Showing posts with label law and justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label law and justice. Show all posts

King county prosecutor files charges in Ingraham High School shooting case

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Ingraham High School, where a student was shot to death last week

From the King county prosecutor's office

On Monday afternoon, November 14, 2022 the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed multiple charges in the Ingraham High School shooting case.

The 14-year-old alleged shooter is charged with:
  • Murder In The First Degree (Premeditated)
  • Assault In The First Degree (Firearm, Deadly Weapon, Force)
  • Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree (Under 18)
The 15-year-old respondent is charged with:
  • Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree (Under 18)
  • Felony Rendering Criminal Assistance in the First Degree (Non-Relative Helping With Class A Felony)
When 16- and 17-year-olds are charged with murder in the first degree, their cases are automatically filed into adult court pursuant to state law. However, when 14- and 15-year-olds are charged with first-degree murder, the case is initially filed into Juvenile Court and the prosecutor may file a motion requesting a judge to transfer the respondent for adult criminal prosecution. 

This motion must be filed at the time charges are filed and before any hearing is held (such as an arraignment, where an initial plea is entered). This process is governed by state law (RCW 13.40.110). A judge’s decision to move a case from Juvenile Court to adult court is based on the eight Kent Factors.

With the filing of charges Monday, King County prosecutors filed a motion requesting transfer of the murder case from Juvenile Court to adult court (Superior Court).

Separately, the 15-year old’s case will remain in Juvenile Court. It is not possible to move that case to adult court under state law.

A judge will ultimately determine if the 14-year-old’s murder case should be moved to adult court following a hearing. (This is called a Decline Hearing — meaning to decline juvenile jurisdiction for adult court jurisdiction. It does not mean the case is being dismissed.)

The judge’s decision on the appropriate court’s jurisdiction will come later.

If the case were to remain in Juvenile Court, a 14-year-old convicted of murder could remain in Juvenile Rehabilitation custody until his 21st birthday — even in a premeditated First Degree Murder case. That is state law.

In cases where a judge declines Juvenile Court jurisdiction in favor of adult court, that teen is not held in prison with adult populations. If pre-trial detention is ordered, the teen would remain housed at the Child and Family Justice Center. 

In cases where a respondent is sentenced in adult court for a murder committed at age 14, a judge would have full discretion to impose any sentence that the judge deemed to be appropriate; including a sentence of credit for time served. The sentencing judge would not be bound by the standard ranges set by state lawmakers for adults sentenced for a similar offense.

In any event, any confinement ordered at sentencing following a conviction would be served at Juvenile Rehabilitation until the teen is 25 years old, if the judge’s sentence extended to that age.

Neither the 14-year-old respondent nor the 15-year-old respondent had court hearings Monday. Both remain in custody at the Child and Family Justice Center.

The next hearing for both is Tuesday November 15 at the Child and Family Justice Center in Seattle.



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Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Youth Court kicks off

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Judge Jennifer Grant and members of the Youth Court
Photo courtesy City of Lake Forest Park

On October 6, 2022, Lake Forest Park Municipal Court Judge Jennifer Grant welcomed the 2022-2023 Youth Court leadership team.

Shorecrest High School (SHS) students are prepared by SHS staff advisor Bo Jordan to serve as the judge and jury. 

Following the presentation of evidence, Youth Court members deliberate to fashion a constructive sanction. For instance, they may order the Youth Court participant to perform community service hours, write an essay or letter of apology, or attend Defensive Driving School. 

A participant who successfully completes the Youth Court conditions and maintains a clean driving record for a six-month period will be rewarded with a dismissal of their infraction.

Youth Court is a voluntary program available to most 16- or 17-year-old drivers cited with a traffic infraction in Shoreline or Lake Forest Park. 

Lake Forest Park Municipal Court is proud to partner with Shoreline District Court and Shorecrest High School to offer this program. 

For more information about Youth Court, eligibility requirements, or to make a referral, please visit the Youth Court page on the City’s website.


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County Executive: Progress in improving conditions for both people in custody and for staff

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Photo courtesy King County
Two months after Executive Constantine appointed a Special Deputy to provide additional support in implementing critical actions at King County’s correctional facilities, the County has made great progress in improving conditions for people in custody and staff.

Most immediately, actions include a set of in-person activities that are returning for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to better connect people in custody with support services and their loved ones. Other changes implemented thus far are designed to improve safety.

Newly approved labor agreements, meanwhile, seek to honor the vital work performed by corrections officers and juvenile detention officers under difficult conditions.

“Thanks to the urgent, concerted action of Jail leadership and employees, we have successfully advanced multiple critical improvements at our correctional facilities,” said Executive Constantine. 
“King County is committed to improving the living conditions of those in custody and increasing support for our workforce as we recover from the challenges of the pandemic.”


--From the office of Dow Constantine


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Shoreline District Court Judge Joe Campagna appointed to King County Superior Court

Friday, October 14, 2022

Joe Campagna appointed to
King County Superior Court 
Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Shoreline District Court judge Joe Campagna to the King County Superior Court. Campagna replaces Judge Julia Garratt. who retired on June 30, 2022.

Campagna has been a King County District Court Judge at the county’s Shoreline Division since January 2019. 

During his tenure, Campagna developed the Shoreline Community Court and Resource Center, which provides therapeutic services to people involved in the criminal justice system. 

From 2007 to 2018, Campagna worked as a litigator at Schroeter Goldmark and Bender, where he handled criminal defense and complex civil litigation matters.

Campagna is active in the community. He is a member of the Shoreline Rotary Club and has volunteered for work parties at Echo Lake Park.

Before he became a district court judge, he regularly volunteered as a pro bono attorney with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Clemency Project, Washington Appleseed, Seattle Clemency Project, and El Centro de La Raza.

“Judge Campagna is committed to serving his community,” said Inslee. “He is a relentless worker and passionate about service to others. He will be a wonderful additions to the King County Superior Court.”

Campagna earned his bachelor’s degree from Houghton College and his law degree from Vermont Law School.



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U.S. Attorney Nick Brown names both Civil and Criminal Division attorneys to focus on Environmental Justice

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown has named two veteran Assistant United States Attorneys to lead the Western District of Washington Environmental Justice Initiative. 

Criminal AUSA Seth Wilkinson and Civil AUSA Kayla Stahman will lead the district efforts on environmental prosecutions and civil enforcement.

“Both these attorneys have deep experience not only with investigating and prosecuting environmental crimes, but with the Affirmative Civil Enforcement the Justice Department uses to hold companies accountable for their conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. 
“As we look at issues surrounding Environmental Justice in disadvantaged communities, it will take all our tools, civil and criminal, to make positive change and protect our fragile Northwest environment.”

For example, AUSA Wilkinson previously prosecuted the CEOs of Total Reclaim, the Northwest’s largest electronics recycler, for secretly exporting mercury-laden electronics to Hong Kong, potentially exposing local workers and residents to toxic material. 

AUSA Wilkinson is currently prosecuting the owners of a Washington company for removing federally-required emissions control devices from diesel vehicles in violation of the Clean Air Act.

AUSA Stahman has handled a variety of affirmative civil litigation from protecting the elderly from financial scams to holding medical labs accountable for overbilling government programs and accepting kickbacks.

AUSAs Wilkinson and Stahman recently coordinated the civil and criminal prosecution related to steel that did not meet military requirements being sold to the Navy. Coordinating the civil settlement as well as the criminal case required the close coordination that will now be brought to the environmental justice work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The district’s Environmental Justice Coordinators will lead efforts to enforce environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws. 

An intentional decision to violate these laws may be a federal crime. For example, intentionally discharging pollutants into a river without a permit, or bypassing a required pollution control device, is a criminal act that carries the possibility of incarceration and monetary fines.

The district’s Environmental Justice Coordinators also will lead efforts to remedy environmental violations and contaminations by pursuing actions under the civil rights laws, worker safety and consumer protection statutes, and the False Claims Act. 

For example, a federal contractor who violates a contractual provision mandating the proper disposal of hazardous waste may be subject to liability under the False Claims Act; a landlord who leases a home without disclosing known information about lead-based paint may violate federal lead disclosure rules.

Other examples of civil or criminal environmental misconduct include:
  • Air emissions of toxic pollutants resulting from inadequate or nonexistent pollution control
  • Illegal asbestos removals that expose and create health risks for workers and the public
  • Illegal discharges into waters or sewer systems that threaten public safety and cause damage to our water infrastructure
  • Illegal handling, transportation, and disposal of hazardous wastes and pesticides
  • Oil spills or other incidents that compromise the fishing rights or practices of indigenous or disadvantaged communities
  • False statements to the EPA or other regulatory agencies that threaten the integrity of environmental protection programs
More information about the environmental justice initiative is on the Department of Justice website



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President Biden announces pardons for simple marijuana possession

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Gov. Jay Inslee signs the first set of pardons for misdemeanor
marijuana possession convictions under his Marijuana Justice
Initiative on Jan. 9, 2019.
President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he would pardon all prior federal offenses for simple possession of marijuana. 

The measure aligns with policies and actions already underway by Gov. Jay Inslee, legislators, and courts in Washington state.


“Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives – for conduct that is legal in many states. 

"That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction,” said Biden. 

“Today, we begin to right these wrongs.”

In Washington state, it has not been considered criminal behavior for adults to possess a small amount of marijuana for personal use since voters approved Initiative 502 in 2012

Inslee launched the Marijuana Justice Initiative in 2019 that allows people with prior convictions for misdemeanor marijuana possession to apply for a pardon. Later that year, the Legislature would pass SB 5605, which allowed multiple charges to be vacated and allowed a broader jurisdictional variety of convictions to be vacated. 

The governor has also commuted the sentences of 740 people on probation or under community supervision under older, now-invalid state drug possession law that was overturned by the Washington State Supreme Court’s so-called Blake decision.

“We still have an injustice that thousands of people have a criminal conviction on their records for something that is legal today,” said Inslee in 2019 as he announced his Marijuana Justice Initiative. 
“This is impairing their ability to reach their dreams, live their lives, and raise their children… A simple possession conviction 20 years ago should not be a life sentence.”

Inslee’s Marijuana Justice Initiative continues. People convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession may still file for their charges to be vacated on the governor’s website.



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Who's in your wallet? Seattle tech worker sentenced after stealing information from 100 million people

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

U.S. Attorney Nick Brown is disappointed
with the sentencing of the Seattle hacker
From the Department of Justice Western District of Washington

Seattle – A 37-year-old former Seattle tech worker was sentenced October 4, 2022 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to time served and 5 years of probation including location and computer monitoring for seven federal crimes connected to her scheme to hack into cloud computer data storage accounts and steal data and computer power for her own benefit, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. 

Paige A. Thompson a/k/a ‘erratic,’ was arrested in July 2019, after Capital One alerted the FBI to Thompson’s hacking activity. A federal jury found her guilty in June 2022, following a seven-day trial. 

At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said, time in prison would be particularly difficult for Ms. Thompson because of her mental health and transgender status.

“While we understand the mitigating factors, we are very disappointed with the court’s sentencing decision. This is not what justice looks like,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. 
“Ms. Thompson’s hacking and theft of information of 100 million people did more than $250 million in damage to companies and individuals. Her cybercrimes created anxiety for millions of people who are justifiably concerned about their private information. This conduct deserves a more significant sanction.”

Thompson was found guilty of wire fraud, five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer and damaging a protected computer.

Using Thompson’s own words in texts and online chats, prosecutors showed how Thompson used a tool she built to scan Amazon Web Services accounts to look for misconfigured accounts. She then used those misconfigured accounts to hack in and download the data of more than 30 entities, including Capital One bank. 

With some of her illegal access, she planted cryptocurrency mining software on new servers with the income from the mining going to her online wallet. Thompson spent hundreds of hours advancing her scheme, and bragged about her illegal conduct to others via text or online forums.

Asking the court to impose a seven-year sentence, prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo, “…Thompson’s crimes … were fully intentional and grounded in spite, revenge, and willful disregard for the law. She exhibited a smug sense of superiority and outright glee while committing these crimes…. Thompson was motivated to make money at other people’s expense, to prove she was smarter than the people she hacked, and to earn bragging rights in the hacking community.”

“I am proud of how quickly our cyber task force worked together to recover the victims’ personal information and prevent further harm,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. 
“This case is a good example of why companies and individuals who believe their data has been stolen online should immediately contact the FBI.”

Judge Lasnik scheduled a December 1, 2022, hearing to determine the amount of restitution Thompson must pay to her victims.

The case was investigated by the FBI Seattle Cyber Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Friedman, Jessica Manca and Tania Culbertson.



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$1.2 Million to be returned to Romanian Government, the victim of an international tax fraud and money laundering scheme

Sunday, September 4, 2022

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced recently that more than $1.2 million in forfeited funds from an international tax fraud and money laundering case will be returned to the government of Romania. 

The funds are the proceeds of the sale of property located in the State of Washington that were owned by a Romanian couple who were extradited back to Romania at the request of the Romanian government.

According to records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, in 2012, Romanian authorities asked the United States to extradite Radu and Diana Nemes to Romania to face charges of tax evasion and participating in an organized criminal group. 

The charges alleged that the Nemeses executed a scheme to avoid Romanian taxes on imported diesel fuel by claiming the fuel was a lower grade of industrial and maritime fuel. The untaxed income from the sale of the higher value diesel was laundered through a number of bank accounts and shell companies controlled by the Nemeses.

Arrest warrants for the couple were issued in Romania in July 2012. Sometime before those warrants, the Nemeses had left Romania and resided near Yelm, Washington, on a large piece of property with an elaborate bunker system. Following their arrest in the United States, the couple waived extradition and agreed to be returned to Romania in early 2014.

The couple’s assets in the United States were forfeited, including Yelm properties which were sold as part of the forfeiture process. The proceeds of that sale, $1,225,465, are being returned through a petition for remission to the government of Romania as a recovery on the tax fraud. The overall tax fraud scheme resulted in a $58.677 million loss to the Romanian government.

The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jehiel Baer of the Western District of Washington, in cooperation with the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).



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Kent man, leader of violent international drug ring, pleads guilty to Federal charges

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Seattle – One of the leaders of a violent international drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in the Puget Sound region pleaded guilty Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Seattle. 

Jose Elias Barbosa, 37, of Kent, Washington, faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on December 13, 2022.

In his plea agreement, Barbosa admits he was one of the leaders of a transnational drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement has linked the organization to the CJNG cartel in Mexico. 

In November 2019, the DTO received a shipment of liquid methamphetamine concealed in candles. Barbosa helped DTO members to extract the methamphetamine and cook it into crystal form at a Port Orchard, Washington location. 

Barbosa was responsible for the distribution of at least 55 pounds of methamphetamine, 600 grams of heroin, and fentanyl throughout Western Washington and elsewhere.


Barbosa also pursued those who owed drug debts to the organization and possessed firearms during the drug conspiracy. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).



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Statement from FBI Director Christopher Wray

Friday, August 12, 2022

Christopher Wray, FBI Director
"Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others. 

"Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans. 

"Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. 

"I am proud to serve alongside them."



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Around town: roof replacement for courthouse

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Photo by Steven H. Robinson
The roof is being replaced on the Robert A. Wacker Memorial Building at 18050 Meridian Ave N in Shoreline. The building, which is adjacent to Cromwell Park, houses the Shoreline District Court.

Shoreline resident Wacker, who died in April 2003, was one of the longest-seated judges in King County and served as presiding judge of the county's district court in 1976 and 1977.



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U.S. Supreme Court releases two decisions related to public education

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Chris Reykdal, Supt of Public Instruction
U.S. Supreme Court released two decisions related to public education

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Carson v. Makin that the state of Maine violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment when it refused to make public funding available for students to attend private schools that provide religious instruction. 

Today, the Court ruled in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that public school employees may engage in voluntary prayer during school activities so long as they do not require or coerce students to participate.

Carson v. Makin

This case challenged the constitutionality of a school voucher program in Maine that pays the tuition for some students to attend private schools when their own school district – often in rural areas – does not operate a public high school. In its ruling, the Court decided that if Maine provides publicly-funded tuition vouchers for students to attend private nonsectarian schools, they must also provide the same vouchers for students to attend private sectarian schools that provide religious instruction.

This ruling will not impact Washington state in any way. Each and every young person in our state has the opportunity to attend our public schools for their K–12 education.

Washington has a long and proud history of supporting and strengthening our public schools, and our students, educators, communities, and our economy continue to benefit from those investments. Our public schools are governed by school board directors who are elected locally, and they are accountable to the public.

“Washington does not have a K–12 voucher program, and this ruling will not impact our state’s long-held value of keeping public taxpayer money focused on public institutions,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. 
“I will not support voucher programs or other privatization efforts in Washington state. They have proven to be discriminatory, segregating in nature, and inconsistent with the laws of the State of Washington.”

Kennedy v. Bremerton School District

This case challenged a directive by the Bremerton School District that suspended a high school football coach for conducting prayers on the football field after high school football games. In its ruling, the Court affirmed that public school employees have a legal right to engage in individual prayer during school activities so long as it is not part of the employee’s official responsibilities and there is not an explicit or implied expectation that students or other staff join the prayer.

It remains illegal and unethical for public school employees to coerce, pressure, persuade, or force students, players, staff, or other participants to engage in any religious practice as a condition of playing, employment, belonging, or participation. 

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and local school districts will continue to investigate complaints of any public school official who attempts to use their positional authority or taxpayer resources to compel anybody associated with the school, including students, to participate in religious expression of any form.

“Individuals have always held express rights to exercise their own faith within reasonable limits in public spaces,” Reykdal said. “ 
This ruling affirms that right, but it also retains the long-held understanding that church and state (public entities) are separate. Schools will not embrace a particular faith or compel any individual to participate or recognize any faith or religious practice.”

“Washington state’s long history of civil rights and religious freedom will not be altered by this ruling,” Reykdal continued. “Students and staff will remain free of any sanctioned religious beliefs or practices in the course of their public education.”

--OSPI



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Rally against mass shootings - Sunday in Lake Forest Park

Thursday, June 9, 2022

In honor of the students and teachers who lost their  lives on May 24, 2022, please join the LFP / Shoreline community on Sunday, June 12 for a peaceful rally against school mass shootings.

Gather at Brookside Elementary, 17447 37th Ave NE at 9:45am to walk to Lake Forest Park Elementary, 18500 37th Ave NE at 10am. 

We cannot continue to allow shootings to traumatize Americans and lose innocent lives. We must act, unify, and change the status quo. None of us have been the same since the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings. These can be prevented by reasonable gun laws and we demand action. 


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Third Place Books raised over $10,000 for Transgender Law Center

Friday, April 8, 2022

Photo courtesy Third Place Books

The Transgender Law Center (TLC) changes law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression. TLC is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures.

In light of the unprecedented wave of state legislation targeting LGTBQ+ Americans across the United States, Third Place Books decided to donate 20% of all sales on Saturday, April 2, 2022 to the Transgender Law Center.

Customers responded and on April 7, Third Place Books wrote a check for $10,300 to the TLC.

This past Saturday, ALL OF YOU helped raise a little over 10,000 for the Transgender Law Center.  
THANK YOU to all our amazing customers for coming in and ordering online. 
We seriously could not have done this without you. 
Let's keep loving and protecting each other. 💗


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Ducks in a Row: Virtual session on Estate Planning

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Ducks in a Row: Estate Planning

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 from 5-6pm, virtual session
Sponsored by People's Memorial

Many people think estate planning is only for the wealthy. Regardless of what we own, we all need an estate plan to determine who will pay bills, what will be done with personal belongings and who will be the heirs. 

Tiffany Gorton from KHBB Law lends us her expertise in this introduction to estate planning.

Please register (this presenter requires a Zoom account). You will be emailed a link no later than one hour before the program start time. If you do not see an email, check your Junk or Spam folder.

Register here



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Inquests into deaths caused by law enforcement to resume in King County

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Dow Constantine, King County Executive
After a delay of more than four years from lawsuits that led to an eventual Washington Supreme Court decision and new executive order by Executive Dow Constantine, inquests into deaths caused by law enforcement officers will resume this week in King County.

In 2018, Executive Dow Constantine paused inquests to address concerns of fairness and transparency and pushed forward with a new process built on stakeholder and community input. 

When local jurisdictions challenged the new process in court, the new program was delayed until the Washington Supreme Court reaffirmed the Executive’s order in July 2021. 

With the legal challenges concluded, King County is now set to resume the inquests to provide clarity, accountability, and closure to the public and to the families of those killed by law enforcement.

"The road has been long, but I am thankful we can begin conducting inquests and providing the public with answers,” said Executive Constantine. 
“The pandemic and legal challenges aside, building a process that the public can have faith in has been a difficult but necessary task, and I hope it can provide closure in these difficult and heartbreaking cases.”

Currently, there are 7 inquests called. Two inquests are expected to move forward in the next several months. Others will soon follow. Dozens of cases are still under review by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for referral to the Executive for inquest proceedings to be ordered.

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Executive Constantine outlines new community-led Metro safety proposal to King County Council

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Guided by Executive Constantine’s declaration that racism is a public health crisis in 2020, King County Metro launched the Safety, Security, and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform Initiative with two goals in mind: 
  1. to create a new vision for Metro’s safety and security functions, 
  2. to eliminate disproportionately negative outcomes of safety and security policies and practices on customers and employees, especially for Black, Indigenous, and other people of Color (BIPOC).
The initial SaFE Reform report was transmitted to the King County Council last week.

Metro worked with diverse community-based organizations and engaged with roughly 8,000 individuals—including community members, customers, and Metro and Metro Transit Police employees—throughout a year-long, four-phase engagement process. 

Together, these stakeholders developed a vision statement of a, “safe, accessible, and equitable transit that is co-created to support community well-being,” supported by several concepts outlined in the SaFE Report transmitted to the Council.

Community members identified three consistent themes
  • First, community members expressed a clear desire for an increased presence, a timely and appropriate response if a danger arises, and that support shows up in an equitable way. 
  • Second, Metro should make the expectations of its Code of Conduct clear and should ensure that small transgressions are not a pathway into the criminal legal system. 
  • And third, Metro should partner with community-based organizations to improve non-transit resources available to customers, and assist customers in crises related to fares, homelessness, mental health, etc., at various locations throughout the transit system.

The proposed initial concepts outlined in the report reflect the robust SaFE Reform Initiative work that is still underway with community. Each of the proposed initial concepts requires additional engagement with BIPOC community members, community-based organizations, bus riders, and employees to identify specific costs, features, functions, and timelines. Metro will continue working with both internal and external stakeholders to do this work in the weeks and months ahead.

Near-term actions to address safety on buses

Since last summer, in response to increased concerns onboard coaches, Metro increased security personnel, specifically focusing on routes with higher reports of incidents. Metro is in the process of hiring more than 50 additional Transit Security Officers to provide 24/7 visibility and support across a broader range of routes. Metro continues to monitor and adjust security deployment to support the ongoing safety of both operators and riders.

However, some inappropriate behaviors are taking place that can impact the health and safety of employees and other transit users. 

In the coming weeks, Metro is also utilizing community feedback from the SaFE Reform Initiative to implement near-term updates to policies and practices related to inappropriate conduct and misuse of the transit system. Metro is working with Metro Transit Police and service providers to implement new policies to address drinking, illegal drug use, and smoking on transit.

Additionally, Metro is developing a pilot program in response to a small number of instances of customers who do not deboard when their bus has completed its route and is set to return to base. Metro’s approach to these riders continues to be guided by compassion and aims to connect those in need of behavioral, housing, and social support with those opportunities.

In cases where individuals have rejected those resources and services, and continue to affect Metro’s ability to provide on-time transit service or the safety of our operators, Metro Transit Police will assist in removing these individuals from the bus. Metro will monitor the pilot and, in coordination with employees and community partners as part of the SaFE Reform effort, determine refinements and future steps.

While the SaFE Reform report acknowledges the limited ability of transit to affect broader societal upstream problems, the proposed initial concepts in the document are crafted to contribute to the well-being of Metro customers and employees. 

King County and Metro continue to develop these policy improvements with community members, employees, labor partners, and other King County departments to increase safety today, and to engage with transit riders to shape the policies of the future. 

Together, Metro will continue to advance the Executive’s True North vision of making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.


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U.S. Dept. of Education to forgive $71.7 Million in loans for students deceived by DeVry University

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Example of deception ad from DeVry
Courtesy Carlson Law Firm
The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that its years-long investigation into DeVry University continues to benefit consumers, as the U.S. Department of Education will forgive $71.7 million in federal student loans for students deceived by the for-profit university, based in part on the FTC’s prior action.

“Students deceived by DeVry should not be drowning in debt, and I’m pleased to see the Department of Education taking action to right this injustice,” said Samuel Levine, Director of FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. 
“It also sends a strong message to for-profit schools that luring students with fraudulent claims will not be tolerated. The FTC looks forward to continuing its coordination efforts and partnership with the Department of Education.”

According to the 2016 FTC complaint, DeVry deceptively advertised that 90 percent of its graduates seeking employment landed jobs in their field within six months of graduation. The FTC also alleged that DeVry misrepresented that its graduates had 15 percent higher incomes one year after graduation on average than the graduates of all other colleges or universities.

The announcement by the U.S. Department of Education builds on the FTC’s prior federal court order against DeVry. Under that order, the school paid $49.4 million to the FTC for partial refunds to some students and $50.6 million in relief from debt owed to DeVry. 

In 2017, the agency mailed 173,000 refund checks totaling more than $49 million to students in compensation for DeVry’s allegedly misleading ads. Because money remained in the fund, in 2019, the FTC mailed an additional 128,875 checks totaling more than $9.4 million to people who cashed their first check.

Consumers interested in submitting a claim for loan forgiveness, should visit the Department of Education’s Borrow Defense Loan Discharge informational page.



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Stoel Rives announces promotion of Maren Norton to managing partner of Seattle office

Thursday, February 3, 2022


Stoel Rives LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm, named Maren R. Norton office managing partner of the firm’s Seattle office, effective January 1, 2022. As office managing partner, Norton oversees the day-to-day management of the office, supporting its business activities and recruiting efforts.

“Maren has demonstrated impressive leadership skills and a tangible passion for fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at the firm as well as a commitment to the Seattle community. We look forward to her leadership as we navigate the ongoing pandemic and beyond,” said Melissa A. Jones, Stoel Rives’ Firm Managing Partner.

Norton, who first joined Stoel Rives’ Seattle office as a summer associate in 2003, has nearly 20 years of trial and appellate experience representing clients in complex commercial disputes. An experienced litigator and leader, she served as the chair of the firm’s Litigation group from 2020 to 2021, and has been recognized as a litigation leader by Best Lawyers in America®. 

She briefly left the firm for one year to be an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington from 2008 to 2009 before returning. 

A lifelong Shoreline resident, she is very active in the community, previously serving on the Shoreline School Board and as President of the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation. She also currently serves as the Class Agent for the University of Michigan Law School and sits on the Dean’s Advisory Committee.



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New Lake Forest Park Judge Jennifer Johnson Grant

Monday, January 31, 2022

LFP Municipal Judge Jennifer Johnson Grant
In December 2021, longtime Municipal Judge Linda Portnoy retired, and the City of Lake Forest Park hired Jennifer Johnson Grant to serve in the position, effective January 3, 2022.

Judge Grant received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 1992 and her Juris Doctor degree in 1996 from Seattle University School of Law where she was a Diversity Scholar, Chair of the Women’s Law Caucus, and an associate editor of the Law Review.

Judge Grant has extensive experience as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division of the Seattle City Attorney’s office, where she gained experience as a trial attorney, an appellate attorney, and a supervising attorney overseeing the prosecution of cases in Seattle Municipal Court’s specialty courts—Community Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Treatment Court.

Ms. Grant transitioned to private practice in 2013 and was a judicial officer for Lake Forest Park Municipal Court, where she was a judge pro tem for Judge Linda Portnoy.



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