State v. Hughes

¶1 — This case asks us to resolve two issues arising out of Raymond Carl Hughes’ guilty plea to two counts of rape resulting from one act of sexual intercourse with a child. We are asked to determine whether his convictions violate double jeopardy and whether the trial court has the authority to impose an indeterminate exceptional minimum sentence under certain sections of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981 (SRA), chapter 9.94A RCW. The superior court denied Hughes’ motion to strike one conviction on double jeopardy grounds and held that it lacked authority under Blakely1 to impanel a jury to…