2SHB 1651 -
By Committee on Human Services & Corrections
NOT ADOPTED 03/07/2014
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 13.50.010 and 2013 c 23 s 6 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) For purposes of this chapter:
(a) "Juvenile justice or care agency" means any of the following:
Police, diversion units, court, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney,
detention center, attorney general, the legislative children's
oversight committee, the office of the family and children's ombuds,
the department of social and health services and its contracting
agencies, schools; persons or public or private agencies having
children committed to their custody; and any placement oversight
committee created under RCW 72.05.415;
(b) "Official juvenile court file" means the legal file of the
juvenile court containing the petition or information, motions,
memorandums, briefs, findings of the court, and court orders;
(c) "Records" means the official juvenile court file, the social
file, and records of any other juvenile justice or care agency in the
case;
(d) "Social file" means the juvenile court file containing the
records and reports of the probation counselor.
(2) Each petition or information filed with the court may include
only one juvenile and each petition or information shall be filed under
a separate docket number. The social file shall be filed separately
from the official juvenile court file.
(3) It is the duty of any juvenile justice or care agency to
maintain accurate records. To this end:
(a) The agency may never knowingly record inaccurate information.
Any information in records maintained by the department of social and
health services relating to a petition filed pursuant to chapter 13.34
RCW that is found by the court to be false or inaccurate shall be
corrected or expunged from such records by the agency;
(b) An agency shall take reasonable steps to assure the security of
its records and prevent tampering with them; and
(c) An agency shall make reasonable efforts to insure the
completeness of its records, including action taken by other agencies
with respect to matters in its files.
(4) Each juvenile justice or care agency shall implement procedures
consistent with the provisions of this chapter to facilitate inquiries
concerning records.
(5) Any person who has reasonable cause to believe information
concerning that person is included in the records of a juvenile justice
or care agency and who has been denied access to those records by the
agency may make a motion to the court for an order authorizing that
person to inspect the juvenile justice or care agency record concerning
that person. The court shall grant the motion to examine records
unless it finds that in the interests of justice or in the best
interests of the juvenile the records or parts of them should remain
confidential.
(6) A juvenile, or his or her parents, or any person who has
reasonable cause to believe information concerning that person is
included in the records of a juvenile justice or care agency may make
a motion to the court challenging the accuracy of any information
concerning the moving party in the record or challenging the continued
possession of the record by the agency. If the court grants the
motion, it shall order the record or information to be corrected or
destroyed.
(7) The person making a motion under subsection (5) or (6) of this
section shall give reasonable notice of the motion to all parties to
the original action and to any agency whose records will be affected by
the motion.
(8) The court may permit inspection of records by, or release of
information to, any clinic, hospital, or agency which has the subject
person under care or treatment. The court may also permit inspection
by or release to individuals or agencies, including juvenile justice
advisory committees of county law and justice councils, engaged in
legitimate research for educational, scientific, or public purposes.
((The court shall release to the caseload forecast council records
needed for its research and data-gathering functions. Access to
records or information for research purposes shall be permitted only if
the anonymity of all persons mentioned in the records or information
will be preserved.)) Each person granted permission to inspect
juvenile justice or care agency records for research purposes shall
present a notarized statement to the court stating that the names of
juveniles and parents will remain confidential.
(9) The court shall release to the caseload forecast council the
records needed for its research and data-gathering functions. Access
to caseload forecast data may be permitted by the council for research
purposes only if the anonymity of all persons mentioned in the records
or information will be preserved.
(10) Juvenile detention facilities shall release records to the
caseload forecast council upon request. The commission shall not
disclose the names of any juveniles or parents mentioned in the records
without the named individual's written permission.
(((10))) (11) Requirements in this chapter relating to the court's
authority to compel disclosure shall not apply to the legislative
children's oversight committee or the office of the family and
children's ombuds.
(((11))) (12) For the purpose of research only, the administrative
office of the courts shall maintain an electronic research copy of all
records in the judicial information system related to juveniles.
Access to the research copy is restricted to the Washington state
center for court research. The Washington state center for court
research shall maintain the confidentiality of all confidential records
and shall preserve the anonymity of all persons identified in the
research copy. The research copy may not be subject to any records
retention schedule and must include records destroyed or removed from
the judicial information system pursuant to RCW 13.50.050 (((17) and))
(18) and (19) and 13.50.100(3).
(((12))) (13) The court shall release to the Washington state
office of public defense records needed to implement the agency's
oversight, technical assistance, and other functions as required by RCW
2.70.020. Access to the records used as a basis for oversight,
technical assistance, or other agency functions is restricted to the
Washington state office of public defense. The Washington state office
of public defense shall maintain the confidentiality of all
confidential information included in the records.
Sec. 2 RCW 13.50.050 and 2012 c 177 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) This section governs records relating to the commission of
juvenile offenses, including records relating to diversions.
(2) The official juvenile court file of any alleged or proven
juvenile offender shall be open to public inspection, unless sealed
pursuant to subsection (((12))) (13) of this section.
(3) All records other than the official juvenile court file are
confidential and may be released only as provided in this section, RCW
13.50.010, 13.40.215, and 4.24.550.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section and RCW 13.50.010,
records retained or produced by any juvenile justice or care agency may
be released to other participants in the juvenile justice or care
system only when an investigation or case involving the juvenile in
question is being pursued by the other participant or when that other
participant is assigned the responsibility for supervising the
juvenile.
(5) Except as provided in RCW 4.24.550, information not in an
official juvenile court file concerning a juvenile or a juvenile's
family may be released to the public only when that information could
not reasonably be expected to identify the juvenile or the juvenile's
family.
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the
release, to the juvenile or his or her attorney, of law enforcement and
prosecuting attorneys' records pertaining to investigation, diversion,
and prosecution of juvenile offenses shall be governed by the rules of
discovery and other rules of law applicable in adult criminal
investigations and prosecutions.
(7) Upon the decision to arrest or the arrest, law enforcement and
prosecuting attorneys may cooperate with schools in releasing
information to a school pertaining to the investigation, diversion, and
prosecution of a juvenile attending the school. Upon the decision to
arrest or the arrest, incident reports may be released unless releasing
the records would jeopardize the investigation or prosecution or
endanger witnesses. If release of incident reports would jeopardize
the investigation or prosecution or endanger witnesses, law enforcement
and prosecuting attorneys may release information to the maximum extent
possible to assist schools in protecting other students, staff, and
school property.
(8) The juvenile court and the prosecutor may set up and maintain
a central recordkeeping system which may receive information on all
alleged juvenile offenders against whom a complaint has been filed
pursuant to RCW 13.40.070 whether or not their cases are currently
pending before the court. The central recordkeeping system may be
computerized. If a complaint has been referred to a diversion unit,
the diversion unit shall promptly report to the juvenile court or the
prosecuting attorney when the juvenile has agreed to diversion. An
offense shall not be reported as criminal history in any central
recordkeeping system without notification by the diversion unit of the
date on which the offender agreed to diversion.
(9) Upon request of the victim of a crime or the victim's immediate
family, the identity of an alleged or proven juvenile offender alleged
or found to have committed a crime against the victim and the identity
of the alleged or proven juvenile offender's parent, guardian, or
custodian and the circumstance of the alleged or proven crime shall be
released to the victim of the crime or the victim's immediate family.
(10) Subject to the rules of discovery applicable in adult criminal
prosecutions, the juvenile offense records of an adult criminal
defendant or witness in an adult criminal proceeding shall be released
upon request to prosecution and defense counsel after a charge has
actually been filed. The juvenile offense records of any adult
convicted of a crime and placed under the supervision of the adult
corrections system shall be released upon request to the adult
corrections system.
(11)(a) At the disposition hearing of a juvenile offender, the
court shall schedule an administrative sealing hearing to take place no
later than thirty days after the last day of probation ordered, if any;
or if the respondent has been sentenced to the juvenile rehabilitation
administration, no later than thirty days after release from
confinement, or the completion of parole, if any is required by law,
unless one of the offenses for which the court has entered a
disposition is:
(i) A serious violent offense, as defined in RCW 9.94A.030;
(ii) A sex offense under chapter 9A.44 RCW;
(iii) Arson in the first degree or criminal solicitation of or
criminal conspiracy to commit arson in the first degree;
(iv) Assault of a child in the second degree;
(v) Kidnapping in the second degree;
(vi) Leading organized crime; or
(vii) Malicious placement of an explosive in the first degree.
(b) At the administrative sealing hearing, the court shall enter a
written order sealing the juvenile court file unless, upon the
objection of any person or other compelling reason identified by the
court, the court determines that sealing is not appropriate after
weighing the competing privacy interests of the juvenile with the
interests identified by the person opposed to sealing or with another
compelling reason identified by the court, with a presumption in favor
of sealing the juvenile court file. The respondent and his or her
attorney shall be given notice and an opportunity to respond to any
objection.
(c) The respondent's presence at the administrative sealing hearing
is not required.
(d) The court shall enter a written order immediately sealing the
official juvenile court file:
(i) Upon receipt of notification that the respondent has performed
his or her obligations under a diversion agreement as provided in RCW
13.40.080(12)(d);
(ii) Upon the acquittal after a fact finding or upon dismissal of
charges; or
(iii) If the prosecutor does not file charges within seventy-two
hours after a juvenile has been taken into custody pursuant to RCW
13.40.050.
(12) If a juvenile court file has not already been sealed pursuant
to subsection (11) of this section, in any case in which an information
has been filed pursuant to RCW 13.40.100 or a complaint has been filed
with the prosecutor and referred for diversion pursuant to RCW
13.40.070, the person who is the subject of the information or
complaint may file a motion with the court to have the court vacate its
order and findings, if any, and, subject to subsection (((23))) (24) of
this section, order the sealing of the official juvenile court file,
the social file, and records of the court and of any other agency in
the case.
(((12))) (13)(a) The court shall ((not)) grant any motion to seal
records for class A offenses made pursuant to subsection (((11))) (12)
of this section ((that is filed on or after July 1, 1997, unless)) if:
(i) Since the last date of release from confinement, including
full-time residential treatment, if any, or entry of disposition, the
person has spent five consecutive years in the community without
committing any offense or crime that subsequently results in an
adjudication or conviction;
(ii) No proceeding is pending against the moving party seeking the
conviction of a juvenile offense or a criminal offense;
(iii) No proceeding is pending seeking the formation of a diversion
agreement with that person;
(iv) The person is no longer required to register as a sex offender
under RCW 9A.44.130 or has been relieved of the duty to register under
RCW 9A.44.143 if the person was convicted of a sex offense;
(v) The person has not been convicted of rape in the first degree,
rape in the second degree, or indecent liberties that was actually
committed with forcible compulsion; and
(vi) Full restitution has been paid.
(b) The court shall ((not)) grant any motion to seal records for
class B, C, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor offenses and diversions
made under subsection (((11))) (12) of this section ((unless)) if:
(i) Since the date of last release from confinement, including
full-time residential treatment, if any, entry of disposition, or
completion of the diversion agreement, the person has spent two
consecutive years in the community without being convicted of any
offense or crime;
(ii) No proceeding is pending against the moving party seeking the
conviction of a juvenile offense or a criminal offense;
(iii) No proceeding is pending seeking the formation of a diversion
agreement with that person;
(iv) The person is no longer required to register as a sex offender
under RCW 9A.44.130 or has been relieved of the duty to register under
RCW 9A.44.143 if the person was convicted of a sex offense; and
(v) Full restitution has been paid.
(c) Notwithstanding the requirements in (a) or (b) of this
subsection, the court shall grant any motion to seal records of any
deferred disposition vacated under RCW 13.40.127(9) prior to June 7,
2012, if restitution has been paid and the person is eighteen years of
age or older at the time of the motion.
(((13))) (14) The person making a motion pursuant to subsection
(((11))) (12) of this section shall give reasonable notice of the
motion to the prosecution and to any person or agency whose files are
sought to be sealed.
(((14))) (15)(a) If the court enters a written order sealing the
juvenile court file pursuant to subsection (11) of this section or
grants ((the)) a motion to seal ((made)) pursuant to subsection
(((11))) (12) of this section, it shall, subject to subsection (((23)))
(24) of this section, order sealed the official juvenile court file,
the social file, and other records relating to the case as are named in
the order. Thereafter, the proceedings in the case shall be treated as
if they never occurred, and the subject of the records may reply
accordingly to any inquiry about the events, records of which are
sealed. Any agency shall reply to any inquiry concerning confidential
or sealed records that records are confidential, and no information can
be given about the existence or nonexistence of records concerning an
individual.
(b) In the event the subject of the juvenile records receives a
full and unconditional pardon, the proceedings in the matter upon which
the pardon has been granted shall be treated as if they never occurred,
and the subject of the records may reply accordingly to any inquiry
about the events upon which the pardon was received. Any agency shall
reply to any inquiry concerning the records pertaining to the events
for which the subject received a pardon that records are confidential,
and no information can be given about the existence or nonexistence of
records concerning an individual.
(((15))) (16) Inspection of the files and records included in the
order to seal may thereafter be permitted only by order of the court
upon motion made by the person who is the subject of the information or
complaint, except as otherwise provided in RCW 13.50.010(8) and
subsection (((23))) (24) of this section.
(((16))) (17) Any adjudication of a juvenile offense or a crime
subsequent to sealing has the effect of nullifying ((the)) a sealing
order; however, the court may order the juvenile court record resealed
upon disposition of the subsequent matter if the case meets the sealing
criteria under subsection (11) or (12) of this section and the court
record has not previously been resealed. Any charging of an adult
felony subsequent to the sealing has the effect of nullifying the
sealing order for the purposes of chapter 9.94A RCW. The
administrative office of the courts shall ensure that the superior
court judicial information system provides prosecutors access to
information on the existence of sealed juvenile records.
(((17))) (18)(a)(i) Subject to subsection (((23))) (24) of this
section, all records maintained by any court or law enforcement agency,
including the juvenile court, local law enforcement, the Washington
state patrol, and the prosecutor's office, shall be automatically
destroyed within ninety days of becoming eligible for destruction.
Juvenile records are eligible for destruction when:
(A) The person who is the subject of the information or complaint
is at least eighteen years of age;
(B) His or her criminal history consists entirely of one diversion
agreement or counsel and release entered on or after June 12, 2008;
(C) Two years have elapsed since completion of the agreement or
counsel and release;
(D) No proceeding is pending against the person seeking the
conviction of a criminal offense; and
(E) There is no restitution owing in the case.
(ii) No less than quarterly, the administrative office of the
courts shall provide a report to the juvenile courts of those
individuals whose records may be eligible for destruction. The
juvenile court shall verify eligibility and notify the Washington state
patrol and the appropriate local law enforcement agency and
prosecutor's office of the records to be destroyed. The requirement to
destroy records under this subsection is not dependent on a court
hearing or the issuance of a court order to destroy records.
(iii) The state and local governments and their officers and
employees are not liable for civil damages for the failure to destroy
records pursuant to this section.
(b) All records maintained by any court or law enforcement agency,
including the juvenile court, local law enforcement, the Washington
state patrol, and the prosecutor's office, shall be automatically
destroyed within thirty days of being notified by the governor's office
that the subject of those records received a full and unconditional
pardon by the governor.
(c) A person eighteen years of age or older whose criminal history
consists entirely of one diversion agreement or counsel and release
entered prior to June 12, 2008, may request that the court order the
records in his or her case destroyed. The request shall be granted,
subject to subsection (((23))) (24) of this section, if the court finds
that two years have elapsed since completion of the agreement or
counsel and release.
(d) A person twenty-three years of age or older whose criminal
history consists of only referrals for diversion may request that the
court order the records in those cases destroyed. The request shall be
granted, subject to subsection (((23))) (24) of this section, if the
court finds that all diversion agreements have been successfully
completed and no proceeding is pending against the person seeking the
conviction of a criminal offense.
(((18))) (19) If the court grants the motion to destroy records
made pursuant to subsection (((17))) (18)(c) or (d) of this section, it
shall, subject to subsection (((23))) (24) of this section, order the
official juvenile court file, the social file, and any other records
named in the order to be destroyed.
(((19))) (20) The person making the motion pursuant to subsection
(((17))) (18)(c) or (d) of this section shall give reasonable notice of
the motion to the prosecuting attorney and to any agency whose records
are sought to be destroyed.
(((20))) (21) Any juvenile to whom the provisions of this section
may apply shall be given written notice of his or her rights under this
section at the time of his or her disposition hearing or during the
diversion process.
(((21))) (22) Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent
a crime victim or a member of the victim's family from divulging the
identity of the alleged or proven juvenile offender or his or her
family when necessary in a civil proceeding.
(((22))) (23) Any juvenile justice or care agency may, subject to
the limitations in subsection (((23))) (24) of this section and (a) and
(b) of this subsection, develop procedures for the routine destruction
of records relating to juvenile offenses and diversions.
(a) Records may be routinely destroyed only when the person the
subject of the information or complaint has attained twenty-three years
of age or older or pursuant to subsection (((17))) (18)(a) of this
section.
(b) The court may not routinely destroy the official juvenile court
file or recordings or transcripts of any proceedings.
(((23))) (24) Except for subsection (((17))) (18)(b) of this
section, no identifying information held by the Washington state patrol
in accordance with chapter 43.43 RCW is subject to destruction or
sealing under this section. For the purposes of this subsection,
identifying information includes photographs, fingerprints, palmprints,
soleprints, toeprints and any other data that identifies a person by
physical characteristics, name, birthdate or address, but does not
include information regarding criminal activity, arrest, charging,
diversion, conviction or other information about a person's treatment
by the criminal justice system or about the person's behavior.
(((24))) (25) Information identifying child victims under age
eighteen who are victims of sexual assaults by juvenile offenders is
confidential and not subject to release to the press or public without
the permission of the child victim or the child's legal guardian.
Identifying information includes the child victim's name, addresses,
location, photographs, and in cases in which the child victim is a
relative of the alleged perpetrator, identification of the relationship
between the child and the alleged perpetrator. Information identifying
a child victim of sexual assault may be released to law enforcement,
prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, or private or governmental
agencies that provide services to the child victim of sexual assault."
2SHB 1651 -
By Committee on Human Services & Corrections
NOT ADOPTED 03/07/2014
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "records;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "and amending RCW 13.50.010 and 13.50.050."
EFFECT: (1) Provisions designating juvenile records as
confidential are removed;
(2) At the disposition hearing of a juvenile offender, the court
must schedule an administrative sealing hearing to occur no later than
30 days after the juvenile has completed probation or confinement and
parole unless the juvenile was adjudicated of certain serious crimes;
(3) The court must enter a written order sealing the juvenile court
record unless any person objects or the court identifies some other
compelling reason, in which case the court must weigh competing
interests;
(4) The court must immediately seal a juvenile court file when a
juvenile completes the requirements of a diversion agreement, upon
acquittal or dismissal of charges; or if the prosecutor does not file
charges within 72 hours of being taken into custody;
(5) Any adjudication of a juvenile offense or crime subsequent to
the sealing order will nullify the order; however, the court may reseal
the file upon conclusion of the subsequent matter if the case meets the
sealing criteria and the case has not previously been resealed;
(6) Allows the Caseload Forecast Council to share information with
AOC and other agencies to assist them in gathering data for research
purposes so long as the anonymity of persons named in the records is
preserved.