### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee met on April 29, 2025, to receive the annual report from District Court. District Court Administrator Jake Wiebusch and Presiding Judge Jonathan Rands presented highlights, accomplishments, and trends from 2024, including significant increases in case filings and jury trials. ### Key Terms and Concepts **District Court:** The local trial court that handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic infractions, civil protection orders, small claims, and other civil matters up to certain dollar limits. **Warrant Quash:** A legal process where someone with an outstanding warrant can voluntarily appear in court to have the warrant cancelled and get their case back on track without being arrested. **Blake Cases:** Criminal cases involving simple drug possession that became invalid after the Washington State Supreme Court's State v. Blake decision struck down the drug possession statute, requiring courts to vacate these convictions. **Judicial Information System (JIS):** The computer database system that serves as the backbone for all court case entries, filings, and records management in Washington state courts. **Family Justice Court:** A specialized court calendar focused on domestic violence accountability and providing resources to survivors. **Mental Health Court:** A specialized therapeutic court program that provides treatment and support services as an alternative to traditional prosecution for defendants with mental health issues. **Hope Cards:** Small reference cards provided to domestic violence survivors that contain important resources and contact information in a discrete, easy-to-carry format. **Youth Court Traffic Diversion:** A new program allowing 16-18 year olds to take in-house classes assigned by the court instead of paying fines for traffic infractions. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Barry Buchanan | Committee Chair, County Council | | Tyler Byrd | Committee Member, County Council | | Jon Scanlon | Committee Member, County Council | | Jake Wiebusch | District Court Administrator | | Jonathan Rands | Presiding Judge, District Court | | Peggy Hense | Deputy Administrator, District Court | ### Background Context District Court plays a crucial role in Whatcom County's justice system, handling thousands of cases annually ranging from traffic tickets to domestic violence protection orders. The court has been working to recover from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic while implementing new programs focused on access to justice and community safety. The significant increases in case filings and jury trials reported in 2024 represent both a return to normal operations and new challenges requiring additional resources and innovative approaches. The Blake decision created a massive administrative challenge for courts statewide, requiring them to identify and vacate thousands of drug possession convictions. District Court still has approximately 4,000 Blake cases to process, which will require dedicated funding and staff time in the coming year. ### What Happened — The Short Version District Court Administrator Jake Wiebusch reported significant increases in 2024: total filings up 39% from 2023, with civil cases up 25%, infractions up 52%, and criminal charges up 16%. The court held 45 jury trials, nearly triple the pre-COVID average of 16. Despite a two-week system failure when their judicial information system went down, staff maintained operations seamlessly. The court implemented several new programs including warrant quash events (helping about 50 people), youth traffic diversion, and hope cards for domestic violence survivors. They also completed an ADA remodel, added debit cards for jury pay, and reduced small claims backlogs from over 200 days to under 90 days. ### What to Watch Next - District Court will tackle the remaining 4,000 Blake cases for vacation with AOC funding assistance - Preparation continues for the new statewide database system potentially coming in 2026 - Committee member Byrd requested a future presentation on the new 9-1-1 call center project ---