On Sept.15, 2025, Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) Presiding Anita Crawford-Willis issued an order on criminal motion regarding Delta 9 THC testing and analysis, having determined this issue to be of citywide significance per Seattle Municipal Court Local Rule, SMCLR 8.2.4. Per the order, an en banc panel of SMC Judges Damon Shadid, Andrea Chin, and Catherine McDowall will determine 1) whether the defendants whose blood was analyzed using the Delta 9 THC testing are entitled to a Frye hearing. and 2) regardless of admissibility under Frye, the results of the Delta 9 THC testing are sufficiently reliable to be admitted. Court staff will assign a case number and develop procedures for tracking cases that wish to join the en banc motion. A scheduling/status meeting has been set to discuss the briefing schedule and hearing dates at 1:30 PM on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Courtroom 903. Please submit the linked motion to join the case. For questions, contact SMC Clerk Kayla Huggins.
For more information or to track this issue, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/courts/for-attorneys/en-banc-rulings.