Seattle City Attorney’s Office to change filing deadline for incoming cases

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Attorney’s Office on Sunday announced a new change to the way it will file all incoming cases referred by the Seattle Police Department.

City Attorney Ann Davison said a filing decision will be made on cases within five business days, which will stop adding to the backlog of cases that has grown over the past three years.

Davison said it is the “most effective way to immediately tackle crime in Seattle.”

She said there is a backlog of approximately 5,000 cases, which could mean up to a two-year-long wait period for victims.

“This immediate change follows a deep assessment of the City Attorney’s Office processes and structure for addressing our case filings and intake. The best way to interrupt crime happening on the streets today is by quickly and efficiently moving on the cases referred to us by the Seattle Police Department,” said Davison.

Davison said the backlog is the largest that the Attorney’s Office has ever experienced.

In January, Davison enlisted former Seattle U.S. Attorney Brian Moran’s help in advising the office on the backlog, hiring and criminal priorities.

“My recommendation and assessment is just the first step to solving the City Attorney’s Office case backlog,” said Moran. “The office will immediately stop adding to the number of cases that need to be filed and can address the nearly 5,000 cases that are waiting for review.”

According to the City Attorney’s Office, crime has continued to grow in Seattle over the past two years and before the newly announced action, new cases were sent to the end of the line until they could be dealt with.

“Timely justice for victims is just as important as timely intervention for those committing crimes,” said incoming Criminal Chief Natalie Walton-Anderson.

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