BILL REQ. #:  H-1325.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/11/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to sentences involving aggravating circumstances; amending RCW 9.94A.537 and 9.94A.535; and prescribing penalties.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 9.94A.537 and 2007 c 205 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) At any time prior to trial or entry of the guilty plea if substantial rights of the defendant are not prejudiced, the state may give notice that it is seeking a sentence above the standard sentencing range. The notice shall state aggravating circumstances upon which the requested sentence will be based.
     (2) In any case where an exceptional sentence above the standard range was imposed and where a new sentencing hearing is required, the superior court may impanel a jury to consider any alleged aggravating circumstances listed in RCW 9.94A.535(3), that were relied upon by the superior court in imposing the previous sentence, at the new sentencing hearing.
     (3) The facts supporting aggravating circumstances shall be proved to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury's verdict on the aggravating factor must be unanimous, and by special interrogatory. If a jury is waived, proof shall be to the court beyond a reasonable doubt, unless the defendant stipulates to the aggravating facts.
     (4) Evidence regarding any facts supporting aggravating circumstances under RCW 9.94A.535(3) (((a) through (y))) shall be presented to the jury during the trial of the alleged crime, unless the jury has been impaneled solely for resentencing, or unless the state alleges the aggravating circumstances listed in RCW 9.94A.535(3) (e)(iv), (h)(i), (o), or (t). If one of these aggravating circumstances is alleged, the trial court may conduct a separate proceeding if the evidence supporting the aggravating fact is not part of the res geste of the charged crime, if the evidence is not otherwise admissible in trial of the charged crime, and if the court finds that the probative value of the evidence to the aggravated fact is substantially outweighed by its prejudicial effect on the jury's ability to determine guilt or innocence for the underlying crime.
     (5) If the superior court conducts a separate proceeding to determine the existence of aggravating circumstances listed in RCW 9.94A.535(3) (e)(iv), (h)(i), (o), or (t), the proceeding shall immediately follow the trial on the underlying conviction, if possible. If any person who served on the jury is unable to continue, the court shall substitute an alternate juror.
     (6) If the jury finds, unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt, one or more of the facts alleged by the state in support of an aggravated sentence, the court may sentence the offender pursuant to RCW 9.94A.535 to a term of confinement up to the maximum allowed under RCW 9A.20.021 for the underlying conviction if it finds, considering the purposes of this chapter, that the facts found are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence.

Sec. 2   RCW 9.94A.535 and 2011 c 87 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The court may impose a sentence outside the standard sentence range for an offense if it finds, considering the purpose of this chapter, that there are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence. Facts supporting aggravated sentences, other than the fact of a prior conviction, shall be determined pursuant to the provisions of RCW 9.94A.537.
     Whenever a sentence outside the standard sentence range is imposed, the court shall set forth the reasons for its decision in written findings of fact and conclusions of law. A sentence outside the standard sentence range shall be a determinate sentence.
     If the sentencing court finds that an exceptional sentence outside the standard sentence range should be imposed, the sentence is subject to review only as provided for in RCW 9.94A.585(4).
     A departure from the standards in RCW 9.94A.589 (1) and (2) governing whether sentences are to be served consecutively or concurrently is an exceptional sentence subject to the limitations in this section, and may be appealed by the offender or the state as set forth in RCW 9.94A.585 (2) through (6).
     (1) Mitigating Circumstances - Court to Consider
     The court may impose an exceptional sentence below the standard range if it finds that mitigating circumstances are established by a preponderance of the evidence. The following are illustrative only and are not intended to be exclusive reasons for exceptional sentences.
     (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 or her conduct, or to conform his or her 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.589 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.
     (i) The defendant was making a good faith effort to obtain or provide medical assistance for someone who is experiencing a drug-related overdose.
     (j) The current offense involved domestic violence, as defined in RCW 10.99.020, and the defendant suffered a continuing pattern of coercion, control, or abuse by the victim of the offense and the offense is a response to that coercion, control, or abuse.
     (2) Aggravating Circumstances - Considered and Imposed by the Court
     The trial court may impose an aggravated exceptional sentence without a finding of fact by a jury under the following circumstances:
     (a) The defendant and the state both stipulate that justice is best served by the imposition of an exceptional sentence outside the standard range, and the court finds the exceptional sentence to be consistent with and in furtherance of the interests of justice and the purposes of the sentencing reform act.
     (b) The ((defendant's)) defendant has three or more prior unscored misdemeanor or prior unscored foreign criminal ((history 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)) convictions for acts similar to the current offense.
     (c) The defendant has committed multiple current offenses and the defendant's high offender score results in some of the current offenses going unpunished.
     (d) The ((failure to consider the defendant's)) defendant has three or more prior criminal ((history which was)) convictions that were omitted from the offender score calculation pursuant to RCW 9.94A.525 ((results in a presumptive sentence that is clearly too lenient)).
     (3) Aggravating Circumstances - Considered by a Jury - Imposed by the Court
     Except for circumstances listed in subsection (2) of this section, the following circumstances are an exclusive list of factors that can support a sentence above the standard range. Such facts should be determined by procedures specified in RCW 9.94A.537.
     (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.
     (c) The current offense was a violent offense, and the defendant knew that the victim of the current offense was pregnant.
     (d) 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; or
     (iv) The defendant used his or her position of trust, confidence, or fiduciary responsibility to facilitate the commission of the current offense.
     (e) 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;
     (ii) The current offense involved an attempted or actual sale or transfer of controlled substances in quantities substantially larger than for personal use;
     (iii) The current offense involved the manufacture of controlled substances for use by other parties;
     (iv) The circumstances of the current offense reveal the offender to have occupied a high position in the drug distribution hierarchy;
     (v) The current offense involved a high degree of sophistication or planning, 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).
     (f) The current offense included a finding of sexual motivation pursuant to RCW 9.94A.835.
     (g) 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.
     (h) The current offense involved domestic violence, as defined in RCW 10.99.020, and one or more of the following was present:
     (i) The offense was part of an ongoing pattern of psychological, physical, or sexual abuse of a victim or multiple victims manifested by multiple incidents over a prolonged period of time;
     (ii) The offense occurred within sight or sound of the victim's or the offender's minor children under the age of eighteen years; or
     (iii) The offender's conduct during the commission of the current offense manifested deliberate cruelty or intimidation of the victim.
     (i) The offense resulted in the pregnancy of a child victim of rape.
     (j) The defendant knew that the victim of the current offense was a youth who was not residing with a legal custodian and the defendant established or promoted the relationship for the primary purpose of victimization.
     (k) The offense was committed with the intent to obstruct or impair human or animal health care or agricultural or forestry research or commercial production.
     (l) The current offense is trafficking in the first degree or trafficking in the second degree and any victim was a minor at the time of the offense.
     (m) The offense involved a high degree of sophistication or planning.
     (n) The defendant used his or her position of trust, confidence, or fiduciary responsibility to facilitate the commission of the current offense.
     (o) The defendant committed a current sex offense, has a history of sex offenses, and is not amenable to treatment.
     (p) The offense involved an invasion of the victim's privacy.
     (q) The defendant demonstrated or displayed an egregious lack of remorse.
     (r) The offense involved a destructive and foreseeable impact on persons other than the victim.
     (s) The defendant committed the offense to obtain or maintain his or her membership or to advance his or her position in the hierarchy of an organization, association, or identifiable group.
     (t) The defendant committed the current offense shortly after being released from incarceration.
     (u) The current offense is a burglary and the victim of the burglary was present in the building or residence when the crime was committed.
     (v) The offense was committed against a law enforcement officer who was performing his or her official duties at the time of the offense, the offender knew that the victim was a law enforcement officer, and the victim's status as a law enforcement officer is not an element of the offense.
     (w) The defendant committed the offense against a victim who was acting as a good samaritan.
     (x) The defendant committed the offense against a public official or officer of the court in retaliation of the public official's performance of his or her duty to the criminal justice system.
     (y) The victim's injuries substantially exceed the level of bodily harm necessary to satisfy the elements of the offense. This aggravator is not an exception to RCW 9.94A.530(2).
     (z)(i)(A) The current offense is theft in the first degree, theft in the second degree, possession of stolen property in the first degree, or possession of stolen property in the second degree; (B) the stolen property involved is metal property; and (C) the property damage to the victim caused in the course of the theft of metal property is more than three times the value of the stolen metal property, or the theft of the metal property creates a public hazard.
     (ii) For purposes of this subsection, "metal property" means commercial metal property, private metal property, or nonferrous metal property, as defined in RCW 19.290.010.
     (aa) The defendant committed the offense with the intent to directly or indirectly cause any benefit, aggrandizement, gain, profit, or other advantage to or for a criminal street gang as defined in RCW 9.94A.030, its reputation, influence, or membership.
     (bb) The current offense involved paying to view, over the internet in violation of RCW 9.68A.075, depictions of a minor engaged in an act of sexually explicit conduct as defined in RCW 9.68A.011(4) (a) through (g).
     (cc) The offense was intentionally committed because the defendant perceived the victim to be homeless, as defined in RCW 9.94A.030.