H-1204

AN ACT Relating to participation in criminal street gangs; amending RCW 9.94A.310; adding a new chapter to Title 9 RCW; prescribing penalties; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Pattern of criminal gang activity" means the commission, attempted commission, or solicitation of two or more felony or misdemeanor offenses, provided at least one of those offenses occurred after the effective date of this act and the last of those offenses occurred within one year after a prior offense, and the offenses are committed on separate occasions, or by two or more persons.

(2) "Criminal street gang" means any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, that has a common name or common identifying sign or symbol and that has committed one or more criminal offense.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) It is a gross misdemeanor for any person to participate actively in any criminal street gang with knowledge that its members engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity. For purposes of this chapter "actively participate" means the commission of an offense punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, which is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, any criminal street gang or with the specific intent to promote, further, or assist in any criminal conduct by members of that gang.

(2) It is a gross misdemeanor for any person willfully to promote, further, assist, or profit from any criminal conduct by members of a criminal street gang.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) Any person who is convicted of a felony that is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang, with the specific intent to promote, further, or assist in any criminal conduct by gang members, shall, upon conviction of that felony, be sentenced in accordance with RCW 9.94A.310(6).

(2) Any sentence imposed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be served in addition to any sentence imposed for a violation of section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1)(a) The following are subject to seizure and forfeiture and no property right exists in them:

(i) All real property including every building or place used by members of a criminal street gang for the purpose of the commission of any criminal offense or for the purpose of storing any dangerous or deadly weapons or controlled substances.

(ii) All personal property, including, but not limited to, any item, object, tool, substance, device, weapon, machine, vehicle of any kind, money, security, or negotiable instrument, which has been or is actually employed as an instrumentality in the commission of, or in aiding or abetting in the commission of any felony, or which was furnished or is intended to be furnished by any person in the commission of, as a result of, or as compensation for the commission of, any felony, or which was acquired in whole or in part with proceeds traceable to the commission of a felony.

(b)(i) No conveyance used by any person as a common carrier in the transaction of business as a common carrier is subject to forfeiture under this section unless it appears that the owner or other person in charge of the conveyance is a consenting party or privy to the commission of the crime;

(ii) No property is subject to forfeiture under this section if it is established by the owner thereof that the crime was committed without the owner's knowledge or consent;

(iii) A forfeiture of property encumbered by a bona fide security interest is subject to the interest of the secured party if the secured party neither had knowledge of nor consented to the commission of the crime.

(2) Property subject to forfeiture under this chapter may be seized by any law enforcement officer of this state upon process issued by any superior court having jurisdiction over the property. Seizure of personal property without process may be made if:

(a) The seizure is incident to an arrest or a search under a search warrant;

(b) The property subject to seizure has been the subject of a prior judgment in favor of the state in a criminal injunction or forfeiture proceeding;

(c) A law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that the property is directly or indirectly dangerous to health or safety; or

(d) The law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that the property was used or is intended to be used in the commission of a crime.

(3) In the event of seizure pursuant to this section, proceedings for forfeiture shall be deemed commenced by the seizure. The law enforcement agency under whose authority the seizure was made shall cause notice to be served within fifteen days following the seizure on the owner of the property seized and the person in charge thereof and any person having any known right or interest therein, including any community property interest, of the seizure and intended forfeiture of the seized property. The notice of seizure may be served by any method authorized by law or court rule including but not limited to service by certified mail with return receipt requested. Service by mail shall be deemed complete upon mailing within the fifteen-day period following the seizure.

(4) If no person notifies the seizing law enforcement agency in writing of the person's claim of ownership or right to possession of items specified in subsection (1) of this section within forty-five days of the seizure, the item seized shall be deemed forfeited.

(5) If any person notifies the seizing law enforcement agency in writing of the person's claim of ownership or right to possession of items specified in subsection (1) of this section within forty-five days of the seizure, the person or persons shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard as to the claim or right. The hearing shall be before the chief law enforcement officer of the seizing agency or the chief law enforcement officer's designee, except that any person asserting a claim or right may remove the matter to a court of competent jurisdiction if the aggregate value of the article or articles involved is more than five hundred dollars. The court to which the matter is to be removed shall be the district court when the aggregate value of the personal property is within the jurisdictional limit of the district court. In a court hearing between two or more claimants to the article or articles involved, the prevailing party shall be entitled to a judgment for costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The burden of producing evidence shall be upon the person claiming to be the lawful owner or the person claiming to have the lawful right to possession of the property. The seizing law enforcement agency shall promptly return the article or articles to the claimant upon a determination by the trier of fact that the claimant is the present lawful owner or is lawfully entitled to possession.

(6) When property is forfeited under this chapter, the seizing law enforcement agency may:

(a) Retain it for official use or upon application by any law enforcement agency of this state release such property to such agency for the exclusive use of enforcing the criminal law;

(b) Sell that which is not required to be destroyed by law and which is not harmful to the public. The proceeds and all moneys forfeited under this chapter shall be used for payment of all proper expenses of the investigation leading to the seizure, including any money delivered to the subject of the investigation by the law enforcement agency, and of the proceedings for forfeiture and sale, including expenses of seizure, maintenance of custody, advertising, actual costs of the prosecuting or city attorney, and court costs. Money remaining after the payment of all expenses shall be retained by the seizing law enforcement agency.

Sec. 5. RCW 9.94A.310 and 1990 c 3 s 701 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) TABLE 1

Sentencing Grid

SERIOUSNESS

SCORE OFFENDER SCORE

9 or

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 more

................................................................

XV Life Sentence without Parole/Death Penalty

................................................................

XIV 3y4m 24y4m 25y4m 26y4m 27y4m 28y4m 30y4m 32y10m 36y 40y

240- 250- 261- 271- 281- 291- 312- 338- 370- 411-

320 333 347 361 374 388 416 450 493 548

................................................................

XIII 12y 13y 14y 15y 16y 17y 19y 21y 25y 29y

123- 134- 144- 154- 165- 175- 195- 216- 257- 298-

164 178 192 205 219 233 260 288 342 397

................................................................

XII 9y 9y11m 10y9m 11y8m 12y6m 13y5m 15y9m 17y3m 20y3m 23y3m 93- 102- 111- 120- 129- 138- 162- 178- 209- 240-

123 136 147 160 171 184 216 236 277 318

.................................................................

XI 7y6m 8y4m 9y2m 9y11m 10y9m 11y7m 14y2m 15y5m 17y11m 20y5m

78- 86- 95- 102- 111- 120- 146- 159- 185- 210- 102 114 125 136 147 158 194 211 245 280

.................................................................

X 5y 5y6m 6y 6y6m 7y 7y6m 9y6m 10y6m 12y6m 14y6m

51- 57- 62- 67- 72- 77- 98- 108- 129- 149-

68 75 82 89 96 102 130 144 171 198

.................................................................

IX 3y 3y6m 4y 4y6m 5y 5y6m 7y6m 8y6m 10y6m 12y6m

31- 36- 41- 46- 51- 57- 77- 87- 108- 129-

41 48 54 61 68 75 102 116 144 171

.................................................................

VIII 2y 2y6m 3y 3y6m 4y 4y6m 6y6m 7y6m 8y6m 10y6m

21- 26- 31- 36- 41- 46- 67- 77- 87- 108-

27 34 41 48 54 61 89 102 116 144

.................................................................

VII 18m 2y 2y6m 3y 3y6m 4y 5y6m 6y6m 7y6m 8y6m

15- 21- 26- 31- 36- 41- 57- 67- 77- 87-

20 27 34 41 48 54 75 89 102 116

.................................................................

VI 13m 18m 2y 2y6m 3y 3y6m 4y6m 5y6m 6y6m 7y6m

12+- 15- 21- 26- 31- 36- 46- 57- 67- 77- 14 20 27 34 41 48 61 75 89 102

.................................................................

V 9m 13m 15m 18m 2y2m 3y2m 4y 5y 6y 7y

6- 12+- 13- 15- 22- 33- 41- 51- 62- 72-

12 14 17 20 29 43 54 68 82 96

.................................................................

IV 6m 9m 13m 15m 18m 2y2m 3y2m 4y2m 5y2m 6y2m

3- 6- 12+- 13- 15- 22- 33- 43- 53- 63-

9 12 14 17 20 29 43 57 70 84

.................................................................

III 2m 5m 8m 11m 14m 20m 2y2m 3y2m 4y2m 5y

1- 3- 4- 9- 12+- 17- 22- 33- 43- 51-

3 8 12 12 16 22 29 43 57 68

.................................................................

II 4m 6m 8m 13m 16m 20m 2y2m 3y2m 4y2m

0-90 2- 3- 4- 12+- 14- 17- 22- 33- 43-

Days 6 9 12 14 18 22 29 43 57

.................................................................

I 3m 4m 5m 8m 13m 16m 20m 2y2m

0-60 0-90 2- 2- 3- 4- 12+- 14- 17- 22-

Days Days 5 6 8 12 14 18 22 29

.................................................................

NOTE: Numbers in the first horizontal row of each seriousness category represent sentencing midpoints in years(y) and months(m). Numbers in the second and third rows represent presumptive sentencing ranges in months, or in days if so designated. 12+ equals one year and one day.

(2) For persons convicted of the anticipatory offenses of criminal attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy under chapter 9A.28 RCW, the presumptive sentence is determined by locating the sentencing grid sentence range defined by the appropriate offender score and the seriousness level of the completed crime, and multiplying the range by 75 percent.

(3) The following additional times shall be added to the presumptive sentence if the offender or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon as defined in this chapter and the offender is being sentenced for one of the crimes listed in this subsection. If the offender or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon and the offender is being sentenced for an anticipatory offense under chapter 9A.28 RCW to commit one of the crimes listed in this subsection, the following times shall be added to the presumptive range determined under subsection (2) of this section:

(a) 24 months for Rape 1 (RCW 9A.44.040), Robbery 1 (RCW 9A.56.200), or Kidnapping 1 (RCW 9A.40.020)

(b) 18 months for Burglary 1 (RCW 9A.52.020)

(c) 12 months for Assault 2 (RCW 9A.36.020 or 9A.36.021), Escape 1 (RCW 9A.76.110), Kidnapping 2 (RCW 9A.40.030), Burglary 2 of a building other than a dwelling (RCW 9A.52.030), Theft of Livestock 1 or 2 (RCW 9A.56.080), or any drug offense.

(4) The following additional times shall be added to the presumptive sentence if the offender or an accomplice committed the offense while in a county jail or state correctional facility as that term is defined in this chapter and the offender is being sentenced for one of the crimes listed in this subsection. If the offender or an accomplice committed one of the crimes listed in this subsection while in a county jail or state correctional facility as that term is defined in this chapter, and the offender is being sentenced for an anticipatory offense under chapter 9A.28 RCW to commit one of the crimes listed in this subsection, the following times shall be added to the presumptive sentence range determined under subsection (2) of this section:

(a) Eighteen months for offenses committed under RCW 69.50.401(a)(1)(i);

(b) Fifteen months for offenses committed under RCW 69.50.401(a)(1)(ii), (iii), and (iv);

For the purposes of this subsection, all of the real property of a state correctional facility or county jail shall be deemed to be part of that facility or county jail.

(5) An additional twenty-four months shall be added to the presumptive sentence for any ranked offense involving a violation of chapter 69.50 RCW if the offense was also a violation of RCW 69.50.435.

(6) An additional thirty-six months shall be added to the presumptive sentence for any ranked offense if the offender is found to have committed the offense in connection with criminal street gang activity as provided for in section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 4 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 9 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1991.