Lake Forest Park judge reduces fines, offers deferred findings and sets contested hearing in afternoon infraction calendar

Lake Forest Park Municipal Court handled a heavy infraction calendar on Feb. 26, 2025, with Judge Johnson Grant reducing penalties in multiple photo-enforcement school walk-zone cases, offering deferred findings in some moving-violation matters and dismissing others.

The most immediate outcomes came during the mitigation portion of the afternoon calendar. Judge Johnson Grant reduced or waived fines in a string of cases involving automated photo enforcement and camera-issued school walk-zone notices. In individual rulings, the judge lowered penalties to amounts that commonly ranged from $50 to $90 and told several people, “I will reduce this for you,” as she adjusted individual invoices and ordered the court to mail updated notices.

Why it matters: automated photo-enforcement tickets are processed by Lake Forest Park as notices of infraction rather than motor-vehicle convictions, meaning the violations generally do not go on a driver’s Washington State driving record. That procedure, and the scope of the city’s camera program, was described during contested-hearing exchanges in court. Judge Johnson Grant directed several defendants to the court and city web resources for calibration and device-certification records related to the camera evidence.

Case results and examples

- James Grant (case no. 240331802): The judge reduced a school walk-zone photo ticket to a $75 penalty after Grant said he misread the posted speed on a road he did not know well. The court will send an updated invoice by mail.

- Jerome Clement (case no. 24032140): Clement, who said he believed the posted speed was higher, received a reduction to $75.

- George Sadock (case no. 252949): The judge reduced Sadock’s penalty to $75 after he told the court he was unfamiliar with the road and driving conditions that night.

- Katarina Skachkova (case no. 240330762): The judge reduced Skachkova’s ticket to $85 for a photo-captured speed 10 mph over the posted limit.

- Cameron Armour (case no. 240313891): Armour submitted a sworn declaration of nonresponsibility (saying he was not the driver). The judge accepted the paperwork and dismissed that notice of infraction.

- Daniel Miyamoto (case no. 240332065): Miyamoto asked for discovery on calibration and certification documents for the measuring device. The judge reset his contested matter to an attorney calendar and scheduled a new hearing for April 7 at 2:30 p.m. so a prosecutor can be present.

- Anh Tran (case no. 5A0159960): Tran, cited for HOV-lane driving, told the court she was forced into the HOV lane to avoid a collision. Because this was her third HOV citation, the judge offered a deferred finding: a six-month continuance with a $175 administrative fee and a condition that Tran complete defensive-driving school; if Tran provides proof of completion and avoids new moving infractions during the six months, the violation will be dismissed. The judge explained the deferred option and said paperwork with the condition would be mailed to Tran.

- A pair of matters for Mr. Liebman (case nos. 250010462 and 250011478): The judge dismissed one citation (250011478) and reduced the other (250010462) to $75; the court will mail updated payment instructions.

- Several other drivers received standard mitigations to $75 (multiple case numbers): the judge repeatedly cited the city’s public safety rationale in enforcing the school walk-zone speed limits and applied reductions for first-time or mitigating circumstances.

Process notes and defendant guidance

Judge Johnson Grant repeatedly explained that photo-issued notices are processed like parking citations (not as driving-record infractions) and pointed defendants to the Lake Forest Park municipal website for “speed measuring devices” and to violationinfo.com for ticket-specific photos and video. On discovery questions raised by a defendant about calibration logs and certificates, the judge said those records are public and available on the court’s website and offered to reset contested matters to a prosecutor calendar when discovery or certification issues remain unresolved.

The court also entered defaults for several no-shows (FTA) on the calendar; the judge announced those violations would be found committed and penalties imposed. Defendants who accepted mitigations were told to expect updated invoices by mail or to pay at the courthouse or online where fees and processing charges apply.

Quotes

“I will reduce this for you,” Judge Johnson Grant told multiple defendants as she granted mitigation requests and ordered updated invoices.

“The photo tickets do not go on your driving record,” the judge said during explanation of how photo enforcement cases are processed.

Ending

The municipal court’s Feb. 26 calendar combined routine mitigations, a deferred-finding agreement for a driver with repeated HOV citations, dismissals where defendants provided sworn nonresponsibility declarations, and at least one contested matter rescheduled for April to allow prosecutor participation. The court will mail updated notices and invoices to the listed addresses in each case.