Washington statute
RCW 9A.42.050 — Defense of financial inability
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 9A.42: Criminal Mistreatment, Revised Code of Washington.
Full text of RCW 9A.42.050
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.
In any prosecution for criminal mistreatment, it shall be a defense that the withholding of the basic necessities of life is due to financial inability only if the person charged has made a reasonable effort to obtain adequate assistance. This defense is available to a person employed to provide the basic necessities of life only when the agreed-upon payment has not been made.
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