IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
STATE OF WASHINGTON, )
) No. 76127-7-1
Respondent, )
) DIVISION ONE
v. )
)
FREDERICK N. MUIRURI, ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION
)
Appellant. ) FILED: November 20, 2017
)
PER CURIAM. Frederick Muiruri appeals the victim penalty assessment
(VPA)and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)collection fee imposed following his
convictions for Felony DUI, Reckless Driving, and Third Degree Driving While
License Suspended. For the first time on appeal, he contends the statutes
authorizing these mandatory financial obligations are unconstitutional as applied
to defendants who do not have the ability or likely future ability to pay them. He
concedes his contention is not ripe for review under our decision in State v.
Shelton, 194 Wn. App. 660, 671-74, 378 P.3d 230(2016), review denied, 187
Wn.2d 1002(2017),1 but contends Shelton is wrongly decided because it relied
on a distinguishable case—State v. Curry, 118 Wn.2d 911, 829 P.2d 166(1992).
We adhere to our decision in Shelton.
'Accord State v. Lewis, 194 Wn. App. 709, 714-15, 379 P.3d 129, review denied,
186 Wn.2d 1025 (2016).
No. 76127-7-1/2
Regardless of whether Curry is distinguishable in some respect, it still
supports Shelton's holding that an as applied substantive due process challenge
to financial obligations is not ripe until the State attempts to collect them. Curry,
118 Wn.2d at 917; see also State v. Curry, 62 Wn. App. 676, 681, 814 P.2d 1252
(1991), aff'd, 118 Wn.2d 911, 917, 829 P.2d 166 (1992). We adhere to that
holding in Shelton, which applies equally to DNA and VPA assessments/fees.2
We also adhere to Shelton's holding that as-applied due process claims cannot
constitute manifest constitutional error under RAP 2.5(a) until the State seeks to
enforce collection of the fees or imposes a sanction for failure to pay.3 While this
court does have discretion to review Muiruri's claim under RAP 2.5(a) in the
absence of manifest constitutional error, the claim is not ripe and Muiruri has not
demonstrated that a significant risk of hardship will result from declining review at
this time. See Shelton, 194 Wn. App. at 670; State v. Cates, 183 Wn.2d 531,
536, 354 P.3d 832(2015).
Finally, even if Muiruri's contentions were ripe for review and could be
raised for the first time on appeal, they would fail under State v. Seward, 196 Wn.
App. 579, 384 P.3d 620(2016), review denied, 188 Wn.2d 1015(2017)
(imposition of VPA, DNA collection fee, and criminal filing fee prior to any
2 State v. Tyler, 195 Wn. App. 385, 404 n.11, 382 P.3d 699(2016)(applying
Shelton to mandatory VPA and rejecting argument that RCW 10.01.160(3) applies to
mandatory financial obligations).
3 Shelton, 194 Wn. App. at 674-75(RAP 2.5(a)(3) bars challenge to DNA fee for
the first time on appeal because the claimed error is not "manifest" "[u]ntil the State
seeks to enforce collection of the DNA fee or impose a sanction for failure to pay.");
accord Lewis, 194 Wn. App. at 715.
2
No. 76127-7-1/3
individualized determination of ability to pay is rationally related to a legitimate
state interest).
Affirmed.
For the court:
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