H-1678

AN ACT Relating to juvenile court records; and amending RCW 13.50.050.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 13.50.050 and 1990 c 3 s 125 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, RCW 13.50.010, 13.40.215, and 4.24.550.

(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) Except as provided in RCW 4.24.550, 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, whether sealed or not, 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, subject to subsection (24) of this section, 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, subject to subsection (24) of this section, 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) and subsection (24) of this section.

(15) Any adjudication of a juvenile offense or a crime subsequent to sealing has the effect of nullifying the sealing order. Any conviction for any adult felony, or any criminal prosecution of a person under twenty-six years of age when the accused has two or more similar offenses on his or her juvenile record, subsequent to the sealing has the effect of nullifying the sealing order for the purposes of chapter 9.94A RCW for any juvenile adjudication of guilt for a class A offense, two or more class B offenses, or a sex offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030.

(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, subject to subsection (24) of this section, 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~~)) twenty-six 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 may request that the court order the records in that case destroyed. The request shall be granted, subject to subsection (24) of this section, if the court finds that two years have elapsed since completion of the diversion agreement.

(19) If the court grants the motion to destroy records made pursuant to subsection (16) or (18) of this section, it shall, subject to subsection (24) of this section, 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 subsection (24) of this section and 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~~)) twenty-six 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 and two years have passed since completion of the agreement.

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

(24) No identifying information held by the Washington state patrol in accordance with chapter 43.43 RCW is subject to destruction or sealing under this section. For the purposes of this subsection, identifying information includes photographs, fingerprints, palmprints, soleprints, toeprints and any other data that identifies a person by physical characteristics, name, birthdate or address, but does not include information regarding criminal activity, arrest, charging, diversion, conviction or other information about a person's treatment by the criminal justice system or about the person's behavior.