Judge and court coordinator describe Pasco Municipal Court programs, housing placements and impacts of Blake decision

Judge Stilwell and the municipal court’s community resource coordinator, Gracie Delgado, presented an overview of Pasco Municipal Court operations and programs at the City Council workshop on Feb. 24.

Judge Stilwell described the court as a court of limited jurisdiction operating under state law (RCW) to hear misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors. He outlined court staffing and processes, and said municipal cases account for “almost 95% of cases that are heard across the state of Washington,” emphasizing the court’s access‑to‑justice mission.

Delgado described the community resource coordinator role and services: case management for probationers, assistance applying for public benefits, transportation assistance (she cited a $750 transportation grant used for bus tickets), referrals to counseling or mandated classes, and outreach to parks and jails. Delgado said the original pilot received roughly $225,000 in grant funding to start the program in 2022; the city now funds the coordinator position and the office has pursued smaller grants to sustain services.

Judge Stilwell discussed program outcomes and systemic changes since the Washington Supreme Court’s Blake decision. He said the court and police saw a large increase in unlawful possession filings after local code changed in August 2023; the court handled 85 possession cases in the last four months of 2023 and 219 cases in 2024. Before Blake, many possession matters were heard in superior court; after Blake, municipal court filings rose substantially because possession of controlled substances began to be enforced at the municipal level.

The judge also said about 1,200 prior convictions across jurisdictions for possession had to be set aside following Blake; Pasco Municipal Court has processed over 250 such cases under a state‑administered program the judge called the “Blake Project,” and the administrative office of the courts reimbursed the city for some refunded fines and costs. He said the legislature required diversion opportunities (treatment) for the first two possession cases filed, but provided no statewide funding that would cover local enforcement and treatment needs.

Judge Stilwell and Delgado warned of funding challenges: temporary housing partners advised the court in January that funding reductions would likely cause about 60% of people placed in temporary housing during the program’s early period to lose those placements by March, potentially increasing homelessness in public spaces. The judge said Pasco police generally focus enforcement on criminal conduct such as public drug use rather than simply on sleeping outdoors; he noted a U.S. Supreme Court‑level ruling reversed an earlier Ninth Circuit decision affecting camping ordinances and left the city able to enforce local codes that prohibit camping where it blocks public ways.

Council members asked about recidivism tracking and implementation of case management systems. Staff said the court has begun implementing a new case management tool for courts of limited jurisdiction planned for July–August; once implemented it will improve the ability to track probation and community resource referrals. The judge and council members also discussed the practical limits of imposing unpaid legal financial obligations given statutory limits and poverty exemptions for many defendants.