State Of Washington v. Charles Bluford

¶1 Charles Bluford appeals his judgment and sentence based on eight felony convictions for robbery and other charges. We hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it joined multiple counts against him and refused to sever those counts for trial. But the court erred when it denied his request to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of fourth degree assault. Additionally, the State failed to prove that Bluford is a persistent offender under the Persistent Offender Accountability Act (POAA). 1 Thus, the sentence of life without the possibility of release cannot…