Bellingham municipal court reports surge in cases, asks council to consider third judicial officer

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bellingham Municipal Court officials told the City Council on April 14 that caseloads have jumped sharply and the court needs more capacity to meet demand.

Judge Deborah Lev said the court handled “just under 24,000” total case filings in 2024, including roughly 2,490 gross misdemeanors and 392 DUI or physical control cases; parking citations alone totaled 19,778. She said those filings represent an overall increase of about 33 percent from 2023 and that the court is prioritizing criminal hearings because criminal cases involve potential loss of liberty.

The numbers matter because the court must meet speedy-trial timelines for people not held in custody. Commissioner Nicholas Henry told council that out-of-custody cases are being set about 75 days out for trial hearings — longer than the typical 40–60 days the court used to set — and that backlog pressures are forcing staff to set jury trials at the earliest available dates, sometimes within weeks.

“We have 15 criminal calendars per week,” Lev said, “and both courtrooms are in session simultaneously six times a week. We need basically four to five additional criminal calendars per week to accommodate the increased caseload.” She asked the council to consider adding “a third judicial officer” — either a full-time commissioner and two elected judges — and a third courtroom as the city’s population…