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Judge allows counsel to withdraw in Henry James case; speedy-trial clock restarts
Summary
A judge permitted defense counsel to withdraw after a bar-complaint disclosure, restarted the speedy-trial calculation and set a May 19 pretrial for the Henry James matter; the court flagged difficulty finding immediate conflict counsel in Lake Forest Park.
A judge in the Lake Forest Park municipal readiness calendar allowed defense counsel to withdraw from the case of defendant Henry James on April 30, 2025, after counsel said a bar complaint by James created a conflict, and the court restarted the speedy-trial calculation and set a pretrial for May 19 at 9 a.m.
The withdrawal came during the readiness calendar when Attorney Smith told the court, “allow me to withdraw. Mister James did file a bar complaint against me. I feel at this point, I, I have a conflict.” The judge said the disqualification of counsel restarts the speedy-trial time and ordered the clerk to calculate the new time periods.
The matter matters because restarting the speedy-trial clock requires the court and parties to identify conflict or replacement counsel quickly and can delay disposition while a new attorney becomes familiar with the record. The judge noted concern about locating conflict counsel in this jurisdiction, saying the city “does not have a contract with any other attorneys to take these cases,” and asked clerk and counsel to confer on next steps.
Prosecutors and defense discussed logistics in the virtual proceeding. The court confirmed a May 19 pretrial at 9 a.m. and directed the clerk to mail notice to James; the judge also permitted Attorney Smith to withdraw. The clerk and the court advised James to keep contact information current and to coordinate with counsel handling a related King County matter.
Judge and court staff instructed that, absent appointed conflict counsel, the speedy-trial calculation would be restarted today and that counsel and the defendant should be prepared for the next scheduled pretrial. The court said the speedy-trial calculation will be computed from today’s disqualification unless the parties agree otherwise.
The transcript shows James raised concerns about prior DUI-related monitoring and about vendor reporting (Intoxalot) and the Department of Licensing’s communications; those complaints were discussed in argument over counsel’s ability to proceed but do not change the court’s scheduling orders. The court did not rule on the substantive claims raised by James during the readiness calendar.
