3) Sex Crimes - Offenses involving illegal sexual conduct. Examples include rape, child molestation and possession of child pornography. These offenses are highly volatile, and simply being investigated can ruin a man or woman's personal and professional reputation.

4) Controlled Substances - Offenses involving the possession, distribution, or sale of illegal drugs. Normally, courts treat simple possession of drugs less seriously than selling or distributing drugs, as the user is seen partially as a victim in need of treatment by many judges whereas a dealer is viewed as part of the problem. There may also be considerable class bias in the punishment of these offenses as "upper class drugs" such as LSD, powder cocaine, and marijuana are punished less severely than "working class" or "inner city drugs" such as methamphetamine and crack cocaine.

5) Violent Crimes - Offenses involving an act of violence against another person. The violence can be verbal or physical.  Washington has a 3 Strikes Law, in which a person convicted of most serious violent offenses will go to jail for the rest of his life without the possiblity of parole.  Felony examples are murder, aggravated assault, manslaughter and aggravated stalking.

6) Domestic Violence Crimes - This sub-category of Violent Crimes deserves to be treated as a separate category.  Domestic Violence (DV) type offenses are a relatively new political and legislative response to the increasing awareness of violent behavior between persons living in the same house.  The victim is not allowed to dismiss the charges once the accused has been arrested and the prosecutor will attempt to prosecute the accused even if the victim - usually the spouse or other domestic partner - refuses to testify and wants the charges dismissed. The punishment for these charges has increased over the years, as public awareness of the problem of domestic violence has increased.

7) Crimes Against Society - Offenses involving some kind of action against a public official, a government institution, or a breach of the public peace. Misdemeanor examples  include public intoxication, and obstruction (giving a false name or driver's license to a police officer). Examples of felonies are Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Bail Jumping (Failing to Appear for a Hearing), Operating a Drug House. 

To use the Sentencing Grid, you must first know the Offender Score for the person whose range you are calculating.  The Offender Score is the total number of prior felony convictions.  Most Juvenile Felony Offenses count as a half point each unless they were sexual or violent in nature.  After you have determined the Offender Score, you must determine the Seriousness Level of the Offense the person is currently charged with.  Once you are armed with the Offender Score and Seriousness Level, you are ready to calculate the Standard Range for the current offense.

The Seriousness Level is the column with the Roman numerals on the left of the Grid.  The Offender Score is the row at the top of the Grid showing the numbers 0-4.  Find the Offender Score for the person you are scoring.  Note that because of space limitations, I have only allowed for scores of up to Four points.  Once you have found the appropriate Offender Score, scan directly below the Score until you come to the row with the appropriate Seriousness Level.  The Standard Range for the current offense is found where the Offender Score Column and Seriousness Level Row intersect.

Example: John has 3 prior adult felony convictions.  He is charged with Burglary 2.  John has an Offender Score of 3, or 3 points.  Looking at the table below, we see that Burglary 2 is a Seriousness Level III offense.  John’s Offender Score of 3 points intersects with Seriousness Level III at a Sentencing Range of 9-12 months.  The number above the range, “11m” is the Presumptive Sentence, or the sentence the Judge is suggested to impose.  Judges, however, can sentence anywhere within the Standard Range, and sometimes, outside of it.