisdiction was not "central to the case" and thus did "not require
close analysis," courts have "sometimes mischaracterized claim-processing rules
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No. 68942-8-1/15
Appeals decisional authority holding that a statute of limitation can deprive
a superior court of subject matter jurisdiction no longer appears viable.
V
To recall, the State's argument in this appeal is that we should treat
the running of a statutory limitation period as not divesting the superior
court of subject matter jurisdiction over a felony offense, and that we
should hold that a defendant can waive the protections of a statute of
or elements of a cause of action as jurisdictional limitations." Reed Elsevier. Inc.
v. Muchnick. 559 U.S. 154, 161, 130 S. Ct. 1237, 176 L. Ed. 2d 18 (2010).
These mischaracterizations can lead to "'drive-by jurisdictional rulings,' which too
easily can miss the 'critical difference[s]' between true jurisdictional conditions
and nonjurisdictional limitations on causes of action." Reed Elsevier, 559 U.S. at
161 (alteration in original) (citation omitted) (quoting Steel Co., 523 U.S. at 91;
Kontrickv. Ryan. 540 U.S. 443, 456, 124 S. Ct. 906, 157 L. Ed. 2d 867 (2004)).
Similarly, our own Supreme Court has noted that "'[t]he term "subject matter
jurisdiction" is often confused with a court's "authority" to rule in a particular
manner,'" leading to "'improvident and inconsistent use of the term.'" Marlev. 125
Wn.2d at 539, 886 P.2d 189 (quoting Major, 71 Wn. App. at 534-35, 859 P.2d
1262). Indeed, a "court or agency does not lack subject matter jurisdiction solely
because it may lack authority to enter a given order." Marlev, 125 Wn.2d at 539,
886P.2d189.
A court has subject matter jurisdiction where it has authority "to adjudicate
the type of controversy involved in the action." Shoop, 108 Wn. App. at 393, 30
P.3d 529. See also Cole. 163 Wn. App. at 209, 258 P.3d 70 ("The critical
concept in determining whether a court has subject matter jurisdiction is the type
of controversy."). Superior courts are granted broad original subject matter
jurisdiction by Wash. Const, art. IV, § 6. Cole. 163 Wn. App. at 206, 258 P.3d 70.
Exceptions to this broad jurisdictional grant "are to be narrowly construed." Cole,
163 Wn. App. at 206, 258 P.3d 70. Superior courts have jurisdiction in "'all cases
... in which jurisdiction shall not have been by law vested exclusively in some
other court,'" by an explicit act of Congress or the legislature. Hous. Auth. of City
of Seattle v. Bin. 163 Wn. App. 367, 375, 260 P.3d 900 (2011) (quoting Wash.
Const, art. IV, § 6).
Superior courts possess "subject matter jurisdiction that cannot be whittled
away by statutes." Shoop, 108 Wn. App. at 396, 30 P.3d 529. By protecting the
superior courts' subject matter jurisdiction from statutory erosion, our state
"constitution provides the foundation for an independent and coequal judicial
branch of state government." Shoop. 108 Wn. App. at 396, 30 P.3d 529. "If the
type of controversy is within the subject matter jurisdiction, then all other defects
or errors go to something other than subject matter jurisdiction." Cole, 163 Wn.
App. at 209, 258 P.3d 70.
In re Marriage of McDermott. No. 69107-4-1, 2013 WL 3756504 (Wash. App. July 15, 2013), *at
3-4 (footnotes omitted).
-15-
No. 68942-8-1/16
limitation (as Peltier did here). The Stoudmire, Young, and Shoop
decisions all support the State's position on subject matter jurisdiction.
But what the Supreme Court giveth, the Supreme Court also taketh away.
In Stoudmire, the court did not need to resolve the question of
subject matter jurisdiction because it accepted Stoudmire's second
argument—that the judgment in his case was invalid on its face and,
hence, his PRP was not time-barred. 141 Wn.2d at 354. A judgment is
invalid on its face when "without further elaboration" the conviction's
infirmities are apparent from the judgment itself or from any document
signed as part of a plea agreement. Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 353.
Because a review of the "documents of the plea agreement" in
Stoudmire's case indicated that he was charged after the limitation period
had run, the judgment was invalid on its face. Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at
354.
The superior court then considered the statute of limitation claim on
its merits.
We now consider the merits of petitioner's claim that he is entitled
to relief from his two convictions for indecent liberties because he
was charged beyond the time allowed by the statute of limitation.
The State may offer evidence that although on its face the statute
of limitation would bar prosecution, the statute did not in fact expire
because petitioner was out of the state for a sufficient length of
time. RCW 9A.04.080(2). Here, however, the State concedes that
the prosecution on these charges exceeded the statute of limitation.
State's Resp. at 5-6. Nevertheless, the State argues that
Stoudmire is not entitled to relief because his guilty plea waives any
challenge to the charging dates in counts I and II. State's Second
Resp. at 8. The State cites Garrison v. Rhav. 75 Wn.2d 98, 101,
449 P.2d 92 (1968): "A plea of guilty, voluntarily made, waives the
-16-
No. 68942-8-1/17
right to trial and all defenses other than that the complaint,
information, or indictment charges no offense." However, that rule
was distinguished in a later case: "'[A] plea bargaining agreement
cannot exceed the statutory authority given to the courts.'" In re
Personal Restraint of Moore, 116 Wn.2d 30, 38, 803 P.2d 300(1991) (quoting In re Personal Restraint of Gardner, 94 Wn.2d 504,
507, 617 P.2d 1001 (1980)). Because the statute of limitations bars
prosecution of charges commenced after the period prescribed in
the statute, the sentencing court exceeded its authority. Petitioner
must also meet the requirements of In re Personal Restraint of
Fleming, 129 Wn.2d 529, 532, 919 P.2d 66 (1996) (quoting In re
Personal Restraint of Cook, 114 Wn.2d 802, 812, 792 P.2d 506(1990)): "In order to obtain relief by way of personal restraint
petition ... a person must establish (1) he or she is being
unlawfully restrained, (2) due to a 'fundamental defect which
inherently results in a complete miscarriage of justice.'" On these
charges the court exceeded its authority, and we find petitioner's
restraint on these charges to result in a complete miscarriage of
justice. Petitioner is entitled to relief on these two charges.
Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 354-55.
The quoted passage contains several important statements. First,
it envisions that the sole issue on which the State could present evidence
to rebut the conclusion that the prosecution was barred was the issue of
tolling. Of course, ifthe limitation period was tolled, it may not have
expired. Thus, the provision of the statute may not have been violated.
But this is far different from presenting evidence that a defendant waived
the benefits of a limitation period that had actually expired. Nothing in
Stoudmire would allow for that.
Second, the State urged that Stoudmire had waived—or forfeited—his
statute of limitations defense by pleading guilty. This is a winning argument in
the federal courts. See United States v. Soriano-Hernandez, 310 F.3d 1099,
1104 (8th Cir. 2002) (entry of guilty plea precluded defendant from asserting
-17-
No. 68942-8-1/18
statute of limitation defense); United States v. Littlefield. 105 F.3d 527, 528 (9th
Cir. 1997) (same); Acevedo-Ramos v. United States. 961 F.2d 305, 308 (1st Cir.
1992) (same); United States v. Parrino. 212 F.2d 919, 922 (2nd Cir. 1954)
(same). It was not a winning argument in our Supreme Court.
Third, in the course of rejecting the claim of waiver, the Supreme
Court indicated that Stoudmire was without the power to affect the
superior court's authority over him. It noted that a "'plea bargain
agreement cannot exceed the statutory authority given to the courts,'" and
held that, because "the statute of limitations bars prosecution of charges
commenced after the period prescribed in the statute, the sentencing court
exceeded its authority." Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 355 (internal quotation
marks omitted) (quoting Moore. 116 Wn.2d at 38). Thus, the Supreme
Court viewed the expiration of the statutory limitation period as an
occurrence which barred prosecution and deprived the superior court of
authority to sentence the defendant—hence, also depriving it of authority
to enter judgment.15
Finally, the Supreme Court described the act of the superior court
judge in sentencing the defendant and entering judgment on the guilty
pleas and subsequent sentences as "result[ing] in a complete miscarriage
of justice." Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 355.
15 Thus, the New Mexico Supreme Courtwas incorrect in observing that there are only
three ways in which courts have approached statutes of limitation. Cf. Kerby, 156 P.3d at 708-09.
-18-
No. 68942-8-1/19
In a criminal case, if a judge cannot enter judgment upon a guilty
plea or a jury's verdict, the case should be dismissed. In Peltier's
prosecution, the superior court judge did not err by so ordering.
Affirmed.
L^Wv^6- ,
We concur:
t£C4i&& C~
19
State v. Peltier
No. 68942-8-1
Special Concurrence
Cox, J. (concurring in the result) - I concur in the result that the majority reaches.
I write separately because I conclude that Peltier's waiver of the statute of limitations
does not implicate the superior court's subject matter jurisdiction: the authority to
adjudicate this type of controversy, three felony prosecutions.1 Rather, the superior
court does not have the authority to enforce such a waiver. It is on this latter basis that
affirming the superior court is correct.
SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION
The State correctly identifies the first question that we must decide: whether the
statute of limitations restricts the superior court's subject matter jurisdiction in criminal
cases.2 The answer to this question is no.
The term "jurisdiction" is used to "describe the fundamental power of courts to
act."3 One type ofjurisdiction, the type at issue in this case, is "subject matter
jurisdiction."4 "A court has subject matter jurisdiction where the court has the authority
to adjudicate the type of controversy in the action . . . ."5
As the majority points out, our state constitution provides that "[t]he superior court
shall have original jurisdiction ... in all criminal cases amounting to felony . . . ."6 This
1 In re Pers. Restraint of Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d 342, 353, 5 P.3d 1240 (2000).
2 Brief of Appellant at 8.
3 ZDI Gaming. Inc. v. State ex rel. Wash. State Gambling Comm'n, 173 Wn.2d
608, 616, 268 P.3d 929 (2012).
4 Outsource Servs. Mgmt., LLC v. Nooksack Bus. Corp., 172 Wn. App. 799, 809,
292 P.3d 147 (2013) (citing ZDI Gaming. Inc., 173 Wn.2d at 617-18).
5 Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 353.
6Wash. Const, art. IV, § 6.
No. 68942-8-1
case is a prosecution for three felonies. Thus, there is no question that the superior
court had subject matter jurisdiction over the "type of controversy" at issue in this case.
The superior court was not divested of subject matter jurisdiction when it decided
whether it could enforce Peltier's express waiver of the statute of limitations for the new
charges in the second amended information. In re Personal Restraint of Stoudmire is
instructive on this point.7
There, Jerrod Stoudmire argued that his second personal restraint petition
entitled him to relief.8 He claimed his two indecent liberties convictions were "charged
beyond the time allowed by the statute of limitations."9
The supreme court first considered a procedural question: whether "the
sentence was not valid on its face and the [superior] court was not one of competent
jurisdiction."10 In addressing these two questions, the court first stated:
A court does not lack subject matter jurisdiction solely because
it may lack authority to enter a given order. A court has subject matter
jurisdiction where the court has the authority to adjudicate the type of
controversy in the action, and it does not lose subject matter
jurisdiction merely by interpreting the law erroneously.^1]
The supreme court decided that the record before it established that the
sentence was not valid on its face.12 Having decided this, the court declined to reach
the second part of the procedural question: whether the trial court had subject matter
jurisdiction.13 The court then proceeded to address the merits of the petition, concluding
7 141 Wn.2d 342, 5 P.3d 1240 (2000).
8]g\ at 345.
9id, at 354.
10 Id, at 353 (emphasis added).
11 Id. (citations omitted).
12 Id. at 354.
13 Id.
No. 68942-8-1
that the superior court exceeded its authority by permitting convictions based on
charges beyond the time allowed by the statute of limitations.14
Stoudmire was decided on the basis that the court did not have the authority to
enforce a waiver of the statute of limitations.15 It was not decided on the basis of
subject matter jurisdiction. The court expressly declined to reach the latter question.16
The parties both rely on Stoudmire, but for different purposes. Neither party cites
it for the proposition that subject matter jurisdiction was the basis of that court's
decision.
The majority opinion in this case states that an "uninterrupted series of Court of
Appeals decisions" hold that "the expiration of a criminal statutory limitation period
deprived the superior court of subject matter jurisdiction over the charge." I read the
cases on which the majority relies differently.
For example, in State v. Walker, Division Three of this court stated, without
further analysis, that "[t]he statute of limitations in a criminal case is jurisdictional."17 In
doing so, the court relied on State v. Eppens.18 But a close reading of that case reveals
no reference to subject matter jurisdiction.19 Rather, the case merely states that "a
statute of limitations is viewed differently in the criminal than in the civil context."20
14 Id, at 354-55
15 Id, at 355.
16 Id, at 354.
17 153 Wn. App. 701, 705, 224 P.3d 814 (2009).
18 jd, (citing State v. Eppens. 30 Wn. App. 119,124, 633 P.2d 92 (1981)).
19 Eppens, 30 Wn. App. at 124.
20 Id.No. 68942-8-1
Likewise, the two other cases on which Walker relies do not discuss subject
matter jurisdiction.21 In State v. Glover, Division Two stated: "[A] criminal statute of
limitation is not merely a limitation upon the remedy, but is a 'limitation upon the power
of the sovereign to act against the accused."'22 Moreover, in a footnote in that case, the
court stated: "We are not, at this point, faced with the problem of a possible waiver of
the limitation period, and therefore do not reach such issue in this opinion."23 If the
Glover court believed it was addressing subject matter jurisdiction, it is unlikely that it
would have spoken of waiver in the footnote. That is because lack of subject matter
jurisdiction is not something litigants have the power to waive.24 Either a court has
subject matter jurisdiction or it does not.25
Also, in State v. Phelps, Division Two considered whether the trial court could
order a seven-year extension of the statute of limitations in Donald Bradford Phelps's
sentence.26 The court explained that "the State has not been able to demonstrate any
statutory authority allowing the sentencing court to extend the statute of limitations."27
Because the court's sentencing authority is limited to that expressly provided for by
statute, the court concluded that "the extension of the statute of limitations for seven
21 Walker, 153 Wn. App. at 705 n.2 (citing State v. Glover, 25 Wn. App. 58,61-
62, 604 P.2d 1015 (1979); State v. Phelps, 113 Wn. App. 347, 357, 57 P.3d 624(2002)).
22 25 Wn. App. 58, 61, 604 P.2d 1015 (1979) (quoting State v. Fogel. 16 Ariz.
App. 246, 248, 492 P.2d 742 (1972)).
23 id, at 62 n.3.
24 Skagit Surveyors and Eng'rs. LLC v. Friends of Skagit County, 135 Wn.2d 542,
556, 958 P.2d 962 (1998).
25 id,
26 113 Wn. App. 347, 350, 57 P.3d 624 (2002).
27 Id. at 357.
No. 68942-8-1
years . . . [was] void and [could not] stand."28 Nowhere in this opinion is there any
reference to subject matter jurisdiction.
In sum, I conclude these cases decide whether a court has authority to make a
decision, not whether a court has subject matter jurisdiction. For these reasons, I
conclude that the superior court's subject matter jurisdiction to decide matters in this
criminal case was unaffected by the statute of limitations.
WAIVER OF STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
The second question is whether a court has the authority to enforce an express
waiver of the statute of limitations in a criminal case. I conclude that it does not.
Again, Stoudmire is instructive.29 There, Stoudmire argued that he was entitled
to relief because two indecent liberties convictions were "charged beyond the time
allowed by the statute of limitations."30 The State argued that Stoudmire was not
entitled to relief because "his guilty plea waive[d] any challenge" to these charges.31
The supreme court agreed with Stoudmire.
The court explained that a "plea bargaining agreement cannot exceed the
statutory authority given to the courts."32 Thus, the sentencing court exceeded its
authority when it enforced the plea agreement's waiver provision and entered
convictions for two charges that were barred by the statute of limitations.33
28 id,
29
Stoudmire, 141 Wn.2d at 354-55.
30 Id. at 354.
31 Id.
32
Id. at 355.
33 Id.
No. 68942-8-1
Notably, the supreme court did not use the term "jurisdiction" when it agreed with
Stoudmire's argument. Instead, the supreme court explained that the trial court
"exceeded its authority."34
Here, we are bound by Stoudmire's holding. The trial court did not have the
authority to enforce Peltier's express waiver of the statute of limitations in his plea
agreement. The 2003 agreement stated that Peltier waived "any objection to the filing
of additional or greater charges based on . . . statutes of limitations." Like the plea
agreement in Stoudmire, this provision of the agreement exceeded the statutory
authority of the courts to enforce.35
For this latter reason, I concur in the result that the majority reaches. Affirming
the trial court, on the basis that it lacked authority, is the proper result.
£&Xj
34 id,
35 id.