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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Courts and Criminal Justice System

2022 Court Legislation Impacting Local Governments

2022 Court Legislation Impacting Local Governments

September 19, 2022  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System ,  New Legislation and Regulations

A few bills from the 2022 Regular Legislative Session deal with courts in a manner that will impact local governments, including giving courts more flexibility to not impose certain legal financial obligations or to waive those obligations.  

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How Local Ballot Measures Fared in the 2021 General Election

How Local Ballot Measures Fared in the 2021 General Election

November 10, 2021  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System ,  Elections ,  Transportation Finance ,  Forms of Government-City ,  Forms of Government-County ,  Inclusive Communities

From changes in governance to funding for criminal justice, libraries, and transportation, this blog covers many local ballot measures across the state and how these issues fared in the recent general election.

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Trial by Zoom: Using Online Platforms in Administrative Proceedings, Trials, and Oral Arguments

Trial by Zoom: Using Online Platforms in Administrative Proceedings, Trials, and Oral Arguments

December 28, 2020  by  Clara Park
Category:  Guest Author ,  Courts and Criminal Justice System ,  COVID-19 ,  Land Use Administration

This blog post discusses the current state of virtual proceedings and offers pointers for anyone navigating the shift from in-person to virtual proceedings.

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Promising Practices for Local Governments: Combating Elder Neglect, Short-Term Vacation Rental Compliance, Reducing Recidivism

Promising Practices for Local Governments: Combating Elder Neglect, Short-Term Vacation Rental Compliance, Reducing Recidivism

December 19, 2019  by  Byron Katsuyama
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System ,  Tourism ,  Health and Human Services

This post highlights promising practices for combating elder neglect, increasing compliance with short-term vacation rental regulations, and transitioning newly released inmates back into the community.

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Fewer Teens May End Up in Adult Courts

Fewer Teens May End Up in Adult Courts

August 20, 2018  by  Leah LaCivita
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System

Signed into law this March, SB 6160 reduces the number of criminal offenses under which youth defendants aged 16- to 17-years-old can be automatically sent to adult court to have their cases tried. 

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Indigent Defense Standards – Misdemeanor Caseload Limits Take Effect Soon

November 20, 2014  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System

On January 1, 2015, the misdemeanor caseload limits for public defense attorneys adopted by the Washington State Supreme Court in the new Standards for Indigent Defense take effect.

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Court Rules Cities' Public Defense Systems Constitutionally Inadequate

December 5, 2013  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System

A federal district court judge ruled on December 4th that the public defense systems provided by the cities of Burlington and Mount Vernon violated the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment guarantee of effective assistance of legal counsel to indigent persons charged with crimes.

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Caseload Limits for Indigent Defense Standards Delayed Until January 1, 2015

April 10, 2013  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Courts and Criminal Justice System

As part of the new Standards for Indigent Defense, caseload limits were to take effect on September 1, 2013, while the rest of the standards took effect on October 1, 2012. However, the state supreme court has now delayed the implementation of caseload limits until January 1, 2015, to provide time for the Washington State Office of Public Defense to conduct a "statewide attorney time study" and...

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