CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 1427

Chapter 179, Laws of 2003

58th Legislature
2003 Regular Session



EVIDENCE--CONFESSIONS



EFFECTIVE DATE: 7/27/03

Passed by the House March 17, 2003
  Yeas 96   Nays 1

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


Passed by the Senate April 15, 2003
  Yeas 49   Nays 0


BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
 
CERTIFICATE

I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 1427 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.


CYNTHIA ZEHNDER
________________________________________    
Chief Clerk
Approved May 9, 2003.








GARY LOCKE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
May 9, 2003 - 3:36 p.m.







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 1427
_____________________________________________

Passed Legislature - 2003 Regular Session
State of Washington58th Legislature2003 Regular Session

By Representatives Lantz, Delvin, O'Brien, Boldt, Blake, Hankins, Fromhold, Cody, Pearson, Mastin, Hunt, Roach, Moeller, Kagi, Benson, Rockefeller, McMahan and McDonald

Read first time 01/27/2003.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.



     AN ACT Relating to the admissibility of confessions and admissions in criminal and juvenile offense proceedings; and adding a new section to chapter 10.58 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 10.58 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) In criminal and juvenile offense proceedings where independent proof of the corpus delicti is absent, and the alleged victim of the crime is dead or incompetent to testify, a lawfully obtained and otherwise admissible confession, admission, or other statement of the defendant shall be admissible into evidence if there is substantial independent evidence that would tend to establish the trustworthiness of the confession, admission, or other statement of the defendant.
     (2) In determining whether there is substantial independent evidence that the confession, admission, or other statement of the defendant is trustworthy, the court shall consider, but is not limited to:
     (a) Whether there is any evidence corroborating or contradicting the facts set out in the statement, including the elements of the offense;
     (b) The character of the witness reporting the statement and the number of witnesses to the statement;
     (c) Whether a record of the statement was made and the timing of the making of the record in relation to the making of the statement; and/or
     (d) The relationship between the witness and the defendant.
     (3) Where the court finds that the confession, admission, or other statement of the defendant is sufficiently trustworthy to be admitted, the court shall issue a written order setting forth the rationale for admission.
     (4) Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent the defendant from arguing to the jury or judge in a bench trial that the statement is not trustworthy or that the evidence is otherwise insufficient to convict.


         Passed by the House March 17, 2003.
         Passed by the Senate April 15, 2003.
         Approved by the Governor May 9, 2003.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 9, 2003.