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FILE THIS OPINION WAS FILED
FOR RECORD AT 8 A.M. ON
AUGUST 10, 2023
IN CLERK’S OFFICE
SUPREME COURT, STATE OF WASHINGTON
AUGUST 10, 2023
ERIN L. LENNON
SUPREME COURT CLERK
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
In the Matter of the Personal Restraint of
)
) No. 100753-1
PETER DANIEL ANSELL, )
) EN BANC
Respondent. )
) Filed: August 10, 2023
____________________________________)
MONTOYA-LEWIS, J.—Peter Ansell is serving an indeterminate life
sentence in community custody. The Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board
(ISRB) seeks reversal of a Court of Appeals decision invalidating certain community
custody conditions. We conclude that the conditions relating to sexually explicit
materials, dating, and relationships are not unconstitutionally vague. However, the
ISRB exceeded its authority in imposing the cannabis condition, which it concedes
is not related to Ansell’s crimes. We therefore affirm in part and reverse in part.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Ansell is serving an indeterminate life sentence for multiple counts of child
molestation. He and his wife were part of a babysitting group with two other families
in his neighborhood. The parents took turns taking care of the children when the
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
other couples went out in the evenings. Between 2006 and 2008, Ansell molested
the children of his friends and neighbors when he was in charge of babysitting the
children. He pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation.
Ansell received an indeterminate sentence of 130 months to life. After he
served the minimum term of incarceration, the ISRB reviewed Ansell’s file and, in
2020, found him eligible to serve the remainder of his sentence in community
custody.
As part of that review, the Department of Corrections referred Ansell for a
sexual deviancy evaluation and risk assessment. Although there is no evidence that
the crimes involved any drugs, the evaluation inquired into Ansell’s drug and alcohol
history. He reported some drug experimentation and alcohol use in his youth and
infrequent use of alcohol and cannabis 1 in his adulthood.
The ISRB determined Ansell to be a low risk and releasable under RCW
9.95.420, subject to over two dozen conditions. Ansell timely filed a personal
restraint petition (PRP) challenging eight of the community custody conditions. The
Court of Appeals found the following five conditions invalid:
B. You must not enter the area of Seattle that is south of Hwy 523
and north of I[nterstate]-90, in between Lake Washington and the
Puget Sound/Elliott Bay, without prior written approval of your
[Community Corrections Officer] CCO and the ISRB. (See
attached map[.])
1
We use the term “cannabis” except where quoting the record. See State v. Fraser, 199
Wn.2d 465, 469 n.1, 509 P.3d 282 (2022).
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
....
D. You must not use, possess or control any Marijuana/THC or
enter any establishments whose primary purpose is the sale of
Marijuana/THC.
....
G. You must not possess or access sexually explicit materials.
Sexually explicit materials consists of any item reasonably
deemed to be intended for sexual gratification and which
displays, portrays, depicts, or describes: a) Nudity, which
includes, but is not limited to, exposed/visible (in whole or part,
including under or through translucent/thin materials providing
intimate physical detail) genitals/genitalia, anus, buttocks and/or
female/transgender breast nipple(s); b) A sex act which includes,
but is not limited to, genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or
oral-anal contact/penetration, genital or anal contact/penetration
with an inanimate object, masturbation and/or bodily excretory
behavior; c) Sadistic/masochistic abuse, bondage, bestiality,
and/or a participant who appears to be nonconsenting,
dominated, degraded, humiliated, or in a submissive role, and/or
a participant who appears to be acting in a forceful, threatening,
dominating, or violent manner; and/or d) A minor, or a model or
cartoon depicting a minor, in a sexually suggestive
setting/pose/attire.
....
N. You must not date individuals who have minor children, unless
you receive prior approval from your CCO and the ISRB.
O. You must not form relationships with persons/families with
minor children without first disclosing your sex offender status
and having this relationship approved by your CCO.
Mot. for Discr. Rev., App. F at 2-3.
Accordingly, the Court of Appeals granted the PRP in part, dismissed it in
part, and directed the ISRB to strike or revise several conditions. In re Pers.
Restraint of Ansell, No. 82506-2-I, slip op. at 21 (Wash. Ct. App. Jan. 18, 2022)
(unpublished), https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/825062.pdf. The court
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found condition D (cannabis) unauthorized under Winton. 2 Id. at 6. It found
conditions G (sexually explicit materials), N (dating), and O (relationships)
unconstitutionally vague. Id. at 11-13, 16-17. It directed the ISRB to modify
condition B (travel) to develop standards for exceptions to travel through the
exclusion zone. Id. at 21.
We granted the ISRB’s motion for discretionary review regarding conditions
D, G, N, and O. No party sought review regarding condition B (travel). However,
the ISRB indicated that it had amended that condition, and Ansell subsequently filed
a motion for an injunction for this court to compel the ISRB to further revise
condition B. For the reasons stated below, we now deny the motion for an
injunction, and we affirm in part and reverse in part.
ANALYSIS
I. Motion for Injunction
We first address the request for injunctive relief. This court has authority to
issue orders granting injunctive or other relief to a party “to insure effective and
equitable review.” RAP 8.3. The purpose of that rule is to “preserve[] the status
quo” by “permit[ting] appellate courts to grant preliminary relief in aid of their
appellate jurisdiction so as to prevent destruction of the fruits of a successful appeal.”
Wash. Fed’n of State Emps., Council 28, AFL-CIO v. State, 99 Wn.2d 878, 883, 665
2
In re Pers. Restraint of Winton, 196 Wn.2d 270, 278, 474 P.3d 532 (2020).
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P.2d 1337 (1983).
The Court of Appeals directed the ISRB to modify the travel restriction in
condition B to “develop ascertainable standards applicable on a case-by-case basis
to allow travel into and through the exclusion zone.” Ansell, slip op. at 21.
Following the Court of Appeals decision, the ISRB revised that condition to permit
exceptions “for medical purposes only.” Mot. for Inj. at 8. After we granted review
regarding the other conditions, Ansell filed a motion for an injunction to compel the
ISRB to further revise condition B to permit other exceptions.
This court may grant injunctive relief “to insure effective and equitable
review.” RAP 8.3. But Ansell has not shown that an injunction is necessary to
ensure this court’s effective and equitable review of the issues before us. When this
court accepts review of a Court of Appeals decision, we review only the questions
raised in the motion for discretionary review or answer. RAP 13.7(b). No party
sought discretionary review regarding the travel restriction; that condition has not
been raised before this court. Moreover, the nature of the challenge to condition B
is distinct from the vagueness and statutory challenges to the other conditions before
this court. An injunction regarding condition B would not aid our review of the
issues that are properly before us. RAP 8.3. Nor is an injunction necessary to
prevent destruction of the fruits of Ansell’s successful challenge to condition B,
Wash. Fed’n of State Emps., 99 Wn.2d at 883, as our decision on the issues properly
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before us has no bearing on condition B.
Accordingly, the motion for an injunction is denied. We next turn to the
challenges to the community custody conditions properly before us.
II. Community Custody Conditions
Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981 (SRA), a person convicted of a sex
offense receives an indeterminate sentence with a minimum and maximum term.
RCW 9.94A.507(3). These indeterminate sentences include community custody,
which is required for any period of time between the release from total confinement
and the expiration of the maximum sentence. RCW 9.94A.507(5). Release into
community custody is subject to conditions, which may be imposed either by a court
at sentencing or by the department or the ISRB upon finding the person releasable.
RCW 9.94A.703, .704. This case involves community custody conditions imposed
by the ISRB.
Before releasing the person into community custody, the department conducts
an evaluation to predict the probability they will engage in additional sex offenses if
released. RCW 9.95.420(1)(a). The ISRB will order the person released if it
determines, based on the department’s recommendations and the ISRB hearing, that
they are unlikely to engage in sex offenses if released under certain conditions.
RCW 9.95.420(3).
A person subject to such community custody conditions may raise a challenge
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to the conditions through a PRP, where they must show that they are restrained and
that the restraint is unlawful. RAP 16.4(a)-(c); In re Pers. Restraint of Blackburn,
168 Wn.2d 881, 883-84, 232 P.3d 1091 (2010). A person “who is transferred from
total confinement to community custody remains under the continuing jurisdiction
of the ISRB” and is under restraint for purposes of RAP 16.4(b). In re Pers.
Restraint of Winton, 196 Wn.2d 270, 275, 474 P.3d 532 (2020). Restraint is
unlawful if the conditions or manner of the restraint violates the constitution or a
state law. RAP 16.4(c)(2); In re Pers. Restraint of Williams, 198 Wn.2d 342, 352,
496 P.3d 289 (2021).
Ansell argues that three community custody conditions are unconstitutionally
vague and the other is not authorized by statute because it is not related to his crimes.
Whether an entity has authority to impose certain community custody conditions
under the SRA is a question of statutory interpretation, which we review de novo.
State v. Armendariz, 160 Wn.2d 106, 110, 156 P.3d 201 (2007). When there is no
question as to authority but rather a challenge that the entity erred in imposing a
condition, we review the condition for abuse of discretion and will invalidate
conditions “if they are manifestly unreasonable.” State v. Hai Minh Nguyen, 191
Wn.2d 671, 678, 425 P.3d 847 (2018) (citing State v. Bahl, 164 Wn.2d 739, 753,
193 P.3d 678 (2008)). Imposition of an unconstitutional condition is manifestly
unreasonable. State v. Padilla, 190 Wn.2d 672, 677, 416 P.3d 712 (2018); Bahl, 164
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Wn.2d at 753.
We conclude the conditions relating to sexually explicit materials, dating, and
relationships are not unconstitutionally vague, and we therefore reverse the Court of
Appeals with respect to those conditions. However, we conclude the cannabis
condition is not within the ISRB’s authority to impose under these circumstances,
and we therefore affirm with respect to that condition.
A. Vagueness
Due process under both the state and federal constitutions requires that
citizens have fair warning of proscribed conduct. Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 752 (citing
City of Spokane v. Douglass, 115 Wn.2d 171, 178, 795 P.2d 693 (1990)). “A legal
prohibition, such as a community custody condition, is unconstitutionally vague if
(1) it does not sufficiently define the proscribed conduct so an ordinary person can
understand the prohibition or (2) it does not provide sufficiently ascertainable
standards to protect against arbitrary enforcement.” Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 677
(citing Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 752-53).
When deciding a vagueness challenge, “the terms are not considered in a
‘vacuum,’ rather, they are considered in the context in which they are used.” Bahl,
164 Wn.2d at 754 (quoting Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 180). A condition that contains
a definition may be unconstitutionally vague if the definition itself is vague or
overbroad. Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 674-75. If the term is not defined, we “may
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consider the plain and ordinary meaning as set forth in a standard dictionary.” Bahl,
164 Wn.2d at 754.
The vagueness doctrine does not demand community custody conditions to be
drafted with such precision that a person is able to “‘predict with complete certainty
the exact point at which [their] actions would be classified as prohibited conduct.’”
Padilla, 190 Wn.3d at 677 (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting State v.
Sanchez Valencia, 169 Wn.2d 782, 793, 239 P.3d 1059 (2010)); see also Douglass,
115 Wn.2d at 179 (“This test . . . does not demand impossible standards of specificity
or absolute agreement.”). Instead, “[i]f persons of ordinary intelligence can
understand what the [condition] proscribes, notwithstanding some possible areas of
disagreement, the [condition] is sufficiently definite.” Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 179.
A “stricter standard of definiteness” applies when a community custody condition
implicates First Amendment rights. Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d at 679 (citing Bahl, 164
Wn.2d at 753); U.S. CONST. amend. I.
For the reasons stated below, we agree with the ISRB that the three conditions
challenged for vagueness here are sufficiently definite to pass constitutional muster.
Thus, the ISRB did not abuse its discretion in imposing those conditions; we reverse
the Court of Appeals as to conditions G, N, and O.
1. Possession or Access to Sexually Explicit Materials
First, condition G prohibits Ansell from “possess[ing] or access[ing] sexually
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explicit materials” and includes a definition that “[s]exually explicit materials
consists of any item reasonably deemed to be intended for sexual gratification and
which displays, portrays, depicts, or describes” various listed sex acts, scenarios, or
nudity. Mot. for Discr. Rev., App. F at 2. Ansell argues the definition of sexually
explicit materials is overly broad—particularly the definition of nudity to include
“intimate physical detail” that is “exposed/visible (in whole or part, including under
or through translucent/thin materials. . .).” Id. The ISRB argues the definition of
sexually explicit materials is sufficiently limited by the requirement the depiction be
“reasonably deemed to be intended for sexual gratification.” Id.
The condition is not unconstitutionally vague. We have previously upheld
prohibitions on “sexually explicit materials” against vagueness challenges when an
ordinary person would be able to understand the prohibition in context and with the
aid of dictionary and statutory definitions. See Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d at 680-81; Bahl,
164 Wn.2d at 743, 756 (“‘[b]ecause of the inherent vagueness of language, citizens
may need to utilize other statutes and court rulings to clarify the meaning of a
statute’—‘[s]uch sources are considered presumptively available to all citizens’”
(alterations in original) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting State v. Watson,
160 Wn.2d 1, 8, 154 P.3d 909 (2007))).
Here, the condition includes a definition of “sexually explicit materials,”
listing specific acts, images, and scenarios, qualified by the requirement that the
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depiction must be “reasonably deemed to be intended for sexual gratification.” Mot.
for Discr. Rev., App. F at 2. In Nguyen, we held that a condition prohibiting
“‘sexually explicit material as defined by RCW 9.68.130’” was not
unconstitutionally vague because “persons of ordinary intelligence can discern
‘sexually explicit material’ from works of art and anthropological significance,”
which the referenced statute excluded. 191 Wn.2d at 679-81 (quoting the record).
Similarly, here, reading the definition in context, a person of ordinary intelligence
can understand that it does not prohibit all nude images but, rather, only those
depictions “reasonably deemed to be intended for sexual gratification.” Mot. for
Discr. Rev., App. F at 2. Contrary to Ansell’s contention, an ordinary person would
understand that portrayals of sexual scenes in films like Titanic or Love and
Basketball are not prohibited under this condition. Similarly, portrayals of nudity,
such as in Frida Kahlo’s Two Nudes in the Forest, Michelangelo’s David, or a
drawing of the human anatomy in a medical textbook are not prohibited. See
Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d at 680-81 (discerning works of art from sexually explicit
material). An ordinary person would understand the intended purpose of those
images is not for sexual gratification. See id.
Ansell also argues that the phrase “reasonably deemed to be intended for
sexual gratification” invites arbitrary enforcement subject to the personal interests
of the individual CCO. Mot. for Discr. Rev., App. F at 2. But the condition does
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not prohibit material a CCO personally finds sexually gratifying; it prohibits material
that is reasonably deemed intended for that purpose. We generally interpret the term
“reasonable” to denote an objective, rather than a subjective, standard. See, e.g., In
re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Keenan, 199 Wn.2d 87, 96, 502 P.3d 1271
(2022) (canons of judicial conduct); In re Pers. Restraint of Garcia-Mendoza, 196
Wn.2d 836, 844, 479 P.3d 674 (2021) (ineffective assistance of counsel); State v.
Escalante, 195 Wn.2d 526, 533-34, 461 P.3d 1183 (2020) (custody for purposes of
a Miranda warning). Thus, this condition includes a sufficiently ascertainable
standard, based on whether a reasonable objective person would consider the image
or depiction intended for sexual gratification.
We conclude that condition G adequately defines the proscribed conduct so
an ordinary person can understand the prohibition and provides sufficiently
ascertainable standards to protect against arbitrary enforcement. As is often the case
in vagueness challenges, Ansell wants us to find that the absence of a precise
definition equates to a vague definition. That cannot be the correct conclusion—we
can fairly describe and define the prohibited materials in a thorough and objective
manner, as the ISRB did here, and know that the prohibition can be appropriately
communicated to the person subject to the restriction. The prohibition on sexually
explicit materials is not unconstitutionally vague, and the ISRB did not abuse its
discretion in imposing this condition. See Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 677.
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2. Dating
Second, condition N states, “You must not date individuals who have minor
children, unless you receive prior approval from your CCO and the ISRB.” Mot. for
Discr. Rev., App. F at 3. As this condition does not contain definitions, we “may
consider the plain and ordinary meaning as set forth in a standard dictionary.” Bahl,
164 Wn.2d at 754. “Date” means “an appointment between two persons” “for the
mutual enjoyment of some form of social activity” or “an occasion (as an evening)
of social activity arranged in advance between two persons.” WEBSTER’S THIRD
NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 576 (2002).
In Nguyen, we upheld a similar prohibition against any “dating relationship,”
looking to the plain and ordinary meaning according to the dictionary as well as a
statutory definition and concluding that “a person of ordinary intelligence can
distinguish a ‘dating relationship’ from other types of relationships.” 191 Wn.2d at
682. Likewise, we conclude an ordinary person could understand that condition N
prohibits social and romantic meetings with people who have minor children without
prior approval. 3
Ansell emphasizes that in the 21st century, the question of whether people are
3
The ISRB points to State v. Kinzle, where the Court of Appeals upheld a similar condition
because the crime involved children Kinzle accessed “through a social relationship with their
parents.” 181 Wn. App. 774, 785, 326 P.3d 870 (2014). But the Kinzle court did not analyze that
condition for vagueness; it found the condition reasonably crime related and necessary to protect
the public. Id. Kinzle is unpersuasive as to the vagueness analysis of Ansell’s condition N.
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considered dating can be rife with uncertainty if, for example, they meet for
conversation over coffee or have a one-time sexual encounter. But the question is
not whether a pair of people would agree to the label of “dating”; rather, the question
is whether the proscribed conduct is sufficiently definite and objectively
ascertainable. Based on the plain and ordinary meaning, a person of ordinary
intelligence would understand that both of the aforementioned activities would be
prohibited if the other person had minor children and Ansell failed to obtain prior
approval. Further, this provides an objective standard, not a subjective one. Thus,
the proscribed conduct is sufficiently definite. Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 752-53.
We conclude the prohibition on dating is not unconstitutionally vague and the
ISRB did not abuse its discretion in imposing condition N. See Padilla, 190 Wn.2d
at 677.
3. Forming Relationships
Third, condition O states, “You must not form relationships with
persons/families with minor children without first disclosing your sex offender status
and having this relationship approved by your CCO.” Mot. for Discr. Rev., App. F
at 3.
Ansell argues this condition lacks guidance on the types of relationships it
prohibits. But when deciding a vagueness challenge, “the terms are not considered
in a ‘vacuum,’ rather, they are considered in the context in which they are used.”
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Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 754 (quoting Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 180). Community custody
conditions should be “read in a commonsense fashion in the context of the judgment
and sentence, and related documents that will be available to [the CCO].” State v.
Johnson, 197 Wn.2d 740, 748, 487 P.3d 893 (2021). Here, Ansell’s judgment and
sentence shows that he was convicted of three counts of child molestation, and the
release decision describes how Ansell committed the offenses against children in his
family’s babysitting group—the children of friends and neighbors. Additionally,
condition N prohibits Ansell from dating people who have children, and an
unchallenged condition I also prohibits Ansell from having contact with minors
without the permission and supervision of a chaperone. Cf. State v. Wallmuller, 194
Wn.2d 234, 245, 449 P.3d 619 (2019) (reading a community custody condition in
the context of other conditions). Condition O must be read in the context of the
underlying criminal conduct and documents available to the CCO—which together
indicate that the condition relates to preventing Ansell from accessing children based
on his relationship with their parents, as he did with the children he molested. Bahl,
164 Wn.2d at 754; Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 748 & n.3. Thus, read in context with the
other community custody conditions and release decision, condition O provides
sufficient standards to prevent arbitrary enforcement. Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 748.4
4
The concurrence/dissent expresses concern about reliance on extrinsic documents that
might not be available to the defendant, see concurrence/dissent (Gordon McCloud, J.) at 7, but
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Ansell also argues that condition O lacks guidance on the degree of
friendliness in an interaction that amounts to a “relationship.” Due process does not
require that he should be able to “‘predict with complete certainty the exact point at
which his actions would be classified as prohibited conduct,’” as long as a person of
ordinary intelligence can understand what is proscribed. Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 677
(internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Sanchez Valencia, 169 Wn.2d at 793);
Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 179 (“‘vagueness in the constitutional sense is not mere
uncertainty’” (quoting State v. Smith, 111 Wn.2d 1, 10, 759 P.2d 372 (1988))). In
context, an ordinary person could understand that condition O is aimed at preventing
easy access to children, which is a possibility in any relationship. Context shows
that the condition prohibits Ansell from accessing children through friendly
relationships, business relationships, neighborly relationships, and the like.
Condition O, though broad, is not unconstitutionally vague. An ordinary
person would understand that when Ansell has friendly dealings with people who
have minor children, he must disclose his sex offender status and get the approval of
his CCO. This condition allows for the easy differentiation between an
inconsequential conversation in a grocery store checkout line and a lengthier
conversation between, for example, two parents whose children share a teacher and
we consider only the release decision and order of release stating the conditions—documents that
are central to understanding the conditions and are readily available to the parties here.
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
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who are planning a birthday party. One such conversation leads to nothing further,
while the other involves children and begins the formation of a friendly relationship.
Ansell fails to demonstrate that the term is unconstitutionally vague. Therefore, the
ISRB did not abuse its discretion in imposing this condition. See Padilla, 190 Wn.2d
at 677.
B. Conditions Unrelated to the Crime
Last, Ansell challenged condition D, which prohibits the use of cannabis. The
ISRB concedes that there is no evidence that Ansell’s crimes involved any drugs.
However, the ISRB argues community custody conditions need not be related to the
crime of conviction as long as they meet a single one of the other statutory
requirements. We disagree.
The scope of the ISRB’s authority to impose community custody conditions
is a question of statutory interpretation we review de novo. Armendariz, 160 Wn.2d
at 110. The objective of statutory interpretation is to ascertain and implement the
legislature’s intent. Dep’t of Ecology v. Campbell & Gwinn, LLC, 146 Wn.2d 1, 9,
43 P.3d 4 (2002). If the statute’s meaning is plain on its face, then we must give
effect to that meaning as an expression of legislative intent. Id. at 9-10. Plain
meaning is discerned from both the text of the statute, the statutory scheme as a
whole, and related statutes. Id. at 11. If the statute is ambiguous, we may resort to
aids to construction. Id. at 12.
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The ISRB contends that RCW 9.94A.704 clearly outlines its authority to set
community custody conditions, but that is not quite an accurate characterization of
the law. Ansell committed these crimes between 2006 and 2008, so his sentence is
governed by the version of the law in effect at that time: former RCW 9.94A.713(5)
(2001) (LAWS OF 2001, 2d Spec. Sess., ch. 12, § 304). RCW 9.94A.345; State v.
Medina, 180 Wn.2d 282, 287, 324 P.3d 682 (2014). Since then, the statute has been
recodified as RCW 9.94A.704. LAWS OF 2008, ch. 231, §§ 57-59; LAWS OF 2009,
ch. 28, § 12.
Rather than declaring affirmative parameters for the ISRB’s authority to
impose conditions, former RCW 9.94A.713(5) outlines an administrative process for
the person subject to community custody conditions to object to a condition imposed
by the department or ISRB. Conditions will be stricken if they are not reasonably
related to any of three criteria:
By the close of the next business day, after receiving notice of a
condition imposed by the board or the department, an offender may
request an administrative hearing under rules adopted by the board.
The condition shall remain in effect unless the hearing examiner finds
that it is not reasonably related to any of the following:
(a) The crime of conviction;
(b) The offender’s risk of reoffending; or
(c) The safety of the community.
Former RCW 9.94A.713(5) (emphasis added). 5
5
The legislature has revised the statute several times in the decade and a half since Ansell
committed these crimes, including a 2019 amendment adding “[t]he offender’s risk of domestic
violence reoffense” as another basis for a challenge to conditions imposed by the ISRB under
18
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
The ISRB argues that former RCW 9.94A.713(5) authorizes imposing a
community custody condition that reasonably relates to any one of those matters, but
the condition does not need to relate to all of them. It concedes that the cannabis
condition does not relate to Ansell’s crimes, but it argues a condition is valid
nevertheless if it relates to the risk of reoffending or the safety of the community.
Ansell argues, and we agree, that the statute requires that ISRB-imposed community
custody conditions relate to all three topics.
The statute is ambiguous. Former RCW 9.94A.713(5) does not state that the
ISRB can impose any condition as long as it relates to a single criterion. Rather, it
outlines the grounds for a person to challenge a condition and states in the negative
that the condition will remain in effect unless it is not reasonably related to any of
three topics. Id. The ISRB argues the dictionary definition of the word “any,” in
the phrase “any of the following,” supports its interpretation that the condition need
relate to only one of the enumerated topics. But the word “any” can mean “one” or
“all.” WEBSTER’S, supra, at 97 (“Any” means “one, some, or all indiscriminately of
RCW 9.94A.704(10)(c). LAWS OF 2019, ch. 263, § 601. However, as explained above, the SRA
declares that the law applicable to Ansell is that which was in effect at the time of the offenses.
RCW 9.94A.345. Therefore, we agree with the concurrence that the current iteration of the statute
is not at issue in this case, see concurrence (Whitener, J.) at 6, and therefore our analysis has no
application to it. Our analysis applies to the version of the statute at issue in this case: former
RCW 9.94A.713(5).
19
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
whatever quantity”). 6 Thus, the operative sentence can be read to mean that a
condition is valid if it relates to any one of the enumerated topics or it can be read to
mean that a condition is valid if it relates to all of those topics. More precisely, it
means that a person has the right to challenge a condition and have it stricken either
(a) if it is not related to one of those topics or (b) if it is unrelated to all of those
topics.
The more natural reading of the statute is that the person subject to the
condition may challenge it on the basis that it does not relate to all three topics. Thus,
the ISRB is authorized to impose community custody conditions that relate to the
crime of conviction, the risk of reoffense, and the safety of the community—but if
the condition fails to relate to all three topics, it will be stricken. Former RCW
9.94A.713(5) (the challenged condition will not remain in effect if “the hearing
examiner finds that it is not reasonably related to any of the following” criteria).
This reading of the statute comports with the structure and purpose of the
statutory scheme governing community custody, which aims to reduce the risk the
person will commit another sex offense if released into the community. See RCW
9.95.420(3); see also Campbell & Gwinn, 146 Wn.2d at 11. Reading the statutory
scheme as a whole, the risk of reoffending and the safety of the community are
6
For example, “I can’t find any stamps” means I can’t find even a single stamp, while
“give me any letters you find” means give me all the letters you find. See WEBSTER’S, supra, at
97.
20
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
inextricably linked to the crime of conviction—that is, the risk of reoffending refers
to the risk the person will commit another similar sex offense, and the safety to the
community refers to protecting the public against that risk. Former RCW
9.94A.713(5). The ISRB’s concession that the cannabis prohibition does not relate
to any of those purposes demonstrates this principle—no evidence suggests that
cannabis relates to Ansell’s crime or that restricting his access to cannabis relates to
his risk of reoffense or the safety of the community. The ISRB does not have
unfettered discretion to impose conditions untethered to these risks. Thus, the ISRB
is authorized to impose community custody conditions that are reasonably related to
the crime of conviction, the risk of reoffense, and the safety of the community—a
condition that fails to relate to all three topics is invalid. Id.
We said as much in Winton. 196 Wn.2d at 278 (“Based on the statutory
authority, the relevant inquiry is whether the imposed condition is ‘crime-related,’
meaning it is reasonably related to the crime, the offender’s risk of reoffense, and
the protection of public safety” (citing RCW 9.94A.704(10)(c)(i)-(iii); RCW
9.95.0001(2))). That case involved a challenge to a travel restriction in a community
custody condition. Id. at 273. We held that conditions restricting the constitutional
right to travel are reviewed for reasonableness, and the condition at issue was a
reasonable exercise of authority because it was “reasonably related to the crime,
recidivism, and public safety.” Id. at 276, 279 (emphasis added). We explained:
21
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
The condition complies with the statutory requirements; that is,
it bears a reasonable relation to the crime, the risk of reoffense, and
public safety. The condition directly relates to the crime because
Winton’s victims reside, work, and attend school within Clark County.
It also reasonably reduces the risk of reoffense, ensures public safety,
and, notably, protects the victims and their families by preventing
contact with Winton. The ISRB properly exercised its discretion in
imposing this condition.
Id. at 278-79 (emphasis added).
Given the text of the statute, along with the structure and purpose of the
statutory scheme and our precedent, we conclude the SRA authorizes the ISRB to
impose community custody conditions only if they relate to the crime of conviction,
the risk of reoffense, and the safety of the community. Former RCW 9.94A.713(5).
No evidence suggests the cannabis condition is related to Ansell’s crimes, so the
ISRB acted outside its authority in imposing condition D. We affirm the Court of
Appeals with respect to condition D.
CONCLUSION
The ISRB’s authority to impose community custody conditions is broad, but
not unlimited. It cannot impose conditions that are unconstitutionally vague, and it
must adhere to the purpose of community custody under the SRA, which aims to
reduce the risk a person will commit another sex offense if released into the
community. In this case, conditions G, N, and O are not unconstitutionally vague;
the ISRB did not abuse its discretion in imposing those conditions. However, the
ISRB lacked authority to impose condition D, which is not related to the crime of
22
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell
No. 100753-1
conviction, risk of reoffending, and the safety of the community, as required by
former RCW 9.94A.713(5). We therefore affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand
for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
______________________________
WE CONCUR:
___________________________ ______________________________
___________________________ ______________________________
___________________________ ______________________________
___________________________ ______________________________
23
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
No. 100753-1
WHITENER, J. (concurring)—In his personal restraint petition Peter Ansell
challenges many community custody conditions that the Indeterminate Sentencing
Review Board (ISRB) imposed on him.
I agree with the lead opinion that Ansell’s motion for injunctive relief be
denied and, therefore, I join in Section I. I also agree with the lead opinion that the
conditions related to sexually explicit materials, dating, and forming relationships
are not unconstitutionally vague and, therefore, I join in Section II, subsection A.
However, I disagree that the ISRB exceeds its authority under former RCW
9.94A.713(5) (2001) when it imposes a community custody condition that is not
crime related, so long as the condition is reasonably related to another of the
enumerated criteria. Accordingly, I disagree with the lead opinion’s analysis as to
condition D, prohibiting the use, possession, and control of cannabis.1 However,
because the ISRB conceded at oral argument 2 that the cannabis condition is not
1
Like the lead opinion, I also use the term “cannabis” instead of “marijuana.” Lead opinion
at 2 (citing State v. Fraser, 199 Wn.2d 465, 469 n.1, 509 P.3d 282 (2022)).
2
At oral argument, in response to a question from Justice Montoya-Lewis as to how the
cannabis condition related to one or all of the enumerated criteria, counsel for the ISRB stated that
“in Mr. Ansell’s case it does not seem to meet … any of the three or any of the four criteria” and
conveyed that that is why the ISRB had withdrawn the condition prior to argument. Wash. Sup.
1
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
related to any of the three enumerated criteria, I would hold that the ISRB did exceed
its authority in imposing the cannabis condition and it must be stricken, but I would
affirm the Court of Appeals on this issue on different grounds.
Therefore, I respectfully concur.
ANALYSIS
Although we review community custody conditions for abuse of discretion,
we review whether an entity had the authority to impose such restrictions de novo
as it involves an issue of statutory interpretation. In re Pers. Restraint of Winton, 196
Wn.2d 270, 474 P.3d 532 (2020); State v. Armendariz, 160 Wn.2d 106, 110, 156
P.3d 201 (2007). When interpreting a statute, our “fundamental objective is to
ascertain and carry out the Legislature’s intent, and if the statute’s meaning is plain
on its face, then the court must give effect to that plain meaning as an expression of
legislative intent.” Dep’t of Ecology v. Campbell & Gwinn, LLC, 146 Wn.2d 1, 9-
10, 43 P.3d 4 (2002). We also consider the text of the provision in question, the
context of the statute in which the provision is found, related provisions, and the
statutory scheme as a whole. City of Seattle v. Winebrenner, 167 Wn.2d 451, 456,
219 P.3d 686 (2009).
Ct., oral argument, In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1 (Jan. 17, 2023) at 13 min., 21
sec., audio recording by TVW, Washington State’s Public Affairs Network, http://www.tvw.org.
2
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
In the present case, condition D prohibits Ansell from using, possessing, or
controlling cannabis and prohibits him from entering establishments that sell
cannabis.
As the lead opinion explains, former RCW 9.94A.713(5) outlines the process
under which a person subject to community custody conditions may object to
conditions imposed by the ISRB. Lead opinion at 17. Former RCW 9.94A.713(5)
reads,
By the close of the next business day, after receiving notice of a
condition imposed by the board or the department, an offender may
request an administrative hearing under rules adopted by the board. The
condition shall remain in effect unless the hearing examiner finds that
it is not reasonably related to any of the following:
(a) The crime of conviction;
(b) The offender’s risk of reoffending; or
(c) The safety of the community . . .
(Emphasis added).
The lead opinion concludes that this statute is ambiguous. Lead opinion at 19.
I disagree. A statute is “ambiguous” if, after analyzing the plain language, “the
statute remains susceptible to more than one reasonable meaning.” Campbell &
Gwinn, 146 Wn.2d at 12. At this point, we can resort to statutory construction,
including legislative history. Id.
3
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
The lead opinion itself recognizes that “‘[a]ny’ means ‘one, some, or all
indiscriminately of whatever quantity.’” Lead opinion at 19 (quoting WEBSTER’S
THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 97 (2002)). Thus, “any” means one, some,
or all, of the quantity of things under consideration.
Thus, placing this definition into the statute it now reads,
By the close of the next business day, after receiving notice of a
condition imposed by the board or the department, an offender may
request an administrative hearing under rules adopted by the board. The
condition shall remain in effect unless the hearing examiner finds that
it is not reasonably related to [one, some, or all] of the following:
(a) The crime of conviction;
(b) The offender’s risk of reoffending; or
(c) The safety of the community.
Former RCW 9.94A.713(5). While the double negative of “unless” and “not
reasonably related” is admittedly confusing, the statute says that the hearing
examiner will strike the condition if it is not reasonably related to one, some, or all
of the criteria. It follows that if the condition is reasonably related to one, some, or
all of the criteria, then the condition shall remain in effect.
The lead opinion contends that “the operative sentence can be read to mean
that a condition is valid if it relates to any one of the enumerated topics or it can be
read to mean that a condition is valid if it relates to all of those topics.” Lead opinion
at 19 (second emphasis added). Although I agree that both of these statements are
4
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
ways in which the statute can be read, I disagree with the lead opinion’s use of “or”
because it is not that one or the other of these statements apply. Both of these
statements apply and exist at once because there are three ways in which the
community custody condition is valid: if one enumerated criterion is met, if two are
met, and if all three are met. What the lead opinion deems to be “ambiguous” is that
there are multiple ways in which the criteria of the statute can be met. This is not
ambiguity. It is, instead, reasonable interpretations of the statute that can all exist at
the same time because each alternative is a way to meet the criteria of the statute.
The lead opinion then asserts that reading a condition as valid if one criterion
is met or if all are met “[m]ore precisely . . . means that a person has the right to
challenge a condition and have it stricken either (a) if it is not related to one of those
topics or (b) if it is unrelated to all of those topics.” Lead opinion at 19-20. This is
incorrect because it is based on the false premise that the condition is valid if one of
the criteria is met or if all criteria are met, when instead the condition is valid if one
criterion is met and also if all criteria are met (to include if some criteria are met).
Further, under the scenario in which a person is challenging the condition for not
being related to one of the criteria, if it is related to another of the two remaining
criteria, then it would in fact be related to “one” of the criteria as required by the
statute. The lead opinion is creating ambiguity where none exists.
5
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
In addition, the colloquial understanding of this phrasing is that only one of
the enumerated criteria must be met. Take the hypothetical of a job posting. If,
similar to the statute, a job posting indicated that “applications will be considered
unless we determine you do not meet any of the following criteria: five years of
experience, graduation from college, and live within 10 miles of the job site.” It
would be reasonable for applicants to understand that their applications would be
considered, so long as at least one of the criteria is met. Looking at this hypothetical
another way, and removing the double negative, it reads that an application will be
considered if someone does meet any (one, some, or all) of the criteria. While the
phrasing could be clearer, there is no ambiguity. The same is true for the statute at
issue.
Additionally, when interpreting a statute, the court must presume that the
legislature did not intend unlikely or absurd results. State v. Barbee, 187 Wn.2d 375,
389, 386 P.3d 729 (2017). Although the current iteration of the statute is not at issue,
the lead opinion’s reading of the statute will lead to absurd consequences under the
current statute. In 2019, the legislature added a fourth factor to the list in RCW
9.94A.704(10)(c),3 which, in addition to crime of conviction, risk of reoffending,
3
As the lead opinion correctly observes, the statute at issue in this case has been recodified
as RCW 9.94A.704. Lead opinion at 18 (citing LAWS OF 2008, ch. 231, §§ 57-59; LAWS OF 2009,
ch. 28, § 12).
6
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
and safety to the community, now includes “[t]he offender’s risk of domestic
violence reoffense.” LAWS OF 2019, ch. 263, § 601(10)(c)(iv).
The other pertinent language has not changed. Therefore, under the lead
opinion’s reading of the statute, if one of those four factors is not met, then the
hearing examiner must strike the condition. Accordingly, if a condition is not
reasonably related to an offender’s risk of domestic violence reoffense, the condition
cannot be imposed. This eviscerates the authority of the ISRB. The ISRB will now
be unable to impose any conditions on any offender who has not committed a
domestic violence offense because there would be no condition that would prevent
a “reoffense” of an offense that never happened in the first place. This would be
absurd and cannot be the intention of the legislature.
In addition, former RCW 9.94A.713(1) reads,
the department shall assess the offender’s risk of recidivism and shall
recommend to the board any additional or modified conditions of the
offender’s community custody based upon the risk to community
safety. In addition, the department shall make a recommendation with
regard to, and the board may require the offender to participate in,
rehabilitative programs, or otherwise perform affirmative conduct, and
obey all laws. The board must consider and may impose department-
recommended conditions.
It would also be absurd to require the ISRB to consider and grant it the discretion to
impose community custody conditions related only to the risk to community safety,
only to have said conditions stricken under a later section of the same statute because
the condition does not relate to the crime of conviction and risk of reoffense.
7
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
The lead opinion and Ansell contend that Winton is determinative, but I would
hold that it is not determinative but rather is distinguishable. Winton did not consider
the same type of community custody condition at issue here nor did Winton engage
in a full statutory interpretation of the statute at issue in the present case.
In Winton, we examined a community custody condition that prohibited a
parolee from entering Clark County without prior written approval. 196 Wn.2d at
273. The ISRB included this condition because Winton’s victims lived in Clark
County. Id. We held that this condition was reasonable under RCW
9.94A.704(10)(c), a successor statute to RCW 9.94A.713, noting that “[t]he
condition complies with the statutory requirements; that is, it bears a reasonable
relation to the crime, the risk of reoffense, and public safety.” Id. at 278-79. The
ISRB asserts that the Winton court incorrectly read the statute conjunctively because
it implied that all factors must be met for a condition to be imposed. Pet’r’s Suppl.
Br. at 18. I agree. Therefore, I would clarify the interpretation of RCW
9.94A.704(10)(c) and hold that under the plain language of the statute, the
enumerated requirements are disjunctive and only one must be met to impose a
condition. Id. at 19.
It is true that in Winton this court did refer to the enumerated list of criteria as
a conjunctive list adding in “and.” See, e.g., Winton 196 Wn.2d at 276 (“Moreover,
an imposed condition must be reasonably related to the crime of the conviction, the
8
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
offender’s risk of reoffending, and the safety of the community or it will be
removed.” (emphasis added)). But the court did so only as it relates to “crime-
related” prohibitions, which was the focus in Winton.
As the Winton court correctly observed,
“‘Community custody’ means that portion of an offender's sentence
subject to controls including crime-related prohibitions and affirmative
conditions from the court, the board, or the department of corrections
based on risk to community safety, that is served under supervision in
the community, and which may be modified or revoked for violations
of release conditions.”
Id. (emphasis omitted) (quoting RCW 9.95.0001(2)). Looking at this language, the
ISRB can impose both crime-related and affirmative conditions. It follows these are
not the same or else there would be no reason to list both. Consistent with this, in a
footnote, the court recognized that “[b]ased on the language ‘including crime-related
prohibitions and affirmative conditions,’ we recognize that RCW 9.95.0001(2)
establishes nonexclusive considerations. However, in this case, our focus is on
‘crime-related prohibitions,’ and those additional considerations are not before us.”
Id. at 276 n.5. Thus, the court recognized that it was not analyzing conditions that
were not crime-related prohibitions and recognized that there are other possible type
of conditions that were not before the court.
The court went on to define and analyze crime-related prohibitions. And for
crime-related prohibitions, concluded that conditions must be reasonably related to
the crime of conviction, the offender’s risk of reoffending, and the safety of the
9
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
community. While this conclusion makes logical sense for crime-related
prohibitions that are inextricably intertwined with all three enumerated criteria, the
holding is also limited to crime-related prohibitions and does not apply to other
affirmative conditions at issue in the present case.
As discussed above, when engaging in the statutory interpretation of the
language in this statute, the conclusion made by the lead opinion that this is a
conjunctive list is incorrect. Therefore, while in Winton all three of the enumerated
criteria were met, the legal underpinnings requiring all three to be met are limited to
the facts of a crime-related condition.
The Court of Appeals, Division Three, recently held that community custody
conditions are not limited to conditions that are crime related and may be extended
to “conditions that are reasonably related to the offender’s risk of reoffending.” State
v. Frederick, 20 Wn. App. 2d 890, 903, 506 P.3d 690 (2022). Frederick argued that
a condition that required drug monitoring was not crime related and could not be
imposed. Id. at 902. The court found that the condition was crime related and further
explained that “the [ISRB]’s authority to impose conditions of community custody
is not limited to conditions that are crime related.” Id. at 903. In doing so, the court
“agree[d] with the State’s assessment that the Winton court did not seek to define the
[ISRB]’s full authority to impose release conditions; rather, it focused only on crime-
related prohibitions.” Id. at 902 n. 1. Although not binding, Frederick is persuasive
10
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
and supports a statutory interpretation that all conditions need not be related to the
crime of conviction.
I would hold that the statute presents a disjunctive meaning in that at least one
criterion must be satisfied, not all. The ISRB is within its authority to impose
conditions not related to the crime if the condition is otherwise related to one of the
enumerated criteria, as only one criterion on the list needs to be satisfied for a
condition to remain in effect.
However, the ISRB has conceded that the cannabis condition is not related to
any of the three enumerated criteria, therefore, I agree solely with the result of the
lead opinion that the condition must be stricken.
CONCLUSION
I would reverse the Court of Appeals. Under the plain language of RCW
9.94A.713(5), only one of the enumerated criteria needs to be met for the condition
to remain in effect. Accordingly, the ISRB has the authority to impose conditions
unrelated to the crime but related to another enumerated criteria. However, here the
ISRB conceded that the cannabis condition does not relate to any of the criteria,
therefore, it must be stricken.
I respectfully concur.
11
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In re Personal Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1
Whitener, J. (concurring)
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
12
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
No. 100753-1
GORDON McCLOUD, J. (concurring in part/dissenting in part)—
Community custody conditions must be related to the crime of conviction. And
the community custody conditions that the lead opinion upholds in this case are
certainly related to Peter Daniel Ansell’s crimes of child molestation: he
accomplished the molestation by using his neighborhood babysitting group as a
source of victims and the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board (ISRB) imposed
community custody conditions that obviously limit his ability to gain such
unsupervised access to children in the future.
The majority of those conditions achieve that goal with clear and definite
language. The condition barring Ansell from possessing or accessing “sexually
explicit materials” and then explaining what that term means is crime related and is
well defined. Mot. for Discr. Rev., App. F (Ord. of Release & Supervision
Conditions) at 2. And the condition barring Ansell from “dat[ing] individuals who
have minor children” absent “prior approval” is crime related and—given society’s
1
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
general understanding of what “dating” means—is also narrow and therefore
sufficiently clear. Id., App. F at 3.
But condition O is different. It bars Ansell from “form[ing] relationships”
with persons who have minor children absent prior community corrections officer
(CCO) approval. Id. Unlike condition G, which contains a clear definition of its
prohibition on “sexually explicit materials,” id., App. F at 2, condition O contains
no definition at all of its prohibition on “relationships.” And unlike condition N,
which uses the narrow word “dating” to describe its bar on “dat[ing] individuals
who have minor children” absent CCO approval, id., App. F at 3, condition O uses
the expansive word “relationships,” without definition, to describe its bar on
“form[ing] relationships” with persons who have minor children absent prior CCO
approval. Even the lead opinion acknowledges that the word “relationships,”
unlike the word “dating,” is “broad.” Lead opinion at 16.
I therefore join the lead opinion in all respects, except for its decision about
condition O. I would hold that because condition O lacks the clear and definite
language contained in conditions N and G, it is unconstitutionally vague.
I therefore respectfully concur in part and dissent in part.
2
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
FACTS
As the lead opinion states, Ansell molested children left in his care as part of
a neighborhood babysitting group. He pleaded guilty to three counts of child
molestation. Ansell received an indeterminate sentence of 130 months to life.
After Ansell served his minimum term of 11 years, the ISRB released him
subject to community custody conditions. One of those conditions, condition O,
read:
You must not form relationships with persons/families with minor children
without first disclosing your sex offender status and having this relationship
approved by your CCO.
Mot. for Discr. Rev., App. F at 3.
Ansell filed a personal restraint petition challenging condition O and other
conditions, as the lead opinion explains. The Court of Appeals held, in part, that
condition O was unconstitutionally vague and remanded with instructions for the
ISRB to amend or strike the condition. In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell, No. 82506-2-
I, slip op. at 17 (Wash. Ct. App. Jan. 18, 2022) (unpublished),
https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/825062.pdf. This court granted review.
Ord., In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell, No. 100753-1 (Wash. 2022).
3
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
ANALYSIS
The due process clauses of the state and United States constitutions
“require[] that citizens have fair warning of proscribed conduct.” State v. Bahl, 164
Wn.2d 739, 752, 193 P.3d 678 (2008) (citing City of Spokane v. Douglass, 115
Wn.2d 171, 178, 795 P.2d 693 (1990)); Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104,
108, 92 S. Ct. 2294, 33 L. Ed. 2d 222 (1972); WASH. CONST. art. I, § 3; U.S.
CONST. amend. XIV.
Thus, legal prohibitions like community custody conditions must be
sufficiently clear and cannot survive if they are unduly vague.
A community custody condition is unconstitutionally vague if it “(1) . . .
does not sufficiently define the proscribed conduct so an ordinary person can
understand the prohibition or (2) . . . does not provide sufficiently ascertainable
standards to protect against arbitrary enforcement.” State v. Padilla, 190 Wn.2d
672, 677, 416 P.3d 712 (2018) (emphasis added) (citing Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 752-
53). In other words, a condition must contain sufficiently definite and clear
descriptions of the prohibited conduct and the condition must contain clear
standards for uniform, nonarbitrary, enforcement. A condition that lacks even one
of these constitutionally required minimum protections must be stricken as vague.
Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 178. Condition O’s use of the key term “relationships,”
4
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
without a narrowing explanation or definition for either Ansell or his CCO, lacks
both of those constitutionally required minimum protections.
The lead opinion comes to a different conclusion. It does so by holding that
we should define the word “relationship,” and narrow its otherwise massive scope,
by considering a variety of other documents that might be accessible to the CCO
even if they are not available to Ansell. As the lead opinion explains it, “Condition
O must be read in the context of the underlying criminal conduct and documents
available to the CCO—which together indicate that the condition relates to
preventing Ansell from accessing children based on his relationship with their
parents, as he did with the children he molested.” Lead opinion at 15 (emphasis
added) (citing Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 754; State v. Johnson, 197 Wn.2d 740, 748 &
n.3, 487 P.3d 893 (2021)).
This defeats both purposes of the vagueness doctrine.
The first key purpose of the vagueness doctrine in this context is to inform
the defendant, or probationer, or other supervisee, of the law’s requirements with
sufficient definiteness for them to be able to understand what behavior is
prohibited. Grayned, 408 U.S. at 108; see also Young v. Harper, 520 U.S. 143,
150, 117 S. Ct. 1148, 137 L. Ed. 2d 270 (1997). Forcing the defendant to predict
the other documents on which the CCO might rely, concerning the goal of the
5
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
challenged condition rather than the meaning of the operative word used in that
condition, to predict what “relationships” encompasses, thwarts that purpose.
Accord United States v. Guagliardo, 278 F.3d 868, 872 (9th Cir. 2002) (“A
probationer . . . has a separate due process right to conditions of supervised release
that are sufficiently clear to inform him of what conduct will result in his being
returned to prison.” (citing Grayned, 408 U.S. at 108-09)); Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 752
(due process clause “requires that citizens have fair warning of proscribed
conduct”).
The second key purpose of the vagueness doctrine in this context is to ensure
that the person enforcing the condition—here, the CCO—cannot exercise
discretion in an arbitrary manner. Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 682. The lead opinion’s
reliance on unspecified documents concerning the goal of condition O, rather than
clearly explaining the meaning of the word “relationships,” also defeats that
purpose.
I. Controlling precedent requires conditions of supervision to be clear on
their face. The lead opinion’s decision to look to other documents
available to the CCO to understand the purpose of condition O (but not
its language) conflicts with that precedent
The lead opinion begins by reciting the two ways to test whether a community
custody condition is unconstitutionally vague—whether it provides the defendant
6
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
with adequate notice and whether it is clear enough to prevent arbitrary enforcement.
Lead opinion at 8 (quoting Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 677). But the lead opinion does
not apply those tests to the language of condition O. Instead, it applies those tests to
other documents that are available to the CCO but that are absent from condition O
(and absent from all the other conditions) and that are not even cross-referenced by
those conditions. The lead opinion then concludes that those other documents—
rather than the language of condition O itself—can adequately guide the CCO. But
it does not explain how those other documents, which might not be available to the
defendant can adequately guide that defendant.1
1
The lead opinion states in a footnote that there is no cause for concern about a
reviewing court’s “reliance on extrinsic documents that might not be available to the
defendant” because “we only consider the release decision and order of release stating the
conditions.” Lead opinion at 15 n.4 (emphasis added). I certainly agree with the
footnote’s advice about the limited number of documents that the court should consider.
But the text of the lead opinion does not follow that advice. It actually relies on more than
just the “release decision and order of release.” It also relies on the “judgment and
sentence” and the “underlying criminal conduct and documents available to the CCO” in
order to conclude that condition O is not vague. Lead opinion at 14-15 (emphasis added)
(citing Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 748 & n.3). And, as discussed further below, the cited
Johnson decision does not support looking at all those other documents to see if the
defendant has fair notice. Johnson held that the court may examine extrinsic documents
like the judgment and sentence and the “documents available to the CCO” when
considering the second prong of the vagueness test, i.e., whether a condition is
sufficiently clear to prevent arbitrary enforcement—not when considering the first prong
of the vagueness test, i.e., whether a condition “‘sufficiently define[s] the proscribed
conduct so an ordinary person can understand the prohibition.’” Lead opinion at 8
(quoting Padilla, 190 Wn.2d at 677 (citing Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 752-53)). In other words,
despite the footnote, the lead opinion still seems to say that a condition provides
sufficiently definite notice to the defendant even if the CCO has to look at unspecified
7
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
The lead opinion does this by stating, first, that “when deciding a vagueness
challenge, ‘the terms are not considered in a “vacuum,” rather, they are considered
in the context in which they are used.’” Lead opinion at 14 (quoting Bahl, 164 Wn.2d
at 754 (quoting Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 180)). It then concludes—relying on one of
our recent decisions—that community custody conditions should be “read in the
context of the underlying criminal conduct and documents available to the CCO.”
Id. (citing Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 748 & n.3).
In my view, the lead opinion’s analysis conflates the two prongs of the
vagueness test in a way that conflicts with the case on which the lead opinion places
primary reliance: Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 748. By conflating the two prongs of the
vagueness test, the lead opinion’s approach also conflicts with the controlling
Supreme Court decisions that Johnson and our other vagueness cases implement.
See, e.g., Grayned, 408 U.S. at 108-09.
In Johnson, we considered whether a community custody condition stating
that the defendant “shall ‘not use or access the World Wide Web unless
specifically authorized by [his CCO] through approved filters’” was vague and/or
overbroad. 197 Wn.2d at 744. In analyzing the first prong of the vagueness test,
extrinsic documents, not necessarily available to the defendant, to figure out what the
condition means.
8
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
whether a defendant has sufficient notice of proscribed conduct, Johnson did not
discuss or examine extrinsic documents. See id. at 747-48. Johnson considered
only the language of the condition itself; Johnson determined that that language
gave fair notice of the prohibited conduct. Id. And the decisions on which Johnson
relies to analyze this first prong of the vagueness analysis did not look to extrinsic
documents available to the future CCO to determine whether a condition gave fair
notice, either. Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 753; State v. Hai Minh Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d 671,
681, 425 P.3d 847 (2018); State v. Wallmuller, 194 Wn.2d 234, 449 P.3d 619
(2019) (reading community custody condition in context of that condition’s
illustrative list of prohibited places and in context of other conditions); see also
State v. Sanchez Valencia, 169 Wn.2d 782, 794, 239 P.3d 1059 (2010) (examining
the plain language of a community custody condition to determine whether it
provided sufficient notice to the offender); Young, 520 U.S. at 150 (same, with
offender’s conditional release document).
It is true that the Johnson court used a different, broader, analysis when it
addressed the second prong of the vagueness test. The Johnson court held that it
was proper to view the condition in the “context of the judgment and sentence, and
related documents that will be available to [the future CCO]” to figure out whether
there are “sufficient benchmarks to prevent arbitrary enforcement.” 197 Wn.2d at
9
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
748. But the concern addressed by the second prong is different from the concern
addressed by the first prong. The concern addressed by the second prong is whether
a condition is clear enough to prevent arbitrary enforcement. In that context, it might
make sense to consider documents that will be available to—and used by—the
officer enforcing the condition.
But it does not make sense to consider extrinsic documents available to the
CCO when considering whether a condition provides the offender with sufficient
notice. In fact, considering extrinsic documents available to the CCO when
considering whether a condition provides the offender with sufficient notice is
inconsistent with Johnson’s analysis. It also conflicts, in principle, with direction
given by the United States Supreme Court about how to decide whether the offender
received sufficient notice. Young, 520 U.S. at 150; Grayned, 408 U.S. at 108 (“[W]e
insist that laws give the person of ordinary intelligence a reasonable opportunity to
know what is prohibited, so that he may act accordingly.”).
Although this court has said that ordinary people have access to statutory law
and thus are presumptively aware of statutory definitions that might affect the
meaning of a community custody condition, see Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 756-57, we have
never created any similar presumption regarding the access an ordinary person has
to “related documents” that might be available to a CCO.
10
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
And rightly so—because one of the key purposes of the vagueness doctrine is
to protect a defendant’s “right to conditions of supervised release that are sufficiently
clear to inform him of what conduct will result in his being returned to prison.”
Guagliardo, 278 F.3d at 872. To require a defendant to predict and search out other,
unincorporated documents to determine the meaning of words used in a community
custody condition defies this purpose.
In my view, the lead opinion expands Johnson beyond its holding by
concluding that it is appropriate to examine extrinsic documents when analyzing the
first prong of the vagueness test. Because the first prong is concerned with whether
the community custody condition provides sufficient notice to the defendant of
proscribed conduct, this court’s focus when examining that prong has been, and
should remain, what the community custody order itself says.
I therefore disagree with the lead opinion’s implied expansion of Johnson
beyond its actual holding. 2
2
I disagree with the lead opinion’s decision to look to extrinsic documents to
determine whether Ansell’s other community custody conditions provide sufficient notice
of proscribed conduct. I agree with the lead opinion that the conditions it upholds are
sufficiently definite, but for the reason that their plain language in the context of the
community custody order itself is sufficiently clear and definite—without reference to
other, unincorporated documents.
11
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
II. Even if it were appropriate to look at extrinsic documents when applying
both portions of the vagueness test, condition O would still be vague
The First Amendment protects the fundamental right to freedom of
association. State v. Frederick, 20 Wn. App. 2d 890, 909, 506 P.3d 690 (2022);
U.S. CONST. amend. I. Condition O limits the people with whom Ansell can
associate, so it burdens that right to freedom of association. See id.
Community custody conditions can certainly burden such fundamental
rights. But conditions burdening such a fundamental right must be “‘reasonably
necessary to accomplish the essential needs of the state and public order.’” State v.
Riley, 121 Wn.2d 22, 37-38, 846 P.2d 1365 (1993) (quoting Malone v. United
States, 502 F.2d 554, 556 (9th Cir. 1974)). In addition, conditions that affect a
fundamental right “demand[] a greater degree of specificity,” Padilla, 190 Wn.2d
at 678, and must meet “a stricter standard of definiteness.” Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d at
679 (citing Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 753); see also State v. Warren, 165 Wn.2d 17, 32,
195 P.3d 940 (2008). They must be imposed “sensitively.” Riley, 121 Wn.2d at 37
(citing United States v. Consuelo-Gonzalez, 521 F.2d 259, 265 (9th Cir. 1975)).
Specifically, “[m]ore careful review of sentencing conditions is required where
those conditions interfere with a fundamental constitutional right.” Warren, 165
Wn.2d at 32.
12
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
The reason for all these limits on supervision conditions that burden
fundamental rights is clear: a vague prohibition “that encroaches on ‘sensitive
areas of basic First Amendment freedoms’ naturally inhibits the exercise of those
freedoms because individuals who are uncertain of the meaning of a statute will
steer ‘far wider’ than necessary in order to ensure compliance.” Padilla, 190
Wn.2d at 679 (quoting Grayned, 408 U.S. at 109 (internal quotation marks
omitted)).
The lead opinion recites this stricter standard but fails to apply it. Applying
this stricter standard shows that condition O is vague under both prongs of the
vagueness test, even if we do look at the extrinsic documents mentioned by the
lead opinion.
As to the first prong, even if the lead opinion is correct that it is appropriate
to examine “‘the judgment and sentence, and related documents that will be
available to [the CCO]’” in order to determine whether the offender has sufficient
notice of proscribed conduct, condition O is still vague. Lead opinion at 14-15
(quoting Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 748). Condition O prohibits Ansell from
“form[ing] relationships” with parents of minors without prior permission. But
neither the condition itself nor those extrinsic documents define that term.
Therefore, we look to dictionary definitions. Bahl, 164 Wn.2d at 754.
13
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
The relevant definition of the verb “to form” is “develop, acquire.”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER ONLINE DICTIONARY, https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/form#dictionary-entry-2 (last visited Aug. 3, 2023). The
common meaning of “relationship” is extremely broad—it is defined as “a state of
affairs existing between those having relations or dealings.” Id.,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relationship (last visited Aug. 3,
2023). In common use, “relationship” can be used widely to encompass dealings
ranging from relatively minor—the friendly relationship one has with a store
cashier—to enormously significant—the relationship one has with family or close
friends. “Forming” a relationship is equally broad. An ordinary person would
understand “form[ing] relationships” as covering an enormously varied range of
human interaction and connection.
The lead opinion states that condition O as written permits “easy
differentiation” between interactions requiring prior CCO permission and conditions
not requiring CCO permission. Lead opinion at 16. I disagree. The extremely broad
variation in the types of human contact that can count as a “relationship” makes it
impossible for a person to determine what conduct is proscribed by condition O.3
3
The lead opinion opines that the term is not vague because read in context,
condition O simply refers to “friendly dealings with people who have minor children.”
14
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
For example, what about the development of friendly rapport with a regular at the
coffee shop or the gym? What about chatting with a fellow dog park regular or mail
delivery person?
Looking at other imposed conditions does not clarify the condition, either.
Neither does looking at extrinsic related documents. For example, looking at the
statement of probable cause shows the context in which Ansell committed the
crimes. But that context still does not define “form relationships,” so it does not to
allow Ansell to figure out what interactions rise to the level of forming a relationship.
While the constitution does not require supervision conditions to enable a
person to “‘predict with complete certainty the exact point at which his actions
would be classified as prohibited conduct,’” conditions must still provide more
notice than this one does. Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d at 679 (quoting City of Seattle v.
Eze, 111 Wn.2d 22, 27, 759 P.2d 366 (1988)), As Ansell argues, condition O’s
“lack of clarifying language does not even allow Ansell to predict what types of
relationships need preapproval, let alone an exact point that a specific type crosses
the line.” Pers. Restraint Pet. at 20 (Wash. Ct. App. No. 82506-2-I (2021)).
Lead opinion at 16. But that’s not what the condition says. And even if the condition did
say that, the adjective “friendly” poses the same vagueness problems that “relationship”
poses, because one can have “friendly dealings” with vast variations in intimacy and
longevity.
15
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
Condition O therefore flunks the first prong of the vagueness test. Because
failing either part of the vagueness test makes a condition vague, we could end our
inquiry here. Douglass, 115 Wn.2d at 178.
But if we did consider the second prong, whether the condition’s language
ensures nonarbitrary enforcement, condition O flunks that requirement, also. No
matter how many extrinsic documents Ansell’s CCO reads, that CCO will not find
a definition of “form” or “relationships.” The CCO’s decision about what condition
O permits is therefore virtually unconstrained. Cf. Nguyen, 191 Wn.2d at 682
(holding that “a person of ordinary intelligence can distinguish a ‘dating
relationship’ from other types of relationships”). I would therefore hold that the
condition fails the second prong of the vagueness test, too.
III. If the condition is not vague, it is overbroad
The only way to save condition O, as written, from vagueness, is to interpret
it as barring all friendly repeated contact with another parent. But if this is what
condition O means, then it is overbroad and unconstitutional for that reason. Resp’t
Ansell’s Suppl. Br. at 21. The lead opinion does not address Ansell’s overbreadth
argument.
As discussed above, a community custody condition can certainly limit a
First Amendment right. But to do so, the condition must be sensitively imposed
16
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
and “narrowly tailored to the dangers posed by the specific defendant” to avoid
overbreadth. Johnson, 197 Wn.2d at 744-45; see also Grayned, 408 U.S. at 114;
Packingham v. North Carolina, 582 U.S. 98, 106, 137 S. Ct. 1730, 198 L. Ed. 2d
273 (2017).
The broader interpretation would violate that requirement. A blanket
requirement that Ansell determine whether any person with whom he makes
friendly contact has minor children, and that Ansell then obtain CCO approval
before repeating the contact, is far from narrowly tailored. Ansell committed his
serious offenses in a specific context: a neighborhood babysitting group. But
requiring CCO permission before engaging in friendly human contact with any
parents of minor children—even in contexts wholly dissimilar to babysitting
groups, such as supermarkets, coffeeshops, and gyms—infringes on far more
protected activity than necessary to ensure public safety. See, e.g., In re Pers.
Restraint of Sickels, 14 Wn. App. 2d 51, 73, 469 P.3d 322 (2020) (condition
requiring CCO approval for any use of the Internet was overbroad, given
defendant’s specific sex crime conviction). Thus, even if we interpret condition O
broadly to cure its vagueness problem, I would affirm the Court of Appeals on the
ground that the condition is overbroad.
17
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In re Pers. Restraint of Ansell (Peter), No. 100753-1
(Gordon McCloud, J., concurring in part/dissenting in part)
CONCLUSION
Community custody conditions must provide sufficient notice of proscribed
conduct to permit the supervisee—here, Ansell—to adjust his behavior
accordingly. Community custody conditions burdening fundamental rights—here,
the right to freedom of association—must also be tailored to the specific dangers
that the supervisee poses. And community custody conditions must accomplish
these goals on their face, without requiring research into other unspecified
documents describing the underlying crime. In my view, condition O violates all
of these constitutional requirements.
I therefore respectfully concur in part and dissent in part.
18