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Law

Op-Ed: Seattle City Attorney Is Dropping the Ball on Drunk Driving Prosecution

Since Ann Davison took over as Seattle City Attorney, the office has been much slower in prosecuting drunk drivers. While her office blames the state toxicology lab, it appears her office is not making DUI cases a priority.

Harrell Drops ShotSpotter from Surveillance Expansion, but Privacy Concerns Remain

Mayor Bruce Harrell has dropped acoustic gunshot locator technology from his proposal to beef up surveillance of Seattle residents. The expansion of automated license plate readers, cameras, and real-time crime center software has continued to draw criticism from groups focused on privacy and racial equity.
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Sound Transit To Launch Platform Fare Inspection in Early June

Starting on June 3, Sound Transit fare ambassadors will launch new inspection rounds in fare paid zones on and around platforms at some Link light rail stations.
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Supreme Court to Rule on Laws Criminalizing Homelessness in Grants Pass Decision

Seattle and other West Coast cities are pushing for the right to clear encampments without offering shelter. But the U.S. Supreme Court would need to overrule the Ninth Circuit ruling deeming this unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment.

Seattle City Attorney Disqualifies Judge Vaddadi, Threatening Municipal Court Independence

Seattle's Republican City Attorney is disqualifying a progressive Municipal Court judge in a deeply undemocratic move, given that judges are elected and meant to be a check on executive power.

Op-Ed: Seattle Public Utilities Continues to Gouge Builders for Water System Upgrades

SPU’s practice to target developers with unsubstantiated fees to upgrade public assets for the water system continues unchecked. For the year 2023 more than 100 building permit seekers received such requirements as a condition of approval for new water service.
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Op-Ed: Gig Worker Minimum Pay Law Makes Seattle More Livable for All 

I am a disabled gig worker in Seattle who has shown up time and again over the course of five years, advocating to the...

Harrell Plans Hasty Rollout of Massive Surveillance Expansion

Mayor Harrell is seeking to quickly roll out gun-shot detectors and closed circuit cameras to feed into real-time crime center software, raising privacy concerns. Claims that this major expansion of the surveillance state will curb serious crime are largely unsubstantiated.