Washington statute
RCW 9A.42.035 — Criminal mistreatment in the third degree
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 9A.42: Criminal Mistreatment, Revised Code of Washington.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of RCW 9A.42.035
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official text of the Revised Code of Washington from the Code Reviser's published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Washington.
(1) A person is guilty of the crime of criminal mistreatment in the third degree if the person is the parent of a child, is a person entrusted with the physical custody of a child or other dependent person, is a person who has assumed the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities of life, or is a person employed to provide to the child or dependent person the basic necessities of life and, with criminal negligence, creates an imminent and substantial risk of substantial bodily harm to a child or dependent person by withholding any of the basic necessities of life.
(2) For purposes of this section, "a person who has assumed the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities of life" means a person other than: (a) A government agency that regularly provides assistance or services to dependent persons, including but not limited to the department of social and health services; or (b) a good samaritan as defined in RCW 9A.42.010.
(3) Criminal mistreatment in the third degree is a gross misdemeanor.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is criminal mistreatment in the third degree a felony or a misdemeanor in Washington?
Criminal mistreatment in the third degree is a Gross Misdemeanor in Washington under RCW 9A.42.035.
Which Washington statute covers criminal mistreatment in the third degree?
Criminal mistreatment in the third degree is governed by RCW 9A.42.035 (Criminal mistreatment in the third degree).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.