Last Friday, about 250 people in need of Seattle or King County services stopped by Seattle Municipal Court (SMC)’s Community Relief Day at the Jefferson Community Center in Beacon Hill. SMC staff were on hand to help attendees set up payment plans for Seattle traffic tickets, as well as address outstanding warrants.
Forty service providers were also present to provide supportive services in the areas of employment training, housing, behavioral health and medical services, legal resources and more. For those who pre-registered (184 people), it provided the court with sufficient knowledge to ensure language access by having interpreters available in Mandarin, Vietnamese and Spanish.
Victoria Moreland, SMC’s Director of Equity and Engagement was pleased at the high turnout. “The event demonstrated the court’s commitment to reaching out and making a positive difference in the community. The satisfaction from eventgoers highlighted the importance of collaboration and direct engagement in addressing community needs,” she said.
Kayla Huggins, an SMC court clerk, was on hand to quash eligible warrants or set hearings for clients as needed. She has participated in the event every year the court has offered it (since 2018, with no event in 2020 due to the pandemic).
“I really enjoy connecting on a human level with the community—the opportunity to show kindness, patience, and empathy with members of our community who may be in need of a kind word, a smile, and to be heard,” said Huggins. “I consider this a great responsibility.”
Tonya Dotson, a pre-trial services manager who oversees the court’s Community Resource Center and who has been at SMC for 20 years, participated in this event for the first time. “But it won’t be the last,” she said. “I enjoyed networking with all the social service providers and got some ideas on how they may benefit the court’s clients in the Community Resource Center.
“It was inspiring to see so many organizations help clients with real issues that cause barriers in their lives,” she added.
Among the attendees was Arthur*, a formerly incarcerated man in his 50s, who has been rebuilding his life since leaving prison nearly two years ago. He says he came to the event to learn more about resources available for himself and others he knows overcoming challenging life circumstances.
“For people coming out of prison, overcoming addiction, or other life challenges, it truly takes a network [of people willing to help] to build a life of value,” said Arthur.
When Arthur was released from prison two years ago, he lived in halfway housing for a while, worked at a grocery store for a year, and then was able to get his own apartment. He is currently working a few temporary jobs, while also volunteering at a local food bank.
“Community Relief Day [was] full of people who are willing to help—and that’s such a beautiful thing.”
Over the years, SMC has hosted similar events with service providers to deliver court services and community assistance in one place, outside of the court in a neighborhood center, for individuals in Seattle and surrounding areas. To learn more about future events, please visit: https://www.seattle.gov/courts/about/community-engagement/outreach-events.
*To protect his identity, we are only using Arthur’s first name.