RCW 9A.40.020

Kidnapping in the first degree.

Known as the Washington Criminal Code

The act spans §§ 9–9 (401 sections).

Applied in 113 court decisions — leading case Blakely v. Washington (2004)

Most recently applied in State Of Washington v. Jennifer A. Richards (November 2023)

2011 c 336 s 364; 1975 1st ex.s. c 260 s 9A.40.020.

How often courts cite this section

citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(1) A person is guilty of kidnapping in the first degree if he or she intentionally abducts another person with intent:

(a) To hold him or her for ransom or reward, or as a shield or hostage; or

(b) To facilitate commission of any felony or flight thereafter; or

(d) To inflict extreme mental distress on him, her, or a third person; or

(e) To interfere with the performance of any governmental function.

(2) Kidnapping in the first degree is a class A felony.

Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.