S-3324.1  _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 6180

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

 

By Senators McCaslin, Costa and Oke

 

Read first time 01/10/2000.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Clarifying the effect of washout provisions for prior offenses.


    AN ACT Relating to washout of prior offenses; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.360; and creating a new section.

 

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

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that persons convicted of class A felonies and felony sex offenses pose a significant risk to the community that justifies inclusion of these offenses in the offender score for future offenses regardless of the length of time since the past offense.  It is further found that the 1990 legislature intended that the amendments to RCW 9.94A.360 would apply prospectively to sentencing proceedings occurring after the effective date of the statute such that class A felonies and felony sex offenses committed at any time would always be included in the offender score.  The purpose of this act is to explicate the intent of the 1990 legislature and modify the holding in State v. Cruz, Docket No. 67147-8, filed October 7, 1999.  The legislature restates its intent that all convictions for class A felonies and felony sex offenses shall be counted in the offender score regardless of the amount of time since the prior offense or any prior statutory provision that excluded the offense during computation of the offender score.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 9.94A.360 and 1999 c 352 s 10 and 1999 c 331 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    The offender score is measured on the horizontal axis of the sentencing grid.  The offender score rules are as follows:

    The offender score is the sum of points accrued under this section rounded down to the nearest whole number.

    (1) A prior conviction is a conviction which exists before the date of sentencing for the offense for which the offender score is being computed.  Convictions entered or sentenced on the same date as the conviction for which the offender score is being computed shall be deemed "other current offenses" within the meaning of RCW 9.94A.400.

    (2) Class A and sex prior felony convictions shall always be included in the offender score irrespective of whether such convictions were not included in computation of the offender score by prior statutes.  Class B prior felony convictions other than sex offenses shall not be included in the offender score, if since the last date of release from confinement (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to a felony conviction, if any, or entry of judgment and sentence, the offender had spent ten consecutive years in the community without committing any crime that subsequently results in a conviction.  Class C prior felony convictions other than sex offenses shall not be included in the offender score if, since the last date of release from confinement (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to a felony conviction, if any, or entry of judgment and sentence, the offender had spent five consecutive years in the community without committing any crime that subsequently results in a conviction.  Serious traffic convictions shall not be included in the offender score if, since the last date of release from confinement (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to a felony conviction, if any, or entry of judgment and sentence, the offender spent five years in the community without committing any crime that subsequently results in a conviction.  This subsection applies to both adult and juvenile prior convictions.

    (3) Out-of-state convictions for offenses shall be classified according to the comparable offense definitions and sentences provided by Washington law.  Federal convictions for offenses shall be classified according to the comparable offense definitions and sentences provided by Washington law.  If there is no clearly comparable offense under Washington law or the offense is one that is usually considered subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction, the offense shall be scored as a class C felony equivalent if it was a felony under the relevant federal statute.

    (4) Score prior convictions for felony anticipatory offenses (attempts, criminal solicitations, and criminal conspiracies) the same as if they were convictions for completed offenses.

    (5)(a) In the case of multiple prior convictions, for the purpose of computing the offender score, count all convictions separately, except:

    (i) Prior offenses which were found, under RCW 9.94A.400(1)(a), to encompass the same criminal conduct, shall be counted as one offense, the offense that yields the highest offender score.  The current sentencing court shall determine with respect to other prior adult offenses for which sentences were served concurrently or prior juvenile offenses for which sentences were served consecutively, whether those offenses shall be counted as one offense or as separate offenses using the "same criminal conduct" analysis found in RCW 9.94A.400(1)(a), and if the court finds that they shall be counted as one offense, then the offense that yields the highest offender score shall be used.  The current sentencing court may presume that such other prior offenses were not the same criminal conduct from sentences imposed on separate dates, or in separate counties or jurisdictions, or in separate complaints, indictments, or informations;

    (ii) In the case of multiple prior convictions for offenses committed before July 1, 1986, for the purpose of computing the offender score, count all adult convictions served concurrently as one offense, and count all juvenile convictions entered on the same date as one offense.  Use the conviction for the offense that yields the highest offender score.

    (b) As used in this subsection (5), "served concurrently" means that:  (i) The latter sentence was imposed with specific reference to the former; (ii) the concurrent relationship of the sentences was judicially imposed; and (iii) the concurrent timing of the sentences was not the result of a probation or parole revocation on the former offense.

    (6) If the present conviction is one of the anticipatory offenses of criminal attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy, count each prior conviction as if the present conviction were for a completed offense.

    (7) If the present conviction is for a nonviolent offense and not covered by subsection (11) or (12) of this section, count one point for each adult prior felony conviction and one point for each juvenile prior violent felony conviction and 2 point for each juvenile prior nonviolent felony conviction.

    (8) If the present conviction is for a violent offense and not covered in subsection (9), (10), (11), or (12) of this section, count two points for each prior adult and juvenile violent felony conviction, one point for each prior adult nonviolent felony conviction, and 2 point for each prior juvenile nonviolent felony conviction.

    (9) If the present conviction is for a serious violent offense, count three points for prior adult and juvenile convictions for crimes in this category, two points for each prior adult and juvenile violent conviction (not already counted), one point for each prior adult nonviolent felony conviction, and 2 point for each prior juvenile nonviolent felony conviction.

    (10) If the present conviction is for Burglary 1, count prior convictions as in subsection (8) of this section; however count two points for each prior adult Burglary 2 or residential burglary conviction, and one point for each prior juvenile Burglary 2 or residential burglary conviction.

    (11) If the present conviction is for a felony traffic offense count two points for each adult or juvenile prior conviction for Vehicular Homicide or Vehicular Assault; for each felony offense count one point for each adult and 2 point for each juvenile prior conviction; for each serious traffic offense, other than those used for an enhancement pursuant to RCW 46.61.520(2), count one point for each adult and 2 point for each juvenile prior conviction.

    (12) If the present conviction is for a drug offense count three points for each adult prior felony drug offense conviction and two points for each juvenile drug offense.  All other adult and juvenile felonies are scored as in subsection (8) of this section if the current drug offense is violent, or as in subsection (7) of this section if the current drug offense is nonviolent.

    (13) If the present conviction is for Willful Failure to Return from Furlough, RCW 72.66.060, Willful Failure to Return from Work Release, RCW 72.65.070, or Escape from Community Custody, RCW 72.09.310, count only prior escape convictions in the offender score.  Count adult prior escape convictions as one point and juvenile prior escape convictions as 2 point.

    (14) If the present conviction is for Escape 1, RCW 9A.76.110, or Escape 2, RCW 9A.76.120, count adult prior convictions as one point and juvenile prior convictions as 2 point.

    (15) If the present conviction is for Burglary 2 or residential burglary, count priors as in subsection (7) of this section; however, count two points for each adult and juvenile prior Burglary 1 conviction, two points for each adult prior Burglary 2 or residential burglary conviction, and one point for each juvenile prior Burglary 2 or residential burglary conviction.

    (16) If the present conviction is for a sex offense, count priors as in subsections (7) through (15) of this section; however count three points for each adult and juvenile prior sex offense conviction.

    (17) If the present conviction is for an offense committed while the offender was under community placement, add one point.

 


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