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Mayors and law enforcement back bill to reclassify unlawful firearm possession as violent offense; defenders warn of disproportionate penalties
Summary
House Bill 1139 would reclassify unlawful possession of a firearm as a violent crime, require jail booking on UPF charges and raise seriousness levels and penalties. Testimony included mayoral and law-enforcement support citing prosecutorial gaps; criminal-defense groups warned mandatory arrest and increased multipliers would be disproportionate,
House Bill 1139 drew competing testimony over whether unlawful possession of a firearm (UPF) should be reclassified as a violent offense, whether police should be required to book people on probable cause for UPF, and whether increasing sentencing multipliers and seriousness levels is proportionate.
Brett Gailey, mayor of Lake Stevens and a former law-enforcement officer, framed the bill as a response to violent incidents involving illegally possessed guns: "Unlawful possession of firearms is not treated with the serious seriousness it deserves," he said, describing a Lake Stevens review showing "40 arrests for UPF and only 1 prosecution" between February 2016 and February 2023. Gailey said HB 1139 would (1) reclassify UPF first degree as a violent offense so prosecutors prioritize gun-crime enforcement, (2) mandate jail booking for anyone charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, and (3) enhance sentencing ranges to deter repeat offenders.
Law-enforcement groups spoke in support. Anne Anderson of the Washington State Narcotics Investigators…
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