Law And Courts

Government

Patti Cole-Tindall named King County Sheriff

King County has named Patti Cole-Tindall as the new full-time sheriff.

Law & Courts

Measure to decriminalize all drugs rolls out in Washington state

Initiative 1922 would take away penalties for possessing drugs of any kind in Washington

Politics

Why is Seattle dropping 2,000 misdemeanor cases?

Last week Seattle city attorney Ann Davison’s office announced that they would decline to prosecute almost 2,000 misdemeanor charges. The office says this is just a portion of the almost 5,000 case backlog left by Davison’s predecessor, Pete Holmes.

Law & Courts

Bremerton football coach gets his day in Supreme Court

The Bremerton football coach fired for praying on the 50-yard line took his case to the Supreme Court this week. SCOTUSblog editor James Romoser tells us what happened during Monday’s arguments and what’s at stake when the justices issue their ruling this summer.

Business

Seattle's payroll tax is thriving, but faces next legal challenge

Seattle’s new payroll tax survived its first court challenge last June, and the city collected $231m from affected businesses in 2021. The city is forecasting continued growth: $277m in tax proceeds for 2022 and almost $300m next year. Now the lawsuit heads the Washington State Court of Appeals, which is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case Friday.

Law & Courts

In King County’s new inquests, victims’ families see steps forward, police see 'overreach'

Attorneys for victims’ families welcome the changes in King County's new inquest process, while police call the structure unworkable and unfair.

Law & Courts

Inquest jury finds Seattle police officers' deadly force 'justifiable' in Damarius Butts case

Inquest jurors delivered their findings Monday in the 2017 Seattle police shooting of Damarius Butts. All eight jurors called the officers’ use of deadly force in the encounter with Butts “justifiable.”

Inslee signs trio of gun bills, including ban on sale of ‘high-capacity’ gun magazines

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday signed into law three gun-related bills, including one that will prohibit the sale of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Crime

Inslee signs law returning some powers to Washington police; opponents call it a rollback

Last May, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a series of new police accountability laws. This week, he signed another bill that supporters call a "clarification" of those laws. But opponents call it a "rollback."