On Monday, January 9, 2023, Hon. Pooja Vaddadi was sworn-in for her first judicial term on the Seattle Municipal Court bench. Judge Vaddadi was elected in November 2022 for a four-year term, January 2023 – January 2027. Prior to joining the Seattle Municipal Court bench, Judge Vaddadi practiced law for… Filed Under: General, News Release
Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) judges have denied a motion from defense to suppress breath alcohol (BAC) readings obtained from the Draeger Alcotest 9510 in a ruling issued on January 3, 2023. Having determined this to be an issue of citywide significance pursuant to SMC Local Rule 8.2.4, a panel consisting… Filed Under: en banc ruling, General, News Release
Due to threats of severe weather and impacts on travel conditions in the Seattle area and to ensure the safety of all court participants including jurors, attorneys, and staff, Seattle Municipal Court will be closed to the public on Friday, December 23, 2022, except for in-custody arraignments at the King… [ Keep reading ]
On Friday, December 2nd, a majority of the Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) judges elected Honorable Faye R. Chess to serve as Presiding Judge and Honorable Andrea Chin to serve as Assistant Presiding Judge for a two-year term, effective January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024. Honorable Willie Gregory remains the… [ Keep reading ]
አማርኛ | Español | 简体中文 | Soomaali | Tiếng Việt Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) is bringing court and social services to the Rainier Beach Community Centeron Monday, September 19, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Community members will get help with resolving SMC warrants and setting up payment plans or community… [ Keep reading ]
Hon. Faye R. Chess to Serve as Assistant Presiding Judge Honorable Adam Eisenberg will become Seattle Municipal Court’s (SMC) Presiding Judge effective today, July 5, 2022. Presiding Judge Willie Gregory announced that he has made a personal decision to step down from the Presiding Judge role. Honorable Faye R. Chess… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Municipal Court judges, in an effort to work collaboratively, have agreed to the Seattle City Attorney’s proposed changes to Seattle Community Court. The City Attorney requested that certain individuals they have identified as ‘high utilizers’ be excluded from participating in the program. The Community Court agreement already provided… [ Keep reading ]
In response to Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison’s April 27, 2022 letter to the Seattle Municipal Court judges, the court issued the following statement: Seattle Municipal Court remains committed to collaborating with the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and the King County Department of Public Defense to ensure a viable Seattle… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) thanks the Office of the City Auditor (OCA) for its thorough and thoughtful review of SMC Probation, a post-adjudication jail alternative in which counselors are paired with clients to support them as they meet court-ordered obligations. SMC participated in OCA’s assessment, released earlier today, with… [ Keep reading ]
On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, the Seattle City Council unanimously confirmed Pro Tem Judge Catherine McDowall to fill the Seattle Municipal Court judicial position vacated by Judge Ed McKenna, who retired in April 2020. Judge McDowall was appointed by Mayor Jenny Durkan after a unanimous recommendation from a Judicial Evaluation Committee,… [ Keep reading ]
