H-3623              _______________________________________________

 

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2946

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Morris, Brough, Haugen, Hargrove, Raiter, Grant, R. Meyers, Dorn, Winsley and P. King

 

 

Read first time 1/26/90 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to criminal sentencing; amending RCW 9.94A.120, 9.94A.150, 9.94A.195, and 9.94A.200; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.400; and providing an effective date.

 

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

 

        Sec. 1.  Section 4, chapter 252, Laws of 1989 and RCW 9.94A.120 are each amended to read as follows:

          When a person is convicted of a felony, the court shall impose punishment as provided in this section.

          (1) Except as authorized in subsections (2), (5), and (7) of this section, the court shall impose a sentence within the sentence range for the offense.

          (2) The court may impose a sentence outside the standard sentence range for that offense if it finds, considering the purpose of this chapter, that there are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence.

          (3) Whenever a sentence outside the standard range is imposed, the court shall set forth the reasons for its decision in written findings of fact and conclusions of law.  A sentence outside the standard range shall be a determinate sentence.

          (4) An offender convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than twenty years.  An offender convicted of the crime of assault in the first degree where the offender used force or means likely to result in death or intended to kill the victim shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than five years.  An offender convicted of the crime of rape in the first degree shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than three years, and shall not be eligible for furlough, work release or other authorized leave of absence from the correctional facility during such minimum three year term except for the purpose of commitment to an inpatient treatment facility.  The foregoing minimum terms of total confinement are mandatory and shall not be varied or modified as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

          (5) In sentencing a first-time offender the court may waive the imposition of a sentence within the sentence range and impose a sentence which may include up to ninety days of confinement in a facility operated or utilized under contract by the county and a requirement that the offender refrain from committing new offenses.  The sentence may also include up to two years of community supervision, which, in addition to crime-related prohibitions, may include requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (a) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (b) Undergo available outpatient treatment for up to two years, or inpatient treatment not to exceed the standard range of confinement for that offense;

          (c) Pursue a prescribed, secular course of study or vocational training;

          (d) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (e) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer; or

          (f) Pay all court-ordered legal financial obligations as provided in RCW 9.94A.030 and/or perform community service work.

          (6) If a sentence range has not been established for the defendant's crime, the court shall impose a determinate sentence which may include not more than one year of confinement, community service work, a term of community supervision 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, considering the purpose of this chapter, that there are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence.

          (7) (a) When an offender is convicted of a sex offense other than a violation of  RCW 9A.44.040 or RCW 9A.44.050 and has no prior convictions for a sex offense or any other felony sexual offenses in this or any other state, the sentencing court, on its own motion or the motion of the state or the defendant, may order an examination to determine whether the defendant is amenable to treatment.

          After receipt of the reports, the court shall then determine whether the offender and the community will benefit from use of this special sexual offender sentencing alternative.  If the court determines that both the offender and the community will benefit from use of this provision, the court shall then impose a sentence within the sentence range and, if this sentence is less than six years of confinement, the court may suspend the execution of the sentence and place the offender on community supervision for up to two years.  As a condition of the suspended sentence, the court may impose other sentence conditions including up to six months of confinement, not to exceed the sentence range of confinement for that offense, crime-related prohibitions, and requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (i) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (ii) Undergo available outpatient sex offender treatment for up to two years, or inpatient sex offender treatment not to exceed the standard range of confinement for that offense.  A community mental health center may not be used for such treatment unless it has an appropriate program designed for sex offender treatment;

          (iii) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (iv) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer;

          (v) Pay all court-ordered legal financial obligations as provided in RCW 9.94A.030, perform community service work, or any combination thereof; ((or))

          (vi) Make recoupment to the victim for the cost of any counseling required as a result of the offender's crime; or

          (vii) Refrain from committing new offenses.

          If the offender violates these sentence conditions the court may revoke the suspension and order execution of the sentence.  All confinement time served during the period of community supervision shall be credited to the offender if the suspended sentence is revoked.

          (b) When an offender is convicted of any felony sexual offense committed before July 1, 1987, and is sentenced to a term of confinement of more than one year but less than six years, the sentencing court may, on its own motion or on the motion of the offender or the state, order the offender committed for up to thirty days to the custody of the secretary of social and health services for evaluation and report to the court on the offender's amenability to treatment at these facilities.  If the secretary of social and health services cannot begin the evaluation within thirty days of the court's order of commitment, the offender shall be transferred to the state for confinement pending an opportunity to be evaluated at the appropriate facility.  The court shall review the reports and may order that the term of confinement imposed be served in the sexual offender treatment program at the location determined by the secretary of social and health services or the secretary's designee, only if the report indicates that the offender is amenable to the treatment program provided at these facilities.  The offender shall be transferred to the state pending placement in the treatment program.  Any offender who has escaped from the treatment program shall be referred back to the sentencing court.

          If the offender does not comply with the conditions of the treatment program, the secretary of social and health services may refer the matter to the sentencing court. The sentencing court shall commit the offender to the department of corrections to serve the balance of the term of confinement.

          If the offender successfully completes the treatment program before the expiration of the term of confinement, the court may convert the balance of confinement to community supervision and may place conditions on the offender including crime-related prohibitions and requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (i) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (ii) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (iii) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer;

          (iv) Undergo available outpatient treatment;

          (v) Refrain from committing new offenses.

          If the offender violates any of the terms of community supervision, the court may order the offender to serve out the balance of the community supervision term in confinement in the custody of the department of corrections.

          After June 30, 1993, this subsection (b) shall cease to have effect.

          (c) When an offender commits any felony sexual offense on or after July 1, 1987, and is sentenced to a term of confinement of more than one year but less than six years, the sentencing court may, on its own motion or on the motion of the offender or the state, request the department of corrections to evaluate whether the offender is amenable to treatment and the department may place the offender in a treatment program within a correctional facility operated by the department.

          Except for an offender who has been convicted of a violation of RCW 9A.44.040 or 9A.44.050, if the offender completes the treatment program before the expiration of his term of confinement, the department of corrections may request the court to convert the balance of confinement to community supervision and to place conditions on the offender including crime-related prohibitions and requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (i) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (ii) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (iii) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer;

          (iv) Undergo available outpatient treatment.

          If the offender violates any of the terms of his community supervision, the court may order the offender to serve out the balance of his community supervision term in confinement in the custody of the department of corrections.

          Nothing in (c) of this subsection shall confer eligibility for such programs for offenders convicted and sentenced for a sexual offense committed prior to July 1, 1987.

          (8) (a) When a court sentences a person to a term of total confinement to the custody of the department of corrections for an offense categorized as a sex offense, a serious violent offense, assault in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW, committed on or after July 1, 1988, the court shall in addition to the other terms of the sentence, sentence the offender to a one-year term of community placement beginning either upon completion of the term of confinement or at such time as the offender is transferred to community custody in lieu of earned early release in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150(1).  When the court sentences an offender under this section to the statutory maximum period of confinement then the community placement portion of the sentence shall consist entirely of such community custody to which the offender may become eligible, in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150(1).  Any period of community custody actually served shall be credited against the community placement portion of the sentence.

          (b) When a court sentences a person to a term of total confinement to the custody of the department of corrections for an offense categorized as a sex offense, a serious violent offense, assault in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW, committed on or after July 1, 1988, unless a condition is waived by the court, the sentence shall include, in addition to the other terms of the sentence, a one-year term of community placement on the following conditions:

          (i) The offender shall report to and be available for contact with the assigned community corrections officer as directed;

          (ii) The offender shall work at department of corrections-approved education, employment, and/or community service;

          (iii) The offender shall not consume controlled substances except pursuant to lawfully issued prescriptions;

          (iv) An offender in community custody shall not unlawfully possess controlled substances; and

          (v) The offender shall pay supervision fees as determined by the department of corrections.

          (c) The court may also order any of the following special conditions:

          (i) The offender shall remain within, or outside of, a specified geographical boundary;

          (ii) The offender shall not have direct or indirect contact with the victim of the crime or a specified class of individuals;

          (iii) The offender shall participate in crime-related treatment or counseling services;

          (iv) The offender shall not consume alcohol;

          (v) The residence location and living arrangements of a sex offender shall be subject to the prior approval of the department of corrections; or

          (vi) The offender shall comply with any crime-related prohibitions.

          (d) Prior to transfer to, or during, community placement, any conditions of community placement may be removed or modified so as not to be more restrictive by the sentencing court, upon recommendation of the department of corrections.

         (9) 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.

          (10) If a sentence imposed includes payment of a legal financial obligation, the sentence shall specify the total amount of the legal financial obligation owed, and shall require the offender to pay a specified monthly sum toward that legal financial obligation.  Restitution to victims shall be paid prior to any other payments of monetary obligations.  Any legal financial obligation that is imposed by the court may be collected by the department, which shall deliver the amount paid to the county clerk for credit.  The offender's compliance with payment of legal financial obligations shall be supervised by the department.  All monetary payments ordered shall be paid no later than ten years after the last date of release from confinement pursuant to a felony conviction or the date the sentence was entered.  Independent of the department, the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed shall have the authority to utilize any other remedies available to the party or entity to collect the legal financial obligation.  Nothing in this section makes the department, the state, or any of its employees, agents, or other persons acting on their behalf liable under any circumstances for the payment of these legal financial obligations.  If an order includes restitution as one of the monetary assessments, the county clerk shall make disbursements to victims named in the order.

          An offender's default in the payment of restitution, fines, and other monetary obligations imposed under this chapter, or any installment thereof, may be collected by any means authorized by law for the enforcement of a judgment.  Judgments for monetary payments under this chapter are and may be made liens upon the property of the offender in the same manner and with like effect as judgments in civil actions.

          (11) Except as provided under RCW 9.94A.140(1) and 9.94A.142(1), a court may not impose a sentence providing for a term of confinement or community supervision or community placement which exceeds the statutory maximum for the crime as provided in chapter 9A.20 RCW.

          (12)  All offenders sentenced to terms involving community supervision, community service, or legal financial obligation shall be under the supervision of the secretary of the department of corrections or such person as the secretary may designate and shall follow explicitly the instructions of the secretary ((including)) related to reporting as directed to a community corrections officer, remaining within prescribed geographical boundaries, ((and)) notifying the community corrections officer ((of)) prior to any change in the offender's address or employment, refraining from committing new offenses, and such other instructions that allow for the monitoring of court-imposed conditions.

          (13) 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.

          (14) A departure from the standards in RCW 9.94A.400(1) and (2) governing whether sentences are to be served consecutively or concurrently is an exceptional sentence subject to the limitations in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, and may be appealed by the defendant or the state as set forth in RCW 9.94A.210(2) through (6).

          (15) The court shall order restitution whenever the offender is convicted of a felony that results in injury to any person or damage to or loss of property, whether the offender is sentenced to confinement or placed under community supervision, unless extraordinary circumstances exist that make restitution inappropriate in the court's judgment.  The court shall set forth the extraordinary circumstances in the record if it does not order restitution.

          (16) As a part of any sentence, the court may impose and enforce an order that relates directly to the circumstances of the crime for which the offender has been convicted, prohibiting the offender from having any contact with other specified individuals or a specific class of individuals for a period not to exceed the maximum allowable sentence for the crime, regardless of the expiration of the offender's term of community supervision.

          (17) In any sentence of partial confinement, the court may require the defendant to serve the partial confinement in work release or in a program of home detention.

          (18) All court-ordered legal financial obligations collected by the department and remitted to the county clerk shall be credited and paid where restitution is ordered.  Restitution shall be paid prior to any other payments of monetary obligations.

 

        Sec. 2.  Section 2, chapter 248, Laws of 1989 and RCW 9.94A.150 are each amended to read as follows:

          No person serving a sentence imposed pursuant to this chapter shall leave the confines of the correctional facility or be released prior to the expiration of the sentence except as follows:

          (1) Except for persons convicted of a sex offense or an offense categorized as a serious violent offense, assault in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW, the terms of the sentence of an offender committed to a county jail facility, or a correctional facility operated by the department, may be reduced by earned early release time in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and promulgated by the correctional facility in which the offender is confined.  The earned early release time shall be for good behavior and good performance, as determined by the correctional facility.  Any program established pursuant to this section shall allow an offender to earn early release credits for presentence incarceration.  If an offender is transferred from a county jail to the department of corrections, the county jail facility shall certify to the department the amount of time spent in custody at the facility and the amount of earned early release time.  In no case shall the aggregate earned early release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.  Persons convicted of a sex offense or an offense categorized as a serious violent offense, assault in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW may become eligible for community custody in lieu of earned early release time in accordance with the program developed  by the department;

          (2) When a person convicted of a sex offense or an offense categorized as a serious violent offense, assault in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW is eligible for transfer to community custody status in lieu of earned early release time pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, as computed by the department of corrections, the offender shall be transferred to community custody.

          (3) An offender may leave a correctional facility pursuant to an authorized furlough or leave of absence.  In addition, offenders may leave a correctional facility when in the custody of a corrections officer or officers;

           (4) The governor, upon recommendation from the clemency and pardons board, may grant an extraordinary release for reasons of serious health problems, senility, advanced age, extraordinary meritorious acts, or other extraordinary circumstances;

           (5) No more than the final six months of the sentence may be served in partial confinement designed to aid the qualified offender, as determined by the department of corrections, in finding work and reestablishing him or herself in the community;

           (6) The governor may pardon any offender;

           (7) The department of corrections may release an offender from confinement any time within ten days before a release date calculated under this section; and

           (8) An offender may leave a correctional facility prior to completion of his sentence if the sentence has been reduced as provided in RCW 9.94A.160.

 

        Sec. 3.  Section 11, chapter 209, Laws of 1984 and RCW 9.94A.195 are each amended to read as follows:

          If an offender violates any condition or requirement of a sentence, a community corrections officer may arrest or cause the arrest of the offender without a warrant, pending a determination by the court.  If ((there is)) a community corrections officer has reasonable cause to believe that an offender has violated a condition or requirement of the sentence, including the obligation to obey all laws while serving the sentence in the community, an offender may be required to submit to a search and seizure of the offender's person, residence, automobile, or other personal property.  If the community corrections officer has reasonable cause to believe that an offender has violated the requirement to refrain from committing new offenses the community corrections officer may arrest and detain or cause the arrest and detention of the offender for up to five days in order to investigate the facts and circumstances.  A community corrections officer may also arrest an offender for any crime committed in his or her presence.  The facts and circumstances of the conduct of the offender shall be reported by the community corrections officer, with recommendations, to the court.

          If a community corrections officer arrests or causes the arrest of an offender under this section, the offender shall be confined and detained in the county jail of the county in which the offender was taken into custody, and the sheriff of that county shall receive and keep in the county jail, where room is available, all prisoners delivered to the jail by the community corrections officer, and such offenders shall not be released from custody on bail or personal recognizance, except upon approval of the court, pursuant to a written order.

 

        Sec. 4.  Section 7, chapter 252, Laws of 1989 and RCW 9.94A.200 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) If an offender violates any condition or requirement of a sentence, the court may modify its order of judgment and sentence and impose further punishment in accordance with this section.

          (2) If an offender fails to comply with any of the requirements or conditions of a sentence the following provisions apply:

          (a) The court, upon the motion of the state, or upon its own motion, shall require the offender to show cause why the offender should not be punished for the noncompliance.  The court may issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for the offender's appearance;

          (b) The state has the burden of showing noncompliance by a preponderance of the evidence.  If the court finds that the violation has occurred, it may order the offender to be confined for a period not to exceed sixty days for each violation, and may (i) convert a term of partial confinement to total confinement, (ii) convert community service obligation to total or partial confinement, or (iii) convert monetary obligations, except restitution and the crime victim penalty assessment, to community service hours at the rate of the state minimum wage as established in RCW 49.46.020 for each hour of community  service.  Any confinement served as a violation for committing new offenses shall be credited towards the confinement imposed for the new conviction.   Any time served in confinement awaiting a hearing on noncompliance shall be credited against any confinement order by the court; and

          (c) If the court finds that the violation was not willful, the court may modify its previous order regarding payment of legal financial obligations and regarding community service obligations.

          (3) Nothing in this section prohibits the filing of escape charges if appropriate.

 

        Sec. 5.  Section 11, chapter 115, Laws of 1983 as last amended by section 24, chapter 143, Laws of 1988 and by section 5, chapter 157, Laws of 1988 and RCW 9.94A.400 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

          (1) (a) Except as provided in (b) 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.120 and 9.94A.390(2)(e) or any other provision of RCW 9.94A.390.  "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 does not apply in cases involving vehicular assault or vehicular homicide if the victims occupied the same vehicle.  However, the sentencing judge may consider multiple victims in such instances as an aggravating circumstance under RCW 9.94A.390.

          (b) Whenever a person is convicted of three or more serious violent offenses, as defined in RCW 9.94A.030, arising from separate and distinct criminal conduct, the sentence range for the offense with the highest seriousness level under RCW 9.94A.320 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 sentence range for other serious violent offenses shall be determined by using an offender score of zero.  The 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.

          (2) Whenever a person while under sentence of felony commits another felony and is sentenced to another term of confinement, the latter term shall ((not begin until expiration of all prior terms)) be served consecutively.

          (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 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) However, in the case of consecutive sentences, all periods of total confinement shall be served before any partial confinement, community service, community supervision, or any other requirement or conditions of any of the sentences. Except for exceptional sentences as authorized under RCW 9.94A.120(2), 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.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.     Sections 1 and 4 of this act shall take effect July 1, 1990.