Free the People Project

Morning Misdemeanor Calendar: Several matters stricken. All people (6) not held on other felony cases were PR'd!

Felony Afternoon Calendar: 12 people stricken from the calendar.

$75,000 bail for black woman charged with bank robbery. The robbery occurred WITHOUT a weapon. The judge says violence is inferred when a person slides a note to a teller that they are robbing them. Judge says based on this they present a violent threat to the community

Black mother asks for her son's release without bail. Man in custody but not in court (possibly in the hospital). Man was shot, drove to the hospital, allegedly hit a person in a crosswalk on way to hospital, didn't know, person died.
$200,000 Bail

Protestor arrested for "possession of an incendiary device". Defense challenges probable. Arrest report does not say what object arrestee allegedly had. Judge finds no probable cause for device. Finds probable cause for "resisting arrest", released without bail.

Protestor alleged to have committed arson. Judge finds probable cause for Arson II for allegedly throwing a firework in a Starbucks, where police state they witnessed a separate (presumably more serious) incendiary device thrown in by a different person. $75,000 Bail imposed.

Black Male alleged to have "illegally possessed a firearm", based on it being found under his (a passenger) seat in a car he did not own.

$50,000 bail imposed

White Male (or white passing) alleged to have strangled wife after shooting weapon out the window. Wife wrote statement that she is scared for his release.

Judge imposes $50,000

#1 in the calendar, accused person is held on other charges so would not be released even if PR'd. Defense asks for "minimum bail" so that accused can receive credit for the time he is in jail. If PR'd on this case accused would not receive credit for this case. Minimum bail set.

3 cases dismissed- all three accused waived extradition to other states.

The next person refused to come down from the jail. Judge gives them a FTA (Failure To Appear). If an accused person has many FTA's a judge interprets that as an indication that a person is unlikely to come to court and is used to hold a person in jail pending trial.

Judge notes next person appearing before the court has been released on home monitoring from other charges, person is released without bail in this case.

Next person is being held on other charges, $10,000 bail imposed.

Next person's identity in question. No previous WA criminal history. Prior history in another state non-violent, no FTA's noted. Judge imposes bail stating concerned about the person not coming back to court, says bail can be revisited at next hearing.

The next person is a refusal to come down from jail. Again an FTA is noted despite the person being in state custody.
..and another person refused to come down from the jail and is given an FTA.

Another person refused to come from jail, this time the attorney notes that the person is paralyzed from the waist down and the process of coming to court is extremely painful. The person is given an FTA.

Next person was arrested on a warrant for failure to come to court in July. Their initial hearing was in April but was cancelled due to COVID, they never received notice of the next hearing. Judge PR's.

Defense asks to set a bail hearing from KCJ to RJC so that two separate cases can be tracked together. Judge state's it would be more efficient if cases tracked together but is unsure if other court will hear the case.
Sets hearing in other court.

#1 & #2 on the calendar were stricken.

This means two people were arrested, taken to jail, processed through a violent, dehumanizing system, only to have their case put off the calendar.

The prosecutor CAN and frequently will file charges in the next three years.

#3 the accused person was given a failure to appear. He was in jail and the jail would normally bring them to court but the prosecutor filed the case under the wrong name. This could have severely impacted him in the future. He had to fix the prosecutors error from jail.

#4 another decline to file. Another person processed through a violent system, life disrupted, only to be told, wait and see for the next 3 years.

#5 ...and another decline to file.