Inslee signs bill to strengthen prosecution of hate crimes

Beginning in July, hate crimes will be classified as crimes against a person – including assaults that do not end in physical injury.

On April 6, Governor Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5623 into law, which modifies an element of the offense of hate crime. The bill was passed with overwhelming support in the House and Senate earlier this year.

Gov. Jay Inslee signs Engrossed Senate Bill No. 5623, April 6, 2023. Relating to modifying an element of the offense of hate crime and classifying a hate crime as crimes against persons. Primary Sponsor: Manka Dhingra

On Tuesday, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion praised Gov. Inslee and the Washington State Legislature for signing the bill into law – saying these new changes will allow prosecutors to seek accountability for some hate crimes. 

In addition to jail time, ESB 5623 will now give courts the power to impose therapeutic treatment – which is often requested by hate crime victims and survivors. The bill also expands the definition of a hate crime by including assaults that do not result in a physical injury.

RELATED: 'Go back to your country:' Man arrested for hate crime after throwing rocks, using racially-biased comments

Hate Crime Statistics in King County

  • Since 2018, King County prosecutors filed 270 hate crime cases.
  • The most common type of hate crimes target individuals based on race or ethnicity.
  • Anti-Black are the most common type of race-related crimes, with Anti-Asian crimes as the second-most common.
  • There have been at least 23 hate crime cases involving anti-gender or gender expression.

In late 2022, King County Deputy prosecuting Attorney Yessenia Manzo shared a firsthand account to highlight the importance of this bill.

"There was a case where a Mexican woman was in line at a business and was speaking Spanish on the phone," said Manzo. "The defendant in this case became upset because the woman was speaking in Spanish and without provocation approached her, started to yell racial slurs at her, and told her to go back to her country."

"He escalated to the point where he spit in her face and some of the spit landed in her eye. This criminal conduct should absolutely be considered a hate crime, but it is not in the current law," said Manzo.

RELATED: Docs: Man yelled about 'China virus' during racially-motivated assault in Seattle

ESB 5623 will go into effect on July 23, 2023.