New Courts Produce Mixed Results Creation Of Municipal Court On Spokane Ballot Measure

Backers of a ballot measure that would create a municipal court in Spokane claim other Washington cities have saved money or managed caseloads better by breaking away from District Court.

A Spokesman-Review survey of nine cities that have either made the switch or considered doing so over the past 10 years found mixed results.

Some have saved money. Others are spending about the same but enjoying greater local control.

Still other cities have looked into the possibility and decided they were better off with a city-county system.

The city of Yakima created its court in late 1996 due to a budget dispute with county officials over rising jail and court costs.

As Spokane does now, Yakima had been paying the county to handle its traffic and minor criminal cases in District Court.

In addition to saving money, the city figured it could eliminate a backlog of more than 5,000 city cases languishing in District Court, said City Manager Dick Zais.

Since Yakima Municipal Court began hearing cases in early 1997, Zais said cases are heard faster and costs have dropped.

Yakima also saved more than $60,000 a year by eliminating civil service or union status for city court workers.

A major goal of Spokane’s union-driven initiative on the Feb. 2 ballot is the exact opposite: more job security for the 100 or so clerical workers who keep records, collect fines and perform other duties in Spokane County District Court.

Those workers now serve at the discretion of District Court judges.

Kent made the switch to a standalone court five years ago knowing it wouldn’t save taxpayers money.

The city decided it was losing control of its court cases by letting them fall into the massive King County District Court bureaucracy, said City Attorney Brent McFall.

City leaders now believe Kent residents receive swifter justice by having their own courthouse, which is closer to downtown.

“In the broader picture, we have more direct control of the court’s schedule and costs,” McFall said.

Since the change, police are filing far more traffic and misdemeanor charges. McFall said officers probably feel their cases are being given more attention in Municipal Court.

Ellensburg city officials gave serious thought to breaking with Kittitas County and forming their own court two years ago.

“We spent a good bit of time and found that our citizens wouldn’t find any big savings,” said Ellensburg City Manager David Moseley.

Residents also had no problem getting to District Court, which was a block from City Hall.

“After our review, we found no good reason to change the status quo,” Moseley said.