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Senators hear King County judges, legal aid on rising eviction filings and strain on right-to-counsel program
Summary
At a Law and Justice Committee meeting in Mill Creek, King County and statewide legal-aid leaders described historic eviction filings, reduced case backlogs only after added judicial resources, and a looming funding shortfall that could cut appointed counsel for low-income tenants.
Senators on the Washington State Senate Law and Justice Committee heard a multipart briefing on eviction trends and the implementation of the state's appointed counsel program at a meeting in Mill Creek. Judge Michael Scott, chief civil judge at King County Superior Court and president-elect of the Superior Court Judges Association, testified on court caseloads; Philip Knapp of the Office of Civil Legal Aid and Jane Pax of Snohomish County Legal Services spoke about the counsel program and its effects.
Judge Michael Scott said filings for unlawful detainer (eviction) cases have reached historic highs in many counties, with King County among the most affected. "It is approximately'''60 days these days, 2 months," Scott said when asked for the current average time from filing to disposition, clarifying the figure was an average and that delays can be longer if appointing counsel is difficult to secure.
The issue matters because sustained high filing rates can overwhelm court processes and worsen…
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