.
. WE'RE
. WE'RE BACK THIS MORNING AT SIX FORTY FOUR AND ENOUGH IS
ENOUGH.
THAT'S THE MESSAGE SEATTLE
POLICE ARE SENDING TO
PROTESTERS WHO DAMAGE
BUSINESSES AND NOW THE CITY IS
GOING TO GET TOUGHER ON PEOPLE
WHO CAN'T MARCH PEACEFULLY.
JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING IN
SEATTLE, CITY ATTORNEY PETE
HOLDS TTHEY.
THANKS FOR WAKING UP WITH EARLY
WITH US TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
FIRST WE WANT TO MAKE THE
DISTINCTION THAT YOUR OFFICE
ONLY PROSECUTES MISDEMEANOR
CRIMES.
IT'S THE KING COUNTY PROSECUTOR
OFFICE THAT HANDLES THE
FELONIES.
CAN YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THAT
DISTINCTION?
THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT.
THE THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD
IS THAT IF WE GO TO WEDNESDAY
NIGHT, WHICH HAS SEEMED TO
GENERATE A LOT OF CONCERN
INCLUDING ON MY PART THAT THERE
WERE THREE ARRESTS MADE BY THE
SPDS AND ONE OF THOSE FELONY
LEVEL CASES WAS ACTUALLY
REFERRED TO THE FEDS TO THE
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR
DAMAGE TO FEDERAL PROPERTY.
THE DAMAGE THAT WE SAW TO THE
STARBUCKS THAT'S FELONY LEVEL
DAMAGE AND THAT'S BEEN SAID TO
THE KING COUNTY PROSECUTOR AND
THEN A THIRD ARREST WAS MADE
FOR ASSAULT THAT WAS REFERRED
TO OUR OFFICE AND WE
IMMEDIATELY CHARGED THAT CASE.
GO AHEAD.
GO AHEAD.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THE
MAIN POINT I WANTED TO MAKE
THOUGH AS FAR AS ANY CONFUSION
IS THAT THAT IS PERFECTLY
CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICY THAT
WE ANNOUNCED IN JUNE ONCE THE
GEORGE FLOYD MURDER PROTEST GOT
UNDERWAY.
THAT IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO
EXCUSE TO PROSECUTE PEACEFUL
PROTESTERS.
WHAT WE SAW ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
WAS NOT PEACEFUL PROTEST AND WE
PROMPTLY CHARGED THAT FOR SURE.
OK, SO LET'S EXPAND ON THAT A
LITTLE BIT.
POLICE HAVE MADE ABOUT 600
ARRESTS SINCE PROTESTS STARTED
IN JUNE.
AS YOU SAID IN MANY CASES
MISDEMEANORS HAVE NOT BEEN
PROSECUTED THOUGH ESPECIALLY
THOSE ARRESTED REPEAT SADLY FOR
VANDALISM.
HOW CAN YOUR OFFICE CHANGE THAT
AND ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH
EVERYTHING UP TO THIS POINT?
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE SAME
PANDMIC THAT HAS REALLY CAUSED
THE GLOBAL SHUTDOWN IN BUSINESS
AND IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE HAS
ALSO IMPACTED OUR CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WHAT THE JAIL HAS DONE WHICH IS
OPERATED BY THE COUNTY AND I
THINK WISELY IS TO REFUSE TO
COOK OR TO TO KEEP IN CUSTODY.
THAT IS PEOPLE EXCEPT THOSE WHO
HAVE COMMITTED VIOLENT CRIMES
AGAINST PEOPLE AND DUIS AND
VIOLATIONS OF NO CONTACT ORDER
.
SO THOSE ARE THE DIRECT THREATS
TO PUBLIC SAFETY PROPERTY
CRIMES, EVEN VIOLENT PROPERTY
CRIMES ARE NOT A JUDGE TO BE
SOMEONE THAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN
THE JAIL WHICH COULD IN TURN
BECOME A CHARNEL HOUSE AMIDST
THE PANDMIC.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT AT
ARRAIGNMENT WE HAVE IN CUSTODY
AGREEMENTS THERE WILL BE NO
DEFENDANTS THAT ARE IN JAIL AT
IN CUSTODY OR ARRAIGNMENT FOR
PROPERTY DESTRUCTION.
WE WILL HAVE THAT'S NOT TO SAY
THAT ISN'T VIOLENT AND WON'T BE
CHARGED EVENTUALLY BUT BECAUSE
IT'S NOT A CRIME AGAINST THE
PERSON WE ARE NOT ABLE TO
ARRAIGNED THEM AND TO
IMMEDIATLEY ADRESSED THEIR
SITUATION.
THOSE WILL COME LATER.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE STORE
OWNERS WHO MOVE OUT OF TOWN
FRUSTRATED WITH THE DAMAGE TO
THEIR STOREFRONTS?
THEY PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL
INTO THEIR BUSINESS.
IT'S THEIR DREAM.
IT'S THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND
THEY'RE OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE
THEY THINK SEATTLE'S A LOST
CAUSE.
WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU SAY TO
THESE FOLKS?
WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU
COULD GO TO YOUR OWN NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS.
SEATTLEPD IS NOT ALONE.
WE'RE ALL SUFFERING FROM THIS
GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND IT'S THE
GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT HAS REALLY
CAUSED SO MUCH OF THE
DEVASTATION ECONOMICALLY TO US.
BUT AGAIN, THEY MUST UNDERSTAND
THAT THE POLICE ARE ON HAND TO
HELP MAINTAIN ORDER.
THEY HAVE DISCRETION TO MAKE
THOSE ARRESTS.
AND IN CONTRAST, LAST
EVENTS
EVENTS IN
EVENTS IN CONTRAST TO THE SUMMERS WHERE THERE WAS SUCH
SCALE
SCALE MASS PROTESTS AND SORTING OUT THE MAYHEM AFTER THE FACT HAS BEEN HAS
BEEN DIFFICULT.
NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START
TO ADDRESS THE BACKLOG AND THEY
NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE
GOVERNMENT IS WORKING
DILIGENTLY AS IT CAN IN OUR
CASE WE HAVE WELL OVER 5000
CASES THAT ARE TEED UP ONCE THE
COURT RESUMES NORMAL
OPERATIONS.
WOW.
OPERATIONS. WOW. SO THE FACT THAT A CASE MAY NOT
HAVE BEEN CHARGED YET DOESN'T
MEAN THAT IT WON'T BE CHARGED
BUT IT WILL BE CONSIDERED
PURSUANT TO THE SAME POLICY WE
ANNOUNCED IN JUNE THAT IS ONLY
PEACEFUL PROTESTERS NEED NOT
WORRY BUT BUT THOSE WHO COME TO
DO THAT VIOLENCE TO DO THAT
PROPERTY DESTRUCTION YOU DO
HAVE TO EXPECT A RECKONING.
IT WILL BE COMING.
YEAH, I COULD TALK TO YOU FOR
AN HOUR, PETE.
SO MANY QUESTIONS WILL CONTINUE
AT ANOTHER TIME.