Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Criminal Justice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Survivors and advocates urge mandatory supervision for stalking convictions in Senate hearing
Summary
Senate Bill 6,249 would require post-release supervision for people convicted of stalking; victims and advocates told the committee supervision could prevent repeat violence and cited cases where lack of supervision preceded homicide and severe reoffending.
Senate Bill 6,249, which would require supervision by the Department of Corrections for all stalking convictions, drew testimony from survivors, victim advocates and a public defender at a Jan. 28 Senate Human Services Committee hearing.
Will Tronson, committee staff, explained the bill’s intent during an initial briefing: stalking can currently be charged as a gross misdemeanor or, in certain circumstances, a class B felony; sentencing often includes probation or community custody but stalking convictions can be screened out of supervision. The bill would make supervision mandatory for stalking convictions.
Senator Nikki Torres, the prime sponsor, said stalking is often tied to abuse and control and argued it should be treated with the same seriousness as other violent crimes that require monitoring after release. “Survivors deserve that protection,” Torres said.
Victim advocates and survivors described personal experiences and urged passage. Christopher Bonnington, a victim advocate, said felony stalking convictions are rare—citing the Washington Caseload Forecast Council’s figure of 34 felony stalking convictions in 2024—but argued supervision is critical because some offenders lack a prior criminal history yet pose lethal danger. Bonnington referenced a March 2023 case in Redmond in which a stalking victim, Zora Sadeghi, was killed by a stalker with no prior record.
Survivors described home break-ins, persistent threats and long-term trauma. Desiree Doane said the bill would help her sleep at night after a stalker broke into her office and threatened violence. Cheyenne Ross, who said a coworker stalked her for two years, described escalating harassment—smashed windows, dead animals left outside, doxxing and explicit threats—and said mandatory supervision could help locate and detain repeat offenders quickly.
A former public defender, Sheila LaRose, described a client’s years-long stalking that led her to relocate and be diagnosed with PTSD and depression, and she urged increased post-conviction supervision.
Committee members asked few technical questions during testimony; staff noted a fiscal note had been requested and not yet received. The hearing closed with testimony in support from victims and advocates; no committee vote was recorded that day.
