H-3945.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2979

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Ruderman, Ballasiotes, O'Brien, Stensen, Hurst, Delvin, Miloscia and Woods

 

Read first time 01/25/2000.  Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

Strengthening juvenile sex offender registration.


    AN ACT Relating to juvenile sex offender registration; and amending RCW 9A.44.140.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 9A.44.140 and 1998 c 220 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 shall end:

    (a) For a person convicted of a class A felony, or a person convicted of any sex offense or kidnapping offense who has one or more prior ((conviction[s])) convictions for a sex offense or kidnapping offense:  Such person may only be relieved of the duty to register under subsection (3) or (4) of this section.

    (b) For a person convicted of a class B felony, and the person does not have one or more prior ((conviction[s])) convictions for a sex offense or kidnapping offense:  Fifteen years after the last date of release from confinement, if any, (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to the conviction, or entry of the judgment and sentence, if the person has spent fifteen consecutive years in the community without being convicted of any new offenses.

    (c) For a person convicted of a class C felony, a violation of RCW 9.68A.090 or 9A.44.096, or an attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit a class C felony, and the person does not have one or more prior conviction[s] for a sex offense or kidnapping offense:  Ten years after the last date of release from confinement, if any, (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to the conviction, or entry of the judgment and sentence, if the person has spent ten consecutive years in the community without being convicted of any new offenses.

    (2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall apply equally to a person who has been found not guilty by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW of a sex offense or kidnapping offense.

    (3) Any person having a duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 may petition the superior court to be relieved of that duty, if the person has spent ten consecutive years in the community without being convicted of any new offenses.  The petition shall be made to the court in which the petitioner was convicted of the offense that subjects him or her to the duty to register, or, in the case of convictions in other states, a foreign country, or a federal or military court, to the court in Thurston county.  The prosecuting attorney of the county shall be named and served as the respondent in any such petition.  The court shall consider the nature of the registrable offense committed, and the criminal and relevant noncriminal behavior of the petitioner both before and after conviction, and may consider other factors.  Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, the court may relieve the petitioner of the duty to register only if the petitioner shows, with clear and convincing evidence, that future registration of the petitioner will not serve the purposes of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330.

    (4) An offender having a duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 for a sex offense or kidnapping offense committed when the offender was a juvenile may petition the superior court to be relieved of that duty.  The court shall consider the nature of the registrable offense committed, and the criminal and relevant noncriminal behavior of the petitioner both before and after adjudication, and may consider other factors.

    (a) Except as provided in (c) of this subsection, the court may relieve the petitioner of the duty to register for a sex offense or kidnapping offense that was committed while the petitioner was ((fifteen)) thirteen years of age or older only if the petitioner shows, with clear and convincing evidence, that future registration of the petitioner will not serve the purposes of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330.

    (b) Except as provided in (c) of this subsection, the court may relieve the petitioner of the duty to register for a sex offense or kidnapping offense that was committed while the petitioner was under the age of ((fifteen)) thirteen if the petitioner (((a))) (i) has not been adjudicated of any additional sex offenses or kidnapping offenses during the twenty-four months ((following the adjudication)) after completion of the petitioner's supervision by the department of social and health services for the offense giving rise to the duty to register, and (((b))) (ii) the petitioner proves by a preponderance of the evidence that future registration of the petitioner will not serve the purposes of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330.

    (c) The court may not relieve any petitioner who has been classified as a risk level III by the department of social and health services, of the duty to register for a sex offense or kidnapping offense.

    This subsection shall not apply to juveniles prosecuted as adults.

    (5) Unless relieved of the duty to register pursuant to this section, a violation of RCW 9A.44.130 is an ongoing offense for purposes of the statute of limitations under RCW 9A.04.080.

    (6) Nothing in RCW 9.94A.220 relating to discharge of an offender shall be construed as operating to relieve the offender of his or her duty to register pursuant to RCW 9A.44.130.

 


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