Case Explained: Proposed WA bill revises ‘Three Strikes Law’ – Legal Perspective

During one of the early committee hearings in Washington’s 2026 short legislative session, a bill was proposed that would remove juvenile offenses from being counted in the “Three Strikes Law.”

Initiative 593, informally known as the “Three Strikes Law,” initially passed in 1994 and required courts to impose life sentences without the possibility of release when a person is convicted of their third violent crime. These violent crimes include murder, rape, sexual assault, and felony assault.

On Tuesday, Senate Bill 5945 was introduced to the Senate, and has the potential to remove violent crimes committed by juveniles from being considered during sentencing if passed.

Victims’ families voice strong opposition to revising ‘Three Strikes Law’

Seattle residents have strongly opposed the bill, including Melanie Roberts, whose 80-year-old grandmother, Ruth Dalton, was murdered in the Madison Park neighborhood in 2024.

“They’re valuing and hand-holding the criminals of this state, and to hell with the victims, to hell with my grandmother, to hell with me,” Roberts told KIRO 7. “They’re condoning criminals, they’re condoning bad behavior, violent behavior. Strikes aren’t just felonies; they are violent felonies against others.”

Dalton’s alleged killer, Jahmed Haynes, would receive a third strike if convicted, though his first violent crime was in 1993 as a juvenile. If SB 5945 passes, Haynes’ first strike would be removed.

“The only thing that has given me any comfort is that my grandmother’s death would be the reason Haynes would spend the rest of his life in prison,” Roberts said.

On the contrary, supporters of the bill have claimed that adolescent brain development is behind the calls for revision.

“In recent years, Washington has made significant strides in updating its criminal legal system to reflect the research we know about brain development and young people’s cognitive capacities,” said Katy Hurley, a special counsel for Criminal Policy and Practice at the King County Public Defender’s office, who testified Tuesday, according to KIRO 7.

Senator Claire Wilson, a Democratic representative for Auburn and South King County, noted that the change in the law has been debated for several years in the state Legislature, and personally believes it’s about “understanding where they are in their own development.”

During testimony, several estimates concluded that if the law were to pass, about 24 incarcerated individuals would be eligible for a case review.

Furthermore, Senate Bill 5945 would not remove any sentences for violent crimes committed as an adult, though it would require resentencing.

Many state organizations representing sheriffs, prosecutors, and police chiefs also testified against the bill, stating that although it intends to address juvenile offenders, it ignores strikes for adult offenders, according to KIRO 7.

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