AN ACT Relating to juveniles; and amending RCW 13.40.025, 13.40.160, and 13.50.050.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 3, chapter 299, Laws of 1981 as amended by section 11, chapter 287, Laws of 1984 and RCW 13.40.025 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) There is established a juvenile disposition standards commission to propose disposition standards to the legislature in accordance with RCW 13.40.030 and perform the other responsibilities set forth in this chapter.

(2) The commission shall be composed of the secretary or the secretary's designee and the following ((~~eight~~)) nine members appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate: (a) A superior court judge; (b) a prosecuting attorney or deputy prosecuting attorney; (c) a law enforcement officer; (d) an administrator of juvenile court services; (e) a public defender actively practicing in juvenile court; ((~~and~~)) (f) a juvenile court probation officer who is actively working with juvenile offenders; and (g) three other persons who have demonstrated significant interest in the adjudication and disposition of juvenile offenders. In making the appointments, the governor shall seek the recommendations of the association of superior court judges in respect to the member who is a superior court judge; of Washington prosecutors in respect to the prosecuting attorney or deputy prosecuting attorney member; of the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs in respect to the member who is a law enforcement officer; of juvenile court administrators in respect to the member who is a juvenile court administrator; ((~~and~~)) of the state bar association in respect to the public defender member; and of the juvenile court workers' association of Washington in respect to the member who is a juvenile court probation officer.

(3) The secretary or the secretary's designee shall serve as chairman of the commission.

(4) The secretary shall serve on the commission during the secretary's tenure as secretary of the department. The term of the remaining members of the commission shall be three years. The initial terms shall be determined by lot conducted at the commission's first meeting as follows: (a) Four members shall serve a two-year term; and (b) four members shall serve a three-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the appointing authority shall designate a new member to complete the remainder of the unexpired term.

(5) Commission members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Members shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.240.

(6) The commission's first meeting shall be held prior to January 1, 1982. Thereafter, the commission shall meet at least once every six months.

Sec. 2. Section 70, chapter 291, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. as last amended by section 8, chapter 191, Laws of 1983 and RCW 13.40.160 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) When the respondent is found to be a serious offender, the court shall commit the offender to the department for the standard range of disposition for the offense.

If the court concludes, and enters reasons for its conclusion, that disposition within the standard range would effectuate a manifest injustice the court shall impose a disposition outside the standard range. The court's finding of manifest injustice shall be supported by clear and convincing evidence.

A disposition outside the standard range shall be determinate and shall be comprised of confinement or community supervision, or a combination thereof. When a judge finds a manifest injustice and imposes a sentence of confinement exceeding thirty days, the court shall sentence the juvenile to a maximum term, and the provisions of RCW 13.40.030(5), as now or hereafter amended, shall be used to determine the range. A disposition outside the standard range is appealable under RCW 13.40.230, as now or hereafter amended, by the state or the respondent. A disposition within the standard range is not appealable under RCW 13.40.230 as now or hereafter amended.

(2) Where the respondent is found to be a minor or first offender, the court shall order that the respondent serve a term of community supervision. If the court determines that a disposition of community supervision would effectuate a manifest injustice the court may impose another disposition. A disposition other than a community supervision may be imposed only after the court enters reasons upon which it bases its conclusions that imposition of community supervision would effectuate a manifest injustice. When a judge finds a manifest injustice and imposes a sentence of confinement exceeding thirty days, the court shall sentence the juvenile to a maximum term, and the provisions of RCW 13.40.030(5), as now or hereafter amended, shall be used to determine the range. The court's finding of manifest injustice shall be supported by clear and convincing evidence.

Any disposition other than community supervision may be appealed as provided in RCW 13.40.230, as now or hereafter amended, by the state or the respondent. A disposition of community supervision may not be appealed under RCW 13.40.230 as now or hereafter amended.

(3) Where a respondent is found to have committed an offense for which the respondent declined to enter into a diversion agreement, the court shall impose a term of community supervision limited to the conditions allowed in a diversion agreement as provided in RCW 13.40.080(2) as now or hereafter amended. Monetary requirements, assessments or fees shall not be ordered other than fines and/or restitution as provided in RCW 13.40.080(2) as now or hereafter amended. The court shall make a finding that the respondent declined to enter into a diversion agreement.

(4) If a respondent is found to be a middle offender:

(a) The court shall impose a determinate disposition within the standard range(s) for such offense: PROVIDED, That if the standard range includes a term of confinement exceeding thirty days, commitment shall be to the department for the standard range of confinement; or

(b) The court shall impose a determinate disposition of community supervision and/or up to thirty days confinement in which case, if confinement has been imposed, the court shall state either aggravating or mitigating factors as set forth in RCW 13.40.150 as now or hereafter amended.

(c) Only if the court concludes, and enters reasons for its conclusions, that disposition as provided in subsection (4) (a) or (b) of this section would effectuate a manifest injustice, the court shall sentence the juvenile to a maximum term, and the provisions of RCW 13.40.030(5), as now or hereafter amended, shall be used to determine the range. The court's finding of manifest injustice shall be supported by clear and convincing evidence.

(d) A disposition pursuant to subsection (4)(c) of this section is appealable under RCW 13.40.230, as now or hereafter amended, by the state or the respondent. A disposition pursuant to subsection (4) (a) or (b) of this section is not appealable under RCW 13.40.230 as now or hereafter amended.

(5) Whenever a juvenile offender is entitled to credit for time spent in detention prior to a dispositional order, the dispositional order shall specifically state the number of days of credit for time served.

(6) In its dispositional order, the court shall not ((~~suspend or~~)) defer the imposition or the execution of the disposition allowing the respondent at a later date to enter a plea of not guilty to the offense and/or offenses in which the court accepts the plea, therefore expunging the criminal history.

(7) In its dispositional order, the court may only suspend the imposition or the execution of a term of confinement. Confinement may only be suspended as set forth in subsection (8) (a), (b), or (c) of this section.

(8) Where the respondent is found to be a minor or first offender, or a middle offender, and the court has imposed a term of confinement as part of a dispositional order:

(a) The court may suspend the execution of all or part of the confinement;

(b) If the juvenile is found by the court to have violated a condition of community supervision and/or parole, or a requirement of the dispositional order, the court may impose all or part of the confinement that had previously been suspended;

(c) Confinement imposed under (b) of this subsection shall be in addition to any confinement that may be imposed under RCW 13.40.200 as now or hereafter amended.

((~~(7)~~)) (9) In no case shall the term of confinement imposed by the court at disposition exceed that to which an adult could be subjected for the same offense.

Sec. 3. Section 9, chapter 155, Laws of 1979 as last amended by section 1, chapter 43, Laws of 1984 andRCW 13.50.050 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) This section governs records relating to the commission of juvenile offenses, including records relating to diversions.

(2) The official juvenile court file of any alleged or proven juvenile offender shall be open to public inspection, unless sealed pursuant to subsection (11) of this section.

(3) All records other than the official juvenile court file are confidential and may be released only as provided in this section and RCW 13.50.010.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section and RCW 13.50.010, records retained or produced by any juvenile justice or care agency may be released to other participants in the juvenile justice or care system only when an investigation or case involving the juvenile in question is being pursued by the other participant or when that other participant is assigned the responsibility for supervising the juvenile.

(5) Information not in an official juvenile court file concerning a juvenile or a juvenile's family may be released to the public only when that information could not reasonably be expected to identify the juvenile or the juvenile's family.

(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the release, to the juvenile or his or her attorney, of law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys' records pertaining to investigation, diversion, and prosecution of juvenile offenses shall be governed by the rules of discovery and other rules of law applicable in adult criminal investigations and prosecutions.

(7) The juvenile court and the prosecutor may set up and maintain a central record-keeping system which may receive information on all alleged juvenile offenders against whom a complaint has been filed pursuant to RCW 13.40.070 whether or not their cases are currently pending before the court. The central record-keeping system may be computerized. If a complaint has been referred to a diversion unit, the diversion unit shall promptly report to the juvenile court or the prosecuting attorney when the juvenile has agreed to diversion. An offense shall not be reported as criminal history in any central record-keeping system without notification by the diversion unit of the date on which the offender agreed to diversion.

(8) Upon request of the victim of a crime or the victim's immediate family, the identity of an alleged or proven juvenile offender alleged or found to have committed a crime against the victim and the identity of the alleged or proven juvenile offender's parent, guardian, or custodian and the circumstance of the alleged or proven crime shall be released to the victim of the crime or the victim's immediate family.

(9) Subject to the rules of discovery applicable in adult criminal prosecutions, the juvenile offense records of an adult criminal defendant or witness in an adult criminal proceeding shall be released upon request to prosecution and defense counsel after a charge has actually been filed. The juvenile offense records of any adult convicted of a crime and placed under the supervision of the adult corrections system shall be released upon request to the adult corrections system.

(10) In any case in which an information has been filed pursuant to RCW 13.40.100 or a complaint has been filed with the prosecutor and referred for diversion pursuant to RCW 13.40.070, the person the subject of the information or complaint may file a motion with the court to have the court vacate its order and findings, if any, and order the sealing of the official juvenile court file, the social file, and records of the court and of any other agency in the case.

(11) The court shall grant the motion to seal records made pursuant to subsection (10) of this section if it finds that:

(a) Two years have elapsed from the later of: (i) Final discharge of the person from the supervision of any agency charged with supervising juvenile offenders; or (ii) from the entry of a court order relating to the commission of a juvenile offense or a criminal offense;

(b) No proceeding is pending against the moving party seeking the conviction of a juvenile offense or a criminal offense; and

(12) The person making a motion pursuant to subsection (10) of this section shall give reasonable notice of the motion to the prosecution and to any person or agency whose files are sought to be sealed.

(13) If the court grants the motion to seal made pursuant to subsection (10) of this section, it shall order sealed the official juvenile court file, the social file, and other records relating to the case as are named in the order. Thereafter, the proceedings in the case shall be treated as if they never occurred, and the subject of the records may reply accordingly to any inquiry about the events, records of which are sealed. Any agency shall reply to any inquiry concerning confidential or sealed records that records are confidential, and no information can be given about the existence or nonexistence of records concerning an individual.

(14) Inspection of the files and records included in the order to seal may thereafter be permitted only by order of the court upon motion made by the person who is the subject of the information or complaint, except as otherwise provided in RCW 13.50.010(8).

(15) Any adjudication of a juvenile offense or a crime subsequent to sealing has the effect of nullifying the sealing order.

(16) In any case in which an information has been filed pursuant to RCW 13.40.100 or a complaint has been filed with the prosecutor and referred for diversion pursuant to RCW 13.40.070, the person who is the subject of the information or complaint may file a motion with the court to have the court vacate its order and findings, if any, and order the destruction of the official juvenile court file, the social file, and records of the court and of any other agency in the case.

(17) The court may grant the motion to destroy records made pursuant to subsection (16) of this section if it finds:

(a) The person making the motion is at least twenty-three years of age;

(b) The person has not subsequently been convicted of a felony;

(d) The person has never been found guilty of a serious offense.

(18) A person eighteen years of age or older whose criminal history consists of only one referral for diversion in which a diversion agreement was entered into or whose criminal history consists of only one referral for diversion in which the respondent declined to enter into a diversion agreement and was subsequently found to have committed an offense and/or offenses, may request that the court order the records in that case destroyed. The request shall be granted if the court finds that two years have elapsed since completion of the diversion agreement or two years have elapsed from the latter of: (a) Final discharge of the person from the supervision of any agency charged with supervising juvenile offenders; or (b) from the entry of a court order relating to the commission of a juvenile offense or a criminal offense.

(19) If the court grants the motion to destroy records made pursuant to subsection (16) or (18) of this section, it shall order the official juvenile court file, the social file, and any other records named in the order to be destroyed.

(20) The person making the motion pursuant to subsection (16) or (18) of this section shall give reasonable notice of the motion to the prosecuting attorney and to any agency whose records are sought to be destroyed.

(21) Any juvenile to whom the provisions of this section may apply shall be given written notice of his or her rights under this section at the time of his or her disposition hearing or during the diversion process.

(22) Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent a crime victim or a member of the victim's family from divulging the identity of the alleged or proven juvenile offender or his or her family when necessary in a civil proceeding.

(23) Any juvenile justice or care agency may, subject to the limitations in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, develop procedures for the routine destruction of records relating to juvenile offenses and diversions.

(a) Records may be routinely destroyed only when the person the subject of the information or complaint has attained twenty-three years of age or older, or is eighteen years of age or older and his or her criminal history consists entirely of one diversion agreement or whose criminal history consists entirely of only one referral for diversion in which the respondent declined to enter into a diversion agreement and was subsequently found to have committed an offense and/or offenses and two years have passed since completion of the diversion agreement or two years have elapsed from the latter of: (i) Final discharge of the person from the supervision of any agency charged with supervising juvenile offenders; or (ii) from the entry of a court order relating to the commission of a juvenile offense or a criminal offense.

(b) The court may not routinely destroy the official juvenile court file or recordings or transcripts of any proceedings.