What is the punishment for residential burglary under WA state criminal code

Asked almost 5 years ago - Tacoma, WA

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Residential Burglary standard sentence

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  1. Pro

    Contributor Level 20

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    Answered July 27, 2008 15:11. Your question as stated can't be answered. WA uses a sentencing grid to determine the punishment for each crime. Residential burglary is a class B felony: depending on your offender score, which takes into account priors, you could be looking at somewhere around 3 years to more than 8. You need to consult a WA criminal lawyer to help you figure this out.

  2. Contributor Level 15

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    Answered July 31, 2008 23:22. Washington state uses a sentencing guideline scheme that takes many factors into account, not just the offense of conviction. The United States Supreme Court has ruled in a series of cases that such schemes provide guidance to the judge but cannot take away the judge's discretion, and that "aggravating factors" in such sentencing schemes can only be used to calculate a higher sentence if the factors were found true a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Beyond that, punishments tend to vary significantly from one county to the next. Only an experienced criminal defense attorney who has reviewed the facts of your case, and your personal background, and is familiar with the sentencing practices of the local courts in the community can make a reasonable assessment of the likely sentence.

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