King County Prosecutor: 80+% Increase in charged homicide and firearm cases

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has
86.5% more charged homicide cases in 2023 vs. 2019

From the blog of King County’s elected Prosecutor, Leesa Manion
Published on Medium

In November of 2023, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has 86.5% more charged homicide cases and nearly 83% more charged firearm cases when compared to the same month in 2019.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office team that responds to these cases is called the Most Dangerous Offenders Project, or MDOP.

MDOP Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys are on call 24/7, 365 days a year, and are frequently called on in the middle of the night to respond to homicide scenes, assist detectives with search warrants, etc. 

The Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys who respond to these calls see the case through from start to finish, in what’s known as a vertical prosecution model.

In 2023 (through November 2), MDOP has responded to 144 callouts (potential homicide scenes) and there have been 123 confirmed homicides. In approximately 20 of those 144 callouts, the victim survived or the cause of death was ruled an overdose, suicide, or accident.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has
83% more charged firearm-involved cases in 2023 vs. 2019

Of the confirmed gun violence homicides in 2023, 82% were people of color and 20% were ages 18–24.

MDOP began with 7 Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys, 1 chair, 2 paralegals, and 1 victim advocate, but in response to the increase in homicides in King County since 2019 the team has expanded. Today, there are 13 MDOP Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys, with each attorney handling between 14–25 filed homicide cases.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office’s top priority continues to be addressing people charged with repeat offenses and responding to serious, violent cases. These serious, violent cases are not only at historic levels, but also take significantly more time and resources to prosecute compared to less serious crime types. 

Throughout King County, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is charging felony gun crimes every day, charging repeat property offenses each day, staying in constant communication with law enforcement, working proactively with community groups to prevent tragedies and recidivism, and tracking every reported gunshot with our Crime Strategies Unit and sharing those reports publicly.