State v. Chadderton

Ronald Chadderton pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of, the first degree manslaughter of a patient under his care at the nursing home where he worked as a nurse's aide. The trial judge imposed an exceptional sentence on the basis of the aggravating factors of abuse of a position of trust and the victim's particular vulnerability. The Court of Appeals affirmed, rejecting Chadderton's argument that the aggravating factors did not justify the exceptional sentence. We hold that when someone recklessly causes the death of a particularly vulnerable person entrusted to his or her care, the…