Nonpartisan or Partisan?

Did you know that the King County prosecutor has been a Republican since 1948? That is a bit mind-boggling considering that King County is otherwise dominated by Democrats, not Republicans. Heck, Barack Obama won 69 percent of the King County vote in 2012.

This ‘fact’ leads to an interesting question – should the King County prosecuting attorney become a nonpartisan position? Well, voters will decide that very issue this fall; voters will choose whether the King County prosecutor should join every other elected county office in discarding its party affiliation. The supporters of nonpartisanship say that both prosecutors and the judiciary should be removed from politics as much as humanly possible. Alternatively, opponents of nonpartisanship claim that removing party affiliation will just hide relevant information from voters; they argue that, despite the voters’ dislike of partisan politics, party affiliation gives voters a quick insight into a candidate’s beliefs, and that taking away party labels forces many voters to choose between candidates they know almost nothing about. On the other hand, supporters of nonpartisanship claim that the job of a prosecutor has to be nonpolitical in every respect. This is so because the public is – quite frankly – losing confidence in partisan political institutions and their position is that we simply cannot afford for any more loss of confidence in the fairness and objectivity of the way King County prosecutes crimes. It would seem that even if the King County prosecutor did not disclose their party affiliation they would still have their own personal views, and by not disclosing this proclivity one way or the other would be doing a grave injustice to our county constituents.   Which end of the spectrum do you fall within?

If you or a loved one is arrested or charged with a crime, you should immediately seek the advice and/or assistance of a qualified Seattle criminal defense attorney. The Seattle Criminal Defense Attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle criminal defense lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested or charged for crime all across Western Washington and the Greater Puget Sound region. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances of the given case. So, whether you are arrested or charged with misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or a felony, protect yourself … call SQ Attorneys at (206) 441-0900.

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