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                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 5947

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                                                            AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

                                                                            C 408 L 89

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators McMullen, Pullen, Niemi, Talmadge, Murray and Anderson)

Read first time 2/28/89.

AN ACT Relating to establishing a procedure for considering abuse suffered by a defendant as a mitigating circumstance for an exceptional sentence; and amending RCW 9.94A.390.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 10, chapter 115, Laws of 183 as last amended by section 2, chapter 131, Laws of 1987 and RCW 9.94A.390 are each amended to read as follows:

          If the sentencing court finds that an exceptional sentence outside the standard range should be imposed in accordance with RCW 9.94A.120(2), the sentence is subject to review only as provided for in RCW 9.94A.210(4).

          The following are illustrative factors which the court may consider in the exercise of its discretion to impose an exceptional sentence.  The following are illustrative only and are not intended to be exclusive reasons for exceptional sentences.

          (1) Mitigating Circumstances

          (a) To a significant degree, the victim was an initiator, willing participant, aggressor, or provoker of the incident.

          (b) Before detection, the defendant compensated, or made a good faith effort to compensate, the victim of the criminal conduct for any damage or injury sustained.

          (c) The defendant committed the crime under duress, coercion, threat, or compulsion insufficient to constitute a complete defense but which significantly affected his or her conduct.

          (d) The defendant, with no apparent predisposition to do so, was induced by others to participate in the crime.

          (e) The defendant's capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law, was significantly impaired (voluntary use of drugs or alcohol is excluded).

          (f) The offense was principally accomplished by another person and the defendant manifested extreme caution or sincere concern for the safety or well-being of the victim.

          (g) The operation of the multiple offense policy of RCW 9.94A.400 results in a presumptive sentence that is clearly excessive in light of the purpose of this chapter, as expressed in RCW 9.94A.010.

(h) The defendant or the defendant's children suffered a continuing pattern of physical or sexual abuse by the victim of the offense and the offense is a response to that abuse.

          (2) Aggravating Circumstances

          (a) The defendant's conduct during the commission of the current offense manifested deliberate cruelty to the victim.

          (b) The defendant knew or should have known that the victim of the current offense was particularly vulnerable or incapable of resistance due to extreme youth, advanced age, disability, or ill health.

          (c) The current offense was a major economic offense or series of offenses, so identified by a consideration of any of the following factors:

          (i) The current offense involved multiple victims or multiple incidents per victim;

          (ii) The current offense involved attempted or actual monetary loss substantially greater than typical for the offense;

          (iii) The current offense involved a high degree of sophistication or planning or occurred over a lengthy period of time;

          (iv) The defendant used his or her position of trust, confidence, or fiduciary responsibility to facilitate the commission of the current offense.

          (d) The current offense was a major violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, chapter 69.50 RCW (VUCSA), related to trafficking in controlled substances, which was more onerous than the typical offense of its statutory definition:  The presence of ANY of the following may identify a current offense as a major VUCSA:

          (i) The current offense involved at least three separate transactions in which controlled substances were sold, transferred, or possessed with intent to do so; or

          (ii) The current offense involved an attempted or actual sale or transfer of controlled substances in quantities substantially larger than for personal use; or

          (iii) The current offense involved the manufacture of controlled substances for use by other parties; or

          (iv) The circumstances of the current offense reveal the offender to have occupied a high position in the drug distribution hierarchy; or

          (v) The current offense involved a high degree of sophistication or planning or occurred over a lengthy period of time or involved a broad geographic area of disbursement; or

          (vi) The offender used his or her position or status to facilitate the commission of the current offense, including positions of trust, confidence or fiduciary responsibility (e.g., pharmacist, physician, or other medical professional); or

          (e) The offense was part of an ongoing pattern of sexual abuse of the same victim under the age of eighteen years manifested by multiple incidents over a prolonged period of time; or

          (f) The operation of the multiple offense policy of RCW 9.94A.400 results in a presumptive sentence that is clearly too lenient in light of the purpose of this chapter, as expressed in RCW 9.94A.010.

                                                                                                                           Passed the Senate April 18, 1989.

                                                                                                                                       President of the Senate.

                                                                                                                           Passed the House April 14, 1989.

                                                                                                                                         Speaker of the House.