Dismantle Poor Peoples Court. Black Lives Matter. Court watch by King County Dept of Public Defense, in its independent capacity, with partners. See what we see
Seattle
Joined December 2021
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$3,224 of fines have been sent to collections for unhoused Black man for 26 charges of “failure to pay fare” on public transit. He also faces 3 active Theft 3 charges for taking food from Safeway.
Man in crisis, chased by SPD, runs across I-5. Witnesses & officers report the man is incoherent, “not oriented to his surroundings.” Police allege man throws a bottle at them & they try to book him into King County Jail. Jail medically declines to book him. City files 5 charges.
/1 In an effort to "defend victims and enforce accountability," SPD's "proactive FOCUS squad" cites a houseless man at 3rd and Pike for jaywalking. Officers notice he is carrying a "crisp" pair of new jeans, investigate.
A man calls his estranged husband to come over to help fix his car, says a prior no contact order between them has been "cleared." Neighbor hears yelling, calls cops. Cops find a no contact order still in place, arrest husband, bail set at 15K, husband jailed for two weeks+
/1 A man living in a supportive housing program for chronically unhoused people with disabilities is arrested for causing a fire in his oven. He is booked into jail for arson, even though officers knew he was recently involuntarily committed for a similar incident.
/1 Man receiving suboxone treatment, awaiting bed date for inpatient treatment, is arrested for failing to appear at a prior court date. Does not receive suboxone in jail. Jail will take days to get him suboxone, triggering painful withdrawals.
In 2021, man is found too mentally ill to stand trial, charges dismissed. In 2022, the City filed *six more* misdemeanor cases against him. In one, he allegedly wrote graffiti outside a police station praising an officer. Competency evaluation ordered, again. Cases pending.
Sub-freezing February night, an unhoused 23 yo Black man entered an empty house slated for demolition and made a fire out of trash to stay warm. The police jailed him for Burglary. The City charged him with Criminal Trespass 1 and Reckless Burning. #DecriminalizePoverty
/1 Man living in his truck calls for mental health help – reaching out to Valley Cities & Seattle Indian Health Board; seeks housing through Catholic Community Services & HEN program. Remains homeless & without treatment.
/1 Man calls cops to report his roommate punched him. Cops arrive, handcuff the roommate while he’s seated behind a computer desk. Roommate does not stand up when cops ask him to; they book him into King County Jail on assault & resisting arrest charges.
2/ While in jail, man's cell is dirty, he is unkempt, disheveled, guarded, suspicious, agitated. After 3 weeks he is found incompetent & charges are dismissed - a total of 24 days in jail. #DecriminalizeMentalIllness
3/ “Jail is the worst place to be for a person who has a serious mental illness." It can "cause irreversible brain damage. And the longer that a person spends in untreated psychosis the harder it is for them to return to the same level of functioning.”
bit.ly/3mABrgY
Read about prosecutors: "how their failure to consider the destabilizing impact of criminally charging or recharging someone previously found by a judge to be too mentally ill to stand trial compounds suffering and makes our community less safe." bit.ly/3JiKJas
/1 Houseless transwoman previously diagnosed w/ serious mental illnesses including schizophrenia is sleeping under a tarp in a business parking lot.
2/ At 6:30 a.m. business owner rips tarp off, demands she leave; she allegedly threatens & assaults him. Business owner sprays her with bear mace. Police handcuff her & she thrashes her legs.
3/ City charges her w/ harassment & assault. Less than a yr ago she was found not competent to stand trial due to mental illness. Current egregious delays mean that if this person is found not competent she will languish for approx 322 days in KC jail. #DecriminalizeMentalIllness