Last month a report came out indicating that a good number of King County sexual assault cases (roughly 60%) resulted in defendants pleading down to lesser charges, a good number of which were to crimes other than sexual assault. The issue or concern related to this phenomenon was the length of time vicitm’s had to wait for their abusers to be sentenced for the crimes they were convicted of. The average wait in 2021 was nearly 19 months from the first hearing to the last. Of course, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office would have loved to close those types of cases out much faster, but unfortunately due to a myriad of issues, not the least of which was the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, that was not been possible. Ultimately, the delays impacted the victims’ recovery and the overall impact the incidents had on their lives. Some claim the delays even rendered victims ineligible for criminal sexual assault protection orders, which require defendants to stay away from victims. There is little doubt that there is a balancing act between having a cases resolved and making victims whole; the prosecuting attorney will presumably continue to try and resolve matters as equitably as possible regardless of the issues at play.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a criminal charge, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Criminal lawyer is not going to judge you and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and many times even get them dismissed. So, it should go without saying that someone cited for a misdemeanor or felony should hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a crime in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer. SQ Attorneys can be reached at (425) 359-3791 and/or (206) 441-0900.
