Followup: ‘Book and release’ for some suspects delayed at least until June 1st

3:54 PM: You might recall last week’s uproar over a county budget change that was scheduled to kick in February 1st, changing how suspects in certain kinds of crimes are handled – booking and releasing them, rather than booking them into jail while they await a bail hearing (often the next day). Here’s our coverage from last Friday. Today, a change: County Executive Dow Constantine has sent a letter (read it here) to county officials including criminal-justice-system leaders, saying that they’ve found “resources” to hold off on “book and release” until at least June 1st, and maybe longer if certain changes can be implemented in the courts. There’s a news-media conference call about this in a few minutes and we’ll be on it – more info to come.

4:23 PM UPDATE: The conference call was relatively short. Constantine spokesperson Chad Lewis said part of the reason why the postponement is possible is that: “The jail population tends to naturally decline in the winter,” so this is not urgent.

We couldn’t help but note that the season hasn’t changed since last Friday, when we were all on the phone talking about this being implemented next month, so, what’s changed? Lewis acknowledged that “stakeholder” reaction played a role.

Meantime, looking ahead as to whether this ever will have to be implemented, the possible changes in court processes outlined in Constantine’s letter, to reduce jail population over the longer term, include “shortening the time between plea or verdict and sentencing.” Lewis says they’re also hopeful the Legislature will address the budgeting problems that have left King and other counties with a shortfall. We asked if there’s a new reason for that hope; he said, “The public safety issue gets more attention” but that’s not the only part of the budget affected by chronic revenue trouble. In response to another question, Lewis insists, “The executive never wanted to put (the book-and-release policy) forward” but didn’t feel he had a choice.

They don’t know yet what kind of a review or assessment will be done between now and June 1st to determine if the book-and-release policy will kick in then, or ever, said Lewis.

dsa January 14, 2015 (4:31 pm)

Good, keep looking. We want these folks off the street.

Oakley34 January 14, 2015 (5:01 pm)

“Book em Danno!” (ok now let em go)

wetone January 14, 2015 (7:35 pm)

Just watching the local evening news (5) on this issue and they were saying how Seattle had the highest crime problems in the nation? Can’t believe they let that slip out. Would also like to see some numbers to understand Dow’s spokesperson comments. Very bad Dow and will remember when voting.

Maureen Mcgovern January 15, 2015 (12:25 am)

I agree with you wetone. Too bad, I thought Dow had some common sense. Clearly, he does not. What was he thinking?!
I live in West Seattle and the personal crime is out of control!
Is there anyone out there who has a clue as to how to make a dent in the crime rate?
It seems to me that the breakdown is at the judicial level, and Dow’s plan only exacerbates the problem.
I am sorry, I used to support him, but no more!
Dow doesn’t get it!

Nick January 15, 2015 (6:12 am)

Seattle isn’t close to being the worst city in the nation in regard to crime we are not even in the top 20 so Im not sure what news that person was watching. Maybe you should move to Oakland or Detroit if you think that is true.

Wes C. Addle January 15, 2015 (9:31 am)

@Nick you’re correct about the total crime numbers. I think what @wetone is referring to is Property Crime which is correct.

wscommuter January 15, 2015 (10:57 am)

This is a good example of people reacting out of ignorance in freaking out about the County Executive’s proposal.
.
Low level felony arrests (think drug possession/car theft/felony shoplifting, etc.), such as those impacted by this policy, are ALREADY booked and typically held for no longer than 72 hours – because it is the LAW. Just the truth – and if you don’t like it, by all means, get busy with your petitions and initiatives and such and change the law and get funding to build another jail; the two we have now are busting at the seams.
.
All this policy would do is release these people in a few hours, instead of holding them in jail for 48-72 hours until a probable cause hearing happens when they will be released anyway pending a charging decision from the prosecutor.
.
People should understand a few reality-checks: 1. That prosecutors can’t possibly charge every felony arrest the next day; they recieve more than 100 referrals a day – they have to triage police arrests to focus on more serious felonies like violent crime/drug dealing/high value property crimes because there are simply so many of them to do each day. 2. You can’t hold someone in jail who is not yet charged with a crime by the prosecutor’s office – its the law. Low level felony arrests may take a few weeks to get charged – and the vast majority of those “caught and released” while awaiting charges do, in fact, show up for court. Some don’t – and warrants are issued.
.
So all this new proposal would do would reduce jail expenses by cutting incarceration from 48-72 hours down to 4-6 hours for low level, low risk suspects. People who have a history of not appearing for court/warrants would not be released – they would be held just like they are now. This really isn’t that big a deal.

WSB January 15, 2015 (11:13 am)

WSC, I know you have an expert perspective on this, but a few points why this was NOT “not a big deal,” and why your accusation of ignorance is unfair: For one, the jails are *not* busting at the seams. Sorry if our stories and others were not clear enough on this, but the jails have plenty of room. We clarified this with the county director of detention, who was on both conference calls in which I and other reporters asked questions about all this (Friday and yesterday). What they were trying to do was save money by not opening the available, empty units.
.
Meantime, from the coverage perspective, I am acutely aware (not from an inside perspective, but from the perspective of following the process in order to report to readers) of what happens from arrest, to probable-cause hearing, to charges or no charges, and on through the process of plea negotiations or trial to resolve the case – we follow up in detail, more than legacy media, because we’re covering it on the ground here.
.
And while the system perhaps is not meant to work like this, I’ve seen more than a few repeat offenders – even though it’s “just” property crimes – who had bail set, but did not ever post bond, so they were in jail all the way from arrest to case resolution, sentencing, end of sentence. Maybe this would happen anyway, and these are the offenders that would be singled out by arresting officers as “objecting to release.” But I asked during the first conference call if they were sure there would be time for those officers to get the full background of potential repeat offenders, not to mention warrants out for their arrest; we’ve covered at least one case in the past few years where even the judge at the PC hearing the next day didn’t get information that a warrant was out (and I won’t even go into the saga of a local repeat offender whose case was brought up at local crime-prevention meetings, during one of which I found he had a warrant out, something the police in the room didn’t even know). Might be symbolic, might not seem consequential to you, but the $2.5 million a year difference seemed to be worth it to some, and calling their concern “ignorant” is unfair – TR

wscommuter January 15, 2015 (3:56 pm)

@WSB – I wasn’t referring to your (as always) excellent coverage – was referring to the rants posted here. Technically you’re right – the jails aren’t always full. Sometimes they do have open beds.
.
As I understand this initiative, it is about the cost of incarceration. The Executive is dealing with a bad budget situation and there is a dollar cost to each night a perp is held. By reducing the number of nights held, money is saved. Many (unlike you) do NOT understand the court system and how felonies are processed in a large, urban justtice system that is resource-challenged. KCPO, as I’m sure you know, has gone through big cuts in the last few years. So felony filings take longer.
.
I can’t speak to bad decisions about releasing some knuckleheads … I’m not a judge and don’t make those calls. And I’m not minimizing property crimes – I’ve been a victim of “low level” felony property crimes myself a few times. It is just the reality of how much crime we have – from serious violent offenses down to less serious thefts/drug possessions, etc. There is only so far the system can be stretched.
.
Some offenders don’t post bail because they can’t – there are many offenders who have no means to come up with that cash or bond … so they sit through the pendancy of their cases. It does happen.
.
Last thing – the police do NOT do the background checking on those they arrest re repeat offenders, etc. That function is performed by the jail – King County Sheriff’s office – jail division, as part of the booking process and this information (offender information sheet, which includes criminal history, history of previous failures to appear, etc.) is what is provided to the judge at the PC hearing to decide whether to release, and how to set bail.

Sorry, comment time is over.