In November, Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) introduced a new blog series—essentially a “Who’s Who at SMC”—that lets you get to know the people behind the scenes who make the day-to-day interactions at the court function. Our third person for you to meet is Makayla Garrett, a probation counselor at the court…. [ Keep reading ]
Next year, the fine for most Seattle parking violations will increase. Currently, most parking fines range from $29 to $53, depending on the type of violation. The new fines will range from $43 to $78. The full list of parking violations with a new fine amount is located here: https://www.seattle.gov/courts/for-attorneys/local-court-rules#smclir6.2monetarypenaltyscheduleforinfractions… [ Keep reading ]
Coming to court or being involved in the judicial system can cause anxiety or nervousness. The high stakes in a court case or participating as a witness or juror can be stressful. Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) has a positive resource available to help people —whether it’s individuals who have… [ Keep reading ]
A court is a place (such as a chamber) for the administration of justice. And while most people think of judges (of which Seattle Municipal Court [SMC] has seven elected judges), there is more to making a court an official assembly for the transaction of judicial business. Today, SMC is… [ Keep reading ]
The District & Municipal Court Judges’ Association (DMCJA) convenes an annual You’ve Been Served event to foster connections between state legislators and courts. This year’s event was held on Oct. 23 and had the theme Courts of Limited Jurisdiction (CLJs). Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) participated as a host site for… [ Keep reading ]
In an era with civics education on the decline, one important annual program at Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) is introducing Garfield High School (GHS) students to the judicial process through Seattle Youth Traffic Court (SYTC). Youth courts take place nationwide and are primarily made up of volunteer middle and high… [ Keep reading ]
Last Friday, Oct. 4, a majority of the Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) judges elected Honorable Anita Crawford-Williams to serve as Presiding Judge and Honorable Damon Shadid to serve as Assistant Presiding Judge for a two-year term, effective Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. Honorable Willie Gregory will remain the… [ Keep reading ]
In May 2024, the Seattle Municipal Court determined the issue of expired blood vials was of citywide significance per Seattle Municipal Court Local Rule, SMCLR 8.2.4. An en banc panel comprised of SMC Judge Catherine McDowall, Judge Damon Shadid, and Judge Willie Gregory. Hearings were held on September 9-10, 2024, and… [ Keep reading ]
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… [ Keep reading ]
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was at Benaroya Hall in Seattle earlier this week, on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, as part of her nationwide book tour to promote her book, Lovely One: A Memoir, that was released on Sept. 3. The book traces Justice Jackson’s extraordinary path of… [ Keep reading ]
