BILL REQ. #:  H-1851.4 

Read first time 02/19/09.   Referred to Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness.

     AN ACT Relating to the sentencing grid; amending RCW 9.94A.510, 9.94A.505, 9.94A.530, 9.94A.589, and 9.94A.480; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.515; adding new sections to chapter 9.94A RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 9.94A.510 and 2002 c 290 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     

Sec. 2   RCW 9.94A.515 and 2008 c 108 s 23 and 2008 c 38 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   

Sec. 5   RCW 9.94A.505 and 2008 c 231 s 25 are each 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, a sentence within the standard sentence range established in RCW 9.94A.510, section 3 of this act, or RCW 9.94A.517;
     (ii) RCW 9.94A.701 and 9.94A.702, relating to community custody;
     (iii) RCW 9.94A.570, relating to persistent offenders;
     (iv) RCW 9.94A.540, relating to mandatory minimum terms;
     (v) RCW 9.94A.650, relating to the first-time offender waiver;
     (vi) RCW 9.94A.660, relating to the drug offender sentencing alternative;
     (vii) RCW 9.94A.670, relating to the special sex offender sentencing alternative;
     (viii) RCW ((9.94A.712)) 9.94A.507, relating to certain sex offenses;
     (ix) RCW 9.94A.535, relating to exceptional sentences;
     (x) RCW 9.94A.589, relating to consecutive and concurrent sentences;
     (xi) RCW 9.94A.603, relating to felony driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug and felony physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug.
     (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; a term of community custody not to exceed one year; 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 custody that 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) 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.

Sec. 6   RCW 9.94A.530 and 2008 c 231 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The intersection of the column defined by the offender score and the row defined by the offense seriousness score determines the standard sentence range (see RCW 9.94A.510, (Table 1A), section 3 of this act, (Table 1B) and RCW 9.94A.517, (Table 3)). The additional time for deadly weapon findings or for other adjustments as specified in RCW 9.94A.533 shall be added to the entire standard sentence range. The court may impose any sentence within the range that it deems appropriate. All standard sentence ranges are expressed in terms of total confinement.
     (2) In determining any sentence other than a sentence above the standard range, the trial court may rely on no more information than is admitted by the plea agreement, or admitted, acknowledged, or proved in a trial or at the time of sentencing, or proven pursuant to RCW 9.94A.537. Acknowledgment includes not objecting to information stated in the presentence reports and not objecting to criminal history presented at the time of sentencing. Where the defendant disputes material facts, the court must either not consider the fact or grant an evidentiary hearing on the point. The facts shall be deemed proved at the hearing by a preponderance of the evidence, except as otherwise specified in RCW 9.94A.537. On remand for resentencing following appeal or collateral attack, the parties shall have the opportunity to present and the court to consider all relevant evidence regarding criminal history, including criminal history not previously presented.
     (3) In determining any sentence above the standard sentence range, the court shall follow the procedures set forth in RCW 9.94A.537. Facts that establish the elements of a more serious crime or additional crimes may not be used to go outside the standard sentence range except upon stipulation or when specifically provided for in RCW 9.94A.535(3) (d), (e), (g), and (h).

Sec. 7   RCW 9.94A.589 and 2002 c 175 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Except as provided in (b) or (c) of this subsection, whenever a person is to be sentenced for two or more current offenses, the sentence range for each current offense shall be determined by using all other current and prior convictions as if they were prior convictions for the purpose of the offender score: PROVIDED, That if the court enters a finding that some or all of the current offenses encompass the same criminal conduct then those current offenses shall be counted as one crime. Sentences imposed under this subsection shall be served concurrently. Consecutive sentences may only be imposed under the exceptional sentence provisions of RCW 9.94A.535. "Same criminal conduct," as used in this subsection, means two or more crimes that require the same criminal intent, are committed at the same time and place, and involve the same victim. This definition applies in cases involving vehicular assault or vehicular homicide even if the victims occupied the same vehicle.
     (b) Whenever a person is convicted of two or more serious violent offenses arising from separate and distinct criminal conduct, the standard sentence range for the offense with the highest seriousness level under RCW 9.94A.515 or section 4 of this act shall be determined using the offender's prior convictions and other current convictions that are not serious violent offenses in the offender score and the standard sentence range for other serious violent offenses shall be determined by using an offender score of zero. The standard sentence range for any offenses that are not serious violent offenses shall be determined according to (a) of this subsection. All sentences imposed under (b) of this subsection shall be served consecutively to each other and concurrently with sentences imposed under (a) of this subsection.
     (c) If an offender is convicted under RCW 9.41.040 for unlawful possession of a firearm in the first or second degree and for the felony crimes of theft of a firearm or possession of a stolen firearm, or both, the standard sentence range for each of these current offenses shall be determined by using all other current and prior convictions, except other current convictions for the felony crimes listed in this subsection (1)(c), as if they were prior convictions. The offender shall serve consecutive sentences for each conviction of the felony crimes listed in this subsection (1)(c), and for each firearm unlawfully possessed.
     (2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, whenever a person while under sentence for conviction of a felony commits another felony and is sentenced to another term of confinement, the latter term shall not begin until expiration of all prior terms.
     (b) Whenever a second or later felony conviction results in community supervision with conditions not currently in effect, under the prior sentence or sentences of community supervision the court may require that the conditions of community supervision contained in the second or later sentence begin during the immediate term of community supervision and continue throughout the duration of the consecutive term of community supervision.
     (3) Subject to subsections (1) and (2) of this section, whenever a person is sentenced for a felony that was committed while the person was not under sentence for conviction of a felony, the sentence shall run concurrently with any felony sentence which has been imposed by any court in this or another state or by a federal court subsequent to the commission of the crime being sentenced unless the court pronouncing the current sentence expressly orders that they be served consecutively.
     (4) Whenever any person granted probation under RCW 9.95.210 or 9.92.060, or both, has the probationary sentence revoked and a prison sentence imposed, that sentence shall run consecutively to any sentence imposed pursuant to this chapter, unless the court pronouncing the subsequent sentence expressly orders that they be served concurrently.
     (5) In the case of consecutive sentences, all periods of total confinement shall be served before any partial confinement, community restitution, community supervision, or any other requirement or conditions of any of the sentences. Except for exceptional sentences as authorized under RCW 9.94A.535, if two or more sentences that run consecutively include periods of community supervision, the aggregate of the community supervision period shall not exceed twenty-four months.

Sec. 8   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 for going either above or below the presumptive 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 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, or section 4 of this act, 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 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 presumptive 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.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   Sections 3 and 4 of this act are each added to chapter 9.94A RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   This act takes effect August 1, 2009.