FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2075

                         C 121 L 96

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Making the commission of an offense against a pregnant woman an aggravating circumstance.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Representatives Costa, Lambert, Veloria, Ballasiotes, Scott, Chappell, Patterson, Kessler, H. Sommers, Appelwick, Romero, Morris and Tokuda).

House Committee on Law & Justice

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

Background:  When an adult defendant is convicted of a felony, the court generally sentences the defendant to a determinate term within the standard range established for the offense.  The standard range of confinement is established based on the seriousness of the crime and the defendant's criminal history.  The court may sentence the defendant to a term of confinement below or above the standard range if the court finds that mitigating or aggravating circumstances exist that warrant imposition of an exceptional sentence.  Some aggravating and mitigating factors are listed in statute and the courts have developed others in case law.

Summary:  An additional aggravating factor is added to the list of aggravating factors upon which an exceptional sentence above the standard range may be imposed on an adult defendant convicted of a violent crime.  That factor is that the defendant knew that the victim of the offense was pregnant.

Votes on Final Passage:

House     97 0

Senate    48 0 (Senate amended)

House     95 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  March 21, 1996