A change in policy has taken place at the King County Prosecutor’s Office. As of October 1, 2025, charging decisions on criminal cases will be made within 30 days of being referred by law enforcement. Generally, if a person is in custody, a prosecuting body must decide within 72 hours (not including weekends and holidays) to charge someone or allow them to be released unconditionally. If a person is out of custody, a charge must be filed within the alleged crime’s ‘statute of limitations’. For instance, in DUI cases, a defendant must be charged within 2 years of the alleged incident; for a DWLS3 offense, the defendant must be charged within 365 days of being cited. So, this new policy, in essence, tables the statute of limitation period(s), and puts a faster timeline in place. The hope is to reduce crime by evidencing deterrence as a goal. It also allows for ‘fresher’ cases for the prosecuting body. Knowing the volume of arrests made in-and-around King County (the biggest county in the state), it will be interesting to see over the course of time if this policy is feasible. Obviously, the concern is that the court system is already overwhelmed with its case load. Will this policy only exacerbate that?
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of criminal allegations (in King County or elsewhere), immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A King County Prosecutor’s Office 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.
