PORT ANGELES – The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a convicted sex offender who has appealed, and prevailed in, several convictions.
The court denied further review of the sex offense conviction of former Sequim resident Corean Barnes. According to records, Barnes was convicted in 2009 of two counts of second-degree rape of his former girlfriend. The victim had secretly recorded both incidents.
On appeal in 2010, the convictions were reversed because the recordings violated the State Privacy Act. At a second jury trial, Barnes was again convicted, including First Degree Burglary with Sexual Motivation, but an appeal again reversed the rape counts in 2014 based on improper jury instructions. The burglary conviction was affirmed.
The State could not proceed with a third trial, so Barnes was re-sentenced in 2015 for First Degree Burglary with a Sexual Motivation. Barnes’ third appeal challenging the burglary conviction was denied by the Court of Appeals in January.
Clallam Prosecutor Mark Nichols said in a statement that while Barnes remains convicted of a violent sex offense for which he has been held accountable, this is the end of the appellate process.
Barnes will be supervised for life by the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board. He was last released from prison in May 2018 and presently is a Registered Sex Offender living in Tukwila.