State v. Eaton
Washington Supreme Court
229 P.3d 704 (2010)

- Written by Carolyn Strutton, JD
Facts
Thomas Eaton (defendant) was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and taken by the police to the county jail. When Eaton was searched at the jail, the authorities discovered a small bag of methamphetamine taped to his sock. Eaton was charged with DUI and possession of methamphetamine. The prosecution sought a sentencing enhancement that applied when a defendant was in possession of a controlled substance in a correctional facility. Eaton was convicted on both counts, and the sentencing enhancement was imposed, resulting in a longer prison term for Eaton. Eaton appealed the application of the sentencing enhancement. The court of appeals reversed the imposition of the sentencing enhancement, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove that Eaton acted voluntarily in his possession of the controlled substance within the jail.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Chambers, J.)
Dissent (Fairhurst, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.