S-3372               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6154

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                      1989 Second Special Session

By Senators Rasmussen, Amondson, Smith, Hansen, Vognild and Madsen

Read first time 5/19/89 and referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to capital punishment; and amending RCW 10.95.060.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 6, chapter 138, Laws of 1981 and RCW 10.95.060 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) At the commencement of the special sentencing proceeding, the trial court shall instruct the jury as to the nature and purpose of the proceeding and as to the consequences of its decision, as provided in RCW 10.95.030.

          (2) At the special sentencing proceeding both the prosecution and defense shall be allowed to make an opening statement.  The prosecution shall first present evidence and then the defense may present evidence.  Rebuttal evidence may be presented by each side.  Upon conclusion of the evidence, the court shall instruct the jury and then the prosecution and defense shall be permitted to present argument.  The prosecution shall open and conclude the argument.

          (3) The court shall admit any relevant evidence which it deems to have probative value regardless of its admissibility under the rules of evidence, including hearsay evidence and evidence of the defendant's previous criminal activity regardless of whether the defendant has been charged or convicted as a result of such activity.  The defendant shall be accorded a fair opportunity to rebut or offer any hearsay evidence.

          In addition to evidence of whether or not there are sufficient mitigating circumstances to merit leniency, if the jury sitting in the special sentencing proceeding has not heard evidence of the aggravated first degree murder of which the defendant stands convicted, both the defense and prosecution may introduce evidence concerning the facts and circumstances of the murder.

          (4) Upon conclusion of the evidence and argument at the special sentencing proceeding, the jury shall retire to deliberate upon the following question:  "Having in mind the crime of which the defendant has been found guilty, are you convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that there are not sufficient mitigating circumstances to merit leniency?"

          In order to return an affirmative answer to the question posed by this subsection, an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the jury ((must so find unanimously)) is required.