A bill in the Washington State House of Representatives proposes to revise sentencing laws for certain offenses, including those involving minors in gang activity. The bill would eliminate sentencing enhancements for specific drug-related crimes and remove the enhancement for involving a minor in a gang-related felony. Additionally, the bill aims to allow for concurrent sentencing for enhancements, potentially reducing jail time for some offenders.
A committee in the Washington State House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a meeting Thursday on a bill that would revise sentencing laws for some offenses, including for using children in the commission of a gang-related felony. The Community Safety Committee will have an executive session on House Bill 1178, which changes provisions of existing law on sentencing.
The bill would specifically remove sentencing enhancements for certain drug-related violations and for 'involving a minor in a criminal street gang-related felony.' House Bill 1178 would also give courts the ability to have convicts serve time for sentence enhancements concurrently rather than consecutively, which could result in shorter jail time for some offenders. This change would specifically apply to firearms and deadly weapons enhancements, which must be served consecutively under current law. The bill would also allow for those serving time under sentence enhancements to be eligible for partial confinement and earned release time. The provision would apply to those serving time for enhancements pertaining to firearm and deadly weapons violations, impaired driving and 'sexual motivation.' Four Democratic state representatives — Reps. Goodman, Hackney, Simmons and Peterson — introduced the bill earlier this month. If passed, the bill would take effect 90 days after the end of the current legislative session
SENTENCING REFORM WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE HOUSE BILL 1178 GANG-RELATED CRIMES DRUG VIOLATIONS
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