UPDATE: Deal reached on bail bill

Published 1:33 pm Thursday, March 4, 2010

Updated 1:25 p.m.: Gov. Chris Gregoire made one final pass through the four caucuses today to wrap up an agreement on the wording of a ballot measure amending the state constitution’s rules on bail.

HJR 4220 is on the newest list of bills to be voted on in the Senate. If approved by a two-thirds majority, it could get to the House later today. It is a proposed constitutional amendment and would appear on the November ballot.

These changes, had they been in place last year, may have allowed a judge to keep Maurice Clemmons locked up. Instead he bailed out and is the man suspected of killing four Lakewood police officers.

I’ve been told there are changes to two words from what I posted earlier (and shown below). Gone is the word ‘manifest’ and the word ‘standards’ is replaced with the word ‘limitations.’

Rep. Chris Hurst told me the final product reads much like the version that passed out of the House.

Here’s the original post:

Lawmakers may be closing in on an agreement on how to amend the constitution’s rules on bail.

This morning Senate Democrats are reportedly discussing new language for HJR 4220 to end a dispute with the House on the guidelines for when judges can deny bail.

The key portion of the amendment filed by Sen. Adam Kline reads:

“Bail may be denied for offenses punishable by the possibility of life in prison upon a showing by clear and convincing evidence of a manifest propensity for violence that creates a substantial likelihood of danger to the community or any persons, subject to such standards as shall be determined by the legislature.”

This amendment appears to combine broader language on which types of crimes could lead to a denial of bail sought by the House while sustaining the ‘ball and hitch’ of the Legislature’s involvement in determining bail desired by the Senate.

It comes out two days after Gov. Chris Gregoire met for an hour in her office with lawmakers from both chambers to try to resolve the dispute on wording.

Attending that session were state Sens. Kline, Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood and Mike Hargrove, D-Hoquiam and state Reps. Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw, Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens and Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe.