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                     ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 1186

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Hickel, Mitchell, Ballasiotes, Dickerson, Robertson, Blalock, Benson, Quall, Sheahan, Delvin, Lisk, Carrell, Cairnes, McDonald, Johnson and DeBolt

 

Read first time 01/16/97.  Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

 

 

Changing duties for aiding injured persons and the penalties for second degree murder.  


    AN ACT Relating to criminal law; amending RCW 9A.76.050, 9A.76.070, 9A.76.080, 9.94A.040, and 9.94A.310; adding a new section to chapter 9A.36 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 9A.76.060; and prescribing penalties.

 

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

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9A.36 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A person is guilty of the crime of failing to summon assistance if:

    (a) He or she knows that another person has suffered substantial bodily harm and is in need of assistance;

    (b) He or she could reasonably summon assistance for the person in need without danger to himself or herself and without interference with an important duty owed to a third party;

    (c) He or she fails to summon assistance for the person in need; and

    (d) Another person is not summoning assistance for the person in need.

    (2) The duty to summon assistance is satisfied by making reasonable efforts to summon emergency police, fire, or medical assistance that identifies the location of the victim.

    (3) Except as provided in RCW 9A.76.050, a violation of subsection (1) of this section is a misdemeanor.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 9A.76.050 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 47 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:

    As used in RCW 9A.76.070, 9A.76.080, and 9A.76.090, a person "renders criminal assistance" if, with intent to prevent, hinder, or delay the apprehension or prosecution of another person who he or she knows has committed a crime or juvenile offense or is being sought by law enforcement officials for the commission of a crime or juvenile offense or has escaped from a detention facility, he or she:

    (1) Harbors or conceals such person; or

    (2) Warns such person of impending discovery or apprehension; or

    (3) Provides such person with money, transportation, disguise, or other means of avoiding discovery or apprehension; or

    (4) Prevents or obstructs, by use of force, deception, or threat, anyone from performing an act that might aid in the discovery or apprehension of such person; or

    (5) Conceals, alters, or destroys any physical evidence that might aid in the discovery or apprehension of such person; or

    (6) Provides such person with a weapon; or

    (7) Violates section 1 of this act by failing to summon assistance for a victim of such person's crime or juvenile offense.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 9A.76.070 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 47 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A person is guilty of rendering criminal assistance in the first degree if he or she renders criminal assistance to a person who has committed or is being sought for murder in the first degree or any class A felony or equivalent juvenile offense.

    (2) Rendering criminal assistance in the first degree is((:

    (a) A gross misdemeanor if it is established by a preponderance of the evidence that the actor is a relative as defined in RCW 9A.76.060;

    (b))) a class C felony ((in all other cases)).

 

    Sec. 4.  RCW 9A.76.080 and 1982 1st ex.s. c 47 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A person is guilty of rendering criminal assistance in the second degree if he or she renders criminal assistance to a person who has committed or is being sought for a class B or class C felony or an equivalent juvenile offense or to someone being sought for violation of parole, probation, or community supervision.

    (2) Rendering criminal assistance in the second degree is((:

    (a) A misdemeanor if it is established by a preponderance of the evidence that the actor is a relative as defined in RCW 9A.76.060;

    (b))) a gross misdemeanor ((in all other cases)).

 

    Sec. 5.  RCW 9.94A.040 and 1996 c 232 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A sentencing guidelines commission is established as an agency of state government.

    (2) The legislature finds that the commission, having accomplished its original statutory directive to implement this chapter, and having expertise in sentencing practice and policies, shall:

    (a) Evaluate state sentencing policy, to include whether the sentencing ranges and standards are consistent with and further:

    (i) The purposes of this chapter as defined in RCW 9.94A.010; and

    (ii) The intent of the legislature to emphasize confinement for the violent offender and alternatives to confinement for the nonviolent offender.

    The commission shall provide the governor and the legislature with its evaluation and recommendations under this subsection not later than December 1, 1996, and every two years thereafter;

    (b) Recommend to the legislature revisions or modifications to the standard sentence ranges, state sentencing policy, prosecuting standards, and other standards.  If implementation of the revisions or modifications would result in exceeding the capacity of correctional facilities, then the commission shall accompany its recommendation with an additional list of standard sentence ranges which are consistent with correction capacity;

    (c) Study the existing criminal code and from time to time make recommendations to the legislature for modification;

    (d)(i) Serve as a clearinghouse and information center for the collection, preparation, analysis, and dissemination of information on state and local adult and juvenile sentencing practices; (ii) develop and maintain a computerized adult and juvenile sentencing information system by individual superior court judge consisting of offender, offense, history, and sentence information entered from judgment and sentence forms for all adult felons; and (iii) conduct ongoing research regarding adult and juvenile sentencing guidelines, use of total confinement and alternatives to total confinement, plea bargaining, and other matters relating to the improvement of the adult criminal justice system and the juvenile justice system;

     (e) Assume the powers and duties of the juvenile disposition standards commission after June 30, 1996;

     (f) Evaluate the effectiveness of existing disposition standards and related statutes in implementing policies set forth in RCW 13.40.010 generally, specifically review the guidelines relating to the confinement of minor and first offenders as well as the use of diversion, and review the application of current and proposed juvenile sentencing standards and guidelines for potential adverse impacts on the sentencing outcomes of racial and ethnic minority youth;

    (g) Solicit the comments and suggestions of the juvenile justice community concerning disposition standards, and make recommendations to the legislature regarding revisions or modifications of the standards in accordance with RCW 9.94A.045.  The evaluations shall be submitted to the legislature on December 1 of each odd-numbered year.  The department of social and health services shall provide the commission with available data concerning the implementation of the disposition standards and related statutes and their effect on the performance of the department's responsibilities relating to juvenile offenders, and with recommendations for modification of the disposition standards.  The office of the administrator for the courts shall provide the commission with available data on diversion and dispositions of juvenile offenders under chapter 13.40 RCW; and

    (h) Not later than December 1, 1997, and at least every two years thereafter, based on available information, report to the governor and the legislature on:

    (i) Racial disproportionality in juvenile and adult sentencing;

    (ii) The capacity of state and local juvenile and adult facilities and resources; and

    (iii) Recidivism information on adult and juvenile offenders.

    (3) Each of the commission's recommended standard sentence ranges shall include one or more of the following:  Total confinement, partial confinement, community supervision, community service, and a fine.

    (4) The standard sentence ranges of total and partial confinement under this chapter are subject to the following limitations:

    (a) If the maximum term in the range is one year or less, the minimum term in the range shall be no less than one-third of the maximum term in the range, except that if the maximum term in the range is ninety days or less, the minimum term may be less than one-third of the maximum;

    (b) If the maximum term in the range is greater than one year, the minimum term in the range shall be no less than seventy-five percent of the maximum term in the range, except that for second degree murder in seriousness category XIII under RCW 9.94A.310, the minimum term in the range shall be no less than fifty percent of the maximum term in the range; and

    (c) The maximum term of confinement in a range may not exceed the statutory maximum for the crime as provided in RCW 9A.20.021.

    (5) The commission shall exercise its duties under this section in conformity with chapter 34.05 RCW.

 

    Sec. 6.  RCW 9.94A.310 and 1996 c 205 s 5 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   23y4m 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))

      15y1m 15y11m 16y10m 17y8m 18y7m 19y5m 21y1m 23y1m 26y1m 29y6m

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

      ((164 178 192   205   219   233   260   288   342   397))

      239   249   260   270   280   290   311   337   369   410

                                                                 

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 for felony crimes committed after July 23, 1995, if the offender or an accomplice was armed with a firearm as defined in RCW 9.41.010 and the offender is being sentenced for one of the crimes listed in this subsection as eligible for any firearm enhancements based on the classification of the completed felony crime.  If the offender or an accomplice was armed with a firearm as defined in RCW 9.41.010 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 as eligible for any firearm enhancements, the following additional times shall be added to the presumptive sentence determined under subsection (2) of this section based on the felony crime of conviction as classified under RCW 9A.28.020:

     (a) Five years for any felony defined under any law as a class A felony or with a maximum sentence of at least twenty years, or both, and not covered under (f) of this subsection.

     (b) Three years for any felony defined under any law as a class B felony or with a maximum sentence of ten years, or both, and not covered under (f) of this subsection.

     (c) Eighteen months for any felony defined under any law as a class C felony or with a maximum sentence of five years, or both, and not covered under (f) of this subsection.

     (d) If the offender is being sentenced for any firearm enhancements under (a), (b), and/or (c) of this subsection and the offender has previously been sentenced for any deadly weapon enhancements after July 23, 1995, under (a), (b), and/or (c) of this subsection or subsection (4)(a), (b), and/or (c) of this section, or both, any and all firearm enhancements under this subsection shall be twice the amount of the enhancement listed.

     (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any and all firearm enhancements under this section are mandatory, shall be served in total confinement, and shall not run concurrently with any other sentencing provisions.

     (f) The firearm enhancements in this section shall apply to all felony crimes except the following:  Possession of a machine gun, possessing a stolen firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree, theft of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm in the first and second degree, and use of a machine gun in a felony.

     (g) If the presumptive sentence under this section exceeds the statutory maximum for the offense, the statutory maximum sentence shall be the presumptive sentence unless the offender is a persistent offender as defined in RCW 9.94A.030.

     (4) The following additional times shall be added to the presumptive sentence for felony crimes committed after July 23, 1995, if the offender or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon as defined in this chapter other than a firearm as defined in RCW 9.41.010 and the offender is being sentenced for one of the crimes listed in this subsection as eligible for any deadly weapon enhancements based on the classification of the completed felony crime.  If the offender or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon other than a firearm as defined in RCW 9.41.010 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 as eligible for any deadly weapon enhancements, the following additional times shall be added to the presumptive sentence determined under subsection (2) of this section based on the felony crime of conviction as classified under RCW 9A.28.020:

     (a) Two years for any felony defined under any law as a class A felony or with a maximum sentence of at least twenty years, or both, and not covered under (f) of this subsection.

     (b) One year for any felony defined under any law as a class B felony or with a maximum sentence of ten years, or both, and not covered under (f) of this subsection.

     (c) Six months for any felony defined under any law as a class C felony or with a maximum sentence of five years, or both, and not covered under (f) of this subsection.

     (d) If the offender is being sentenced under (a), (b), and/or (c) of this subsection for any deadly weapon enhancements and the offender has previously been sentenced for any deadly weapon enhancements after July 23, 1995, under (a), (b), and/or (c) of this subsection or subsection (3)(a), (b), and/or (c) of this section, or both, any and all deadly weapon enhancements under this subsection shall be twice the amount of the enhancement listed.

     (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any and all deadly weapon enhancements under this section are mandatory, shall be served in total confinement, and shall not run concurrently with any other sentencing provisions.

     (f) The deadly weapon enhancements in this section shall apply to all felony crimes except the following:  Possession of a machine gun, possessing a stolen firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree, theft of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm in the first and second degree, and use of a machine gun in a felony.

     (g) If the presumptive sentence under this section exceeds the statutory maximum for the offense, the statutory maximum sentence shall be the presumptive sentence unless the offender is a persistent offender as defined in RCW 9.94A.030.

     (5) 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 additional times shall be added to the presumptive sentence determined under subsection (2) of this section:

     (a) Eighteen months for offenses committed under RCW 69.50.401(a)(1) (i) or (ii) or 69.50.410;

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

     (c) Twelve months for offenses committed under RCW 69.50.401(d).

     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.

     (6) 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.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  RCW 9A.76.060 and 1975 1st ex.s. c 260 s 9A.76.060 are each repealed.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8.  This act shall be known as the Joey Levick act.

 


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