Law
Harrell Proposes Rollback of Restrictions on Police Weapons for Crowd Control
The Seattle City Council is preparing to pass new crowd control legislation in January that would largely defer to police over use of "less lethal" weapons. These weapons are still very dangerous and should be tightly regulated, critics contend.
Rory O’Sullivan Launches Progressive Challenge Against Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison
Rory O'Sullivan is a long-time Democratic party leader and legal aid attorney. He's challenging Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, who he sees as ineffective and out of step with Seattle values.
Op-Ed: Protecting Democracy Requires Unbiased Law Enforcement — Not Davison’s Extreme Agenda
Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has used her power to target her opponents and protect her political allies among the rich and powerful. Voters should deny her a second term.
Seattle’s Embattled Police Accountability Director Resigns, Raising Reform Questions
Office of Police Accountability Director Gino Betts resigned amid police union criticism and complaints of harassment and creating a toxic work environment. The turmoil has raised questions about the effectiveness of the city's accountability system and the police reform it was supposed to advance.
King County Grapples with Public Defender Crisis
Public defenders are warning that public defense as we know it is on course to collapse in King County and across the state if officials do not intervene with reforms and more resources.
Op-Ed: Don’t Let Billionaires Buy Washington’s Supreme Court: Vote Mungia
Sal Mungia isn’t backed by Project 42 or any other billionaire cabal. A win by his opponent could open the floodgates of dark money. Don’t let the rich buy our courts. Vote Mungia.
Judge Demands Seattle Police Reform Crowd Control Before Lifting Federal Oversight
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Robart convened a consent decree hearing and found that the City, after 12 years, is close to compliance once the Seattle Police Department submits revised crowd control policy. He does have lingering concerns about bias-free policing and accountability, particularly given the most recent police guild contract.
Inspector General Quietly Terminates Audit into Seattle Police Mutual Aid
Downgraded from a full audit and long delayed, the Office of Inspector General’s six-page mutual aid review did not assess if outside police forces patrolling the streets of Seattle would be required to follow SPD bias policies, be held to SPD force review policies, and be accountable for their actions through the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) complaint process.