BILL REQ. #:  S-1616.3 

READ FIRST TIME 02/25/05.   

     AN ACT Relating to advisory sentencing guidelines; amending RCW 9.94A.480; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.505; adding a new section to chapter 9.94A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature to restore the ability to impose an aggravated sentence lost by the superior court as a result of the decision of the United States supreme court in Blakely v. State of Washington, 542 U.S. ... (2004). The legislature finds that as the seriousness level of the crime and the criminal history of the offender increase, the need for an individualized and informed assessment of the circumstances of the crime, the offender, and the victim, by the judiciary, is necessary for justice to be obtained. The legislature further finds that the exercise of the judiciary's sentencing discretion over a broader range based upon the assessment of these circumstances is consistent with the policies supporting Washington's sentencing reform act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 9.94A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) For offenders convicted of a violent offense, the upper limit of the standard sentencing range shall be advisory only. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the maximum sentence that a court may impose for a violent offense is the maximum sentence for the current offense under chapter 9A.20 RCW, or twice the upper limit of the standard sentencing range, whichever is less. This provision shall not apply to any offender sentenced under RCW 9.94A.712.
     (2) In making its determination of the sentence length to be imposed, the court shall consider the risk assessment prepared by the department of corrections, the presentence report and other materials provided by the offender, and any information provided by the victim or victims of the crime.
     (3) A sentence imposed under this section shall be a determinate sentence unless it is imposed on an offender sentenced under RCW 9.94A.712. The sentence may be appealed by the offender or the state as set forth in RCW 9.94A.585 (2) through (6).

Sec. 3   RCW 9.94A.480 and 2002 c 290 s 16 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A current, newly created or reworked judgment and sentence document for each felony sentencing shall record any and all recommended sentencing agreements or plea agreements and the sentences for any and all felony crimes kept as public records under RCW 9.94A.475 shall contain the clearly printed name and legal signature of the sentencing judge. The judgment and sentence document as defined in this section shall also provide additional space for the sentencing judge's reasons, if any, for going either above or below the presumptive or advisory sentence range for any and all felony crimes covered as public records under RCW 9.94A.475. Both the sentencing judge and the prosecuting attorney's office shall each retain or receive a completed copy of each sentencing document as defined in this section for their own records.
     (2) The sentencing guidelines commission shall be sent a completed copy of the judgment and sentence document upon conviction for each felony sentencing under subsection (1) of this section and shall compile a yearly and cumulative judicial record of each sentencing judge in regards to his or her sentencing practices for any and all felony crimes involving:
     (a) Any violent offense as defined in this chapter;
     (b) Any most serious offense as defined in this chapter;
     (c) Any felony with any deadly weapon special verdict under RCW 9.94A.602;
     (d) Any felony with any deadly weapon enhancements under RCW 9.94A.533 (3) or (4), or both; and/or
     (e) The felony crimes of possession of a machine gun, possessing a stolen firearm, drive-by shooting, theft of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm in the first or second degree, and/or use of a machine gun in a felony.
     (3) The sentencing guidelines commission shall compare each individual judge's sentencing practices to the standard ((or)), presumptive, or advisory sentence range for any and all felony crimes listed in subsection (2) of this section for the appropriate offense level as defined in RCW 9.94A.515 or 9.94A.518, offender score as defined in RCW 9.94A.525, and any applicable deadly weapon enhancements as defined in RCW 9.94A.533 (3) or (4), or both. These comparative records shall be retained and made available to the public for review in a current, newly created or reworked official published document by the sentencing guidelines commission.
     (4) Any and all felony sentences which are either above or below the standard ((or)), presumptive, or advisory sentence range in subsection (3) of this section shall also mark whether the prosecuting attorney in the case also recommended a similar sentence, if any, which was either above or below the standard, presumptive, or advisory sentence range and shall also indicate if the sentence was in conjunction with an approved alternative sentencing option including a first-time offender waiver, sex offender sentencing alternative, or other prescribed sentencing option.
     (5) If any completed judgment and sentence document as defined in subsection (1) of this section is not sent to the sentencing guidelines commission as required in subsection (2) of this section, the sentencing guidelines commission shall have the authority and shall undertake reasonable and necessary steps to assure that all past, current, and future sentencing documents as defined in subsection (1) of this section are received by the sentencing guidelines commission.

Sec. 4   RCW 9.94A.505 and 2002 c 290 s 17, 2002 c 289 s 6, and 2002 c 175 s 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) When a person is convicted of a felony, the court shall impose punishment as provided in this chapter.
     (2)(a) The court shall impose a sentence as provided in the following sections and as applicable in the case:
     (i) Unless another term of confinement applies, the court shall impose a sentence within the standard sentence range established in RCW 9.94A.510 or 9.94A.517;
     (ii) RCW 9.94A.700 and 9.94A.705, relating to community placement;
     (iii) RCW 9.94A.710 and 9.94A.715, relating to community custody;
     (iv) RCW 9.94A.545, relating to community custody for offenders whose term of confinement is one year or less;
     (v) RCW 9.94A.570, relating to persistent offenders;
     (vi) RCW 9.94A.540, relating to mandatory minimum terms;
     (vii) RCW 9.94A.650, relating to the first-time offender waiver;
     (viii) RCW 9.94A.660, relating to the drug offender sentencing alternative;
     (ix) RCW 9.94A.670, relating to the special sex offender sentencing alternative;
     (x) RCW 9.94A.712, relating to certain sex offenses;
     (xi) RCW 9.94A.535, relating to exceptional sentences;
     (xii) RCW 9.94A.589, relating to consecutive and concurrent sentences;
     (xiii) Section 2 of this act relating to violent offenses.
     (b) If a standard sentence range has not been established for the offender's crime, the court shall impose a determinate sentence which may include not more than one year of confinement; community restitution work; until July 1, 2000, a term of community supervision not to exceed one year and on and after July 1, 2000, a term of community custody not to exceed one year, subject to conditions and sanctions as authorized in RCW 9.94A.710 (2) and (3); and/or other legal financial obligations. The court may impose a sentence which provides more than one year of confinement if the court finds reasons justifying an exceptional sentence as provided in RCW 9.94A.535.
     (3) If the court imposes a sentence requiring confinement of thirty days or less, the court may, in its discretion, specify that the sentence be served on consecutive or intermittent days. A sentence requiring more than thirty days of confinement shall be served on consecutive days. Local jail administrators may schedule court-ordered intermittent sentences as space permits.
     (4) If a sentence imposed includes payment of a legal financial obligation, it shall be imposed as provided in RCW 9.94A.750, 9.94A.753, 9.94A.760, and 43.43.7541.
     (5) Except as provided under RCW 9.94A.750(4) and 9.94A.753(4), a court may not impose a sentence providing for a term of confinement or community supervision, community placement, or community custody which exceeds the statutory maximum for the crime as provided in chapter 9A.20 RCW.
     (6) The sentencing court shall give the offender credit for all confinement time served before the sentencing if that confinement was solely in regard to the offense for which the offender is being sentenced.
     (7) The court shall order restitution as provided in RCW 9.94A.750 and 9.94A.753.
     (8) As a part of any sentence, the court may impose and enforce crime-related prohibitions and affirmative conditions as provided in this chapter.
     (9) The court may order an offender whose sentence includes community placement or community supervision to undergo a mental status evaluation and to participate in available outpatient mental health treatment, if the court finds that reasonable grounds exist to believe that the offender is a mentally ill person as defined in RCW 71.24.025, and that this condition is likely to have influenced the offense. An order requiring mental status evaluation or treatment must be based on a presentence report and, if applicable, mental status evaluations that have been filed with the court to determine the offender's competency or eligibility for a defense of insanity. The court may order additional evaluations at a later date if deemed appropriate.
     (10) In any sentence of partial confinement, the court may require the offender to serve the partial confinement in work release, in a program of home detention, on work crew, or in a combined program of work crew and home detention.
     (11) In sentencing an offender convicted of a crime of domestic violence, as defined in RCW 10.99.020, if the offender has a minor child, or if the victim of the offense for which the offender was convicted has a minor child, the court may, as part of any term of community supervision, community placement, or community custody, order the offender to participate in a domestic violence perpetrator program approved under RCW 26.50.150.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   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.