Lake Forest Park judge reduces fines, grants deferred findings and enters defaults in Jan. 22 infraction calendar

Judge Jennifer Grant presided over the Lake Forest Park Municipal Court remote infraction calendar on Jan. 22, 2025, and resolved a series of traffic and parking cases by reducing penalties, dismissing some charges, granting deferred findings and entering default judgments for absent defendants.

The calendar matters involved speeding in school zones and school walk zones, expired registration and no-insurance citations, a sidewalk parking citation, and two failures to appear. The outcomes included monetary penalties, payment plans, deferred-finding agreements that keep infractions off a driving record if conditions are met, and default findings where defendants did not appear.

The bulk of discussion focused on several camera and officer-issued speeding citations. In the first matter, the court addressed five infractions tied to an Alpha Omega Electric van driven by Zachary Stockwell. Grant said she would dismiss two citations from Nov. 11 (cases ending in 402 and 295), reduce one school-zone penalty from $290 to $175 and impose reduced penalties on the remaining charges, resulting in a total financial obligation the judge identified as $545. Grant told Stockwell he could make time payments and the court agreed to a $50-per-month option. Stockwell told the court he had been working in the area for about six days and “felt a little blindsided” after receiving multiple mailed notices; he also said he had not reviewed the videos. Grant emphasized the presence of children on the roadway in video footage and warned Stockwell to watch for flashing school beacons and signage when returning to Lake Forest Park.

Other mitigation outcomes included:

- Sarita Darbo: cited for registration more than two months expired; Grant reduced the penalty to $175 and instructed Darbo the court would mail updated notice with the obligation and payment options.

- Stacy Lutz: charged with multiple speeding violations (each recorded at 34 mph on dates between Oct. 18 and Nov. 1). Grant dismissed one case (ending in 243) and reduced three others to $100, $100 and $75, respectively, for a total of $275. Lutz said she was embarrassed and described personal circumstances and vehicle unfamiliarity; the judge allowed in-person payment at City Hall.

- Mikey Prince: offered and accepted a deferred finding for a speeding citation (21 mph over the limit). Grant explained the local deferred-finding program: a $175 administrative fee and a six-month period with no moving violations; if Prince pays the fee and avoids moving offenses for six months, the court will dismiss the charge. Grant noted the legislature limits deferred findings to once every seven years.

- Rochelle Villegas: cited for driving without insurance and for expired registration over two months. Grant found Villegas eligible for a deferred finding. The judge said the two penalties currently amounted to $796 and that a deferred finding would require a $175 admin fee, proof of registration and a six-month clean-driving period; the court afforded 120 days to provide registration proof, allowed the $175 admin fee to be paid in up to four installments (43.75 each), and said the deferred agreement would be mailed to Villegas.

- Daisy Laulas: contested a parking citation for parking on the sidewalk. Laulas explained she had parked there on garbage pickup days to allow larger trucks to pass on a narrow dead-end street. Grant found the violation committed under the Lake Forest Park Municipal Code but reduced the penalty to $25 and said the notice would be mailed to the address on file.

Defaults and administrative direction:

- Alexandria Amir Fayaz and Nicholas Davis did not appear for their 2 p.m. matters. Grant found their violations committed by default. The court imposed penalties by default for each case; Davis’ matters included an electronic device-while-driving violation and a no-insurance citation. Court staff noted that default findings will be processed and sent to the state Department of Licensing.

Discussion vs. decision

Most matters were settled on the spot through mitigation hearings conducted by the judge (requests for reduction or deferred findings). In contested or procedural matters (for example, Daisy Laulas’ requested contested hearing), the judge either reduced the penalty or explained options for a contested hearing. The judge made explicit decisions in each case record: dismissals, reduced fines, deferred-finding enrollments with stated conditions, or default findings for non-appearance. Where defendants requested payment plans, the court recorded them as permissible options.

Courtroom instructions and next steps

Grant instructed defendants who accepted deferred findings to follow the mailed agreement, pay the administrative fee within the timeframes provided, and avoid traffic infractions for the specified six-month periods. For reduced fines, the court indicated payment options (in-person at City Hall, by mail, or online with a credit-card convenience fee). The clerk and court staff will mail updated notices and deferred-finding agreements and will process defaults for state licensing actions as required.

Votes at a glance (case outcomes)

- Zachary Stockwell (Alpha Omega Electric driver): two Nov. 11 camera citations dismissed (cases ending 402 and 295); other citations reduced (one school-zone fine reduced to $175); total due stated by judge as $545; $50/month payment arrangement allowed. (Mitigation accepted.)

- Sarita Darbo: expired registration (more than two months) reduced to $175 (mitigation).

- Stacy Lutz: multiple speeding citations (34 mph): one dismissal (case ending 243); fines reduced to $100, $100 and $75; total $275 (mitigation).

- Mikey Prince: deferred finding granted for speeding (6 months clean driving; $175 admin fee; once-per-7-years legislative limit) (deferred finding accepted).

- Rochelle Villegas: driving without insurance and expired registration: deferred finding granted; $175 admin fee (deferred in lieu of $796 in penalties if conditions met); registration proof due (120 days) and time payment option (up to four installments) for admin fee (deferred finding accepted).

- Daisy Laulas: parking on sidewalk; found committed under Lake Forest Park Municipal Code; penalty reduced to $25 (mitigation).

- Alexandria Amir Fayaz: failed to appear; electronic device-while-driving violation found committed by default; penalties imposed (default).

- Nicholas Davis: failed to appear; electronic device-while-driving and no-insurance violations found committed by default; penalties imposed (default). Court staff to process default for Department of Licensing action.

Quotes from the record

“Welcome to the Lake Forest Park municipal court. January 22, 2025 infraction calendar,” Judge Jennifer Grant opened the remote session. On the Alpha Omega Electric matters, Grant told the defendant: “If you're done with the job in the area, but just be really careful, if you come back into Lake Forest Park. It's a very woodsy residential area ... people are real concerned about pedestrian safety.”

Zachary Stockwell said he “felt a little blindsided” after receiving multiple mailed notices for camera-detected speed violations. Stacy Lutz told the court she was “embarrassed” and described personal circumstances that, she said, affected her attention while driving.

Ending

The court concluded the afternoon calendar after entering the listed reductions, deferred agreements and default findings. Court staff will mail written orders and deferred-finding agreements, provide payment instructions, and process defaults for licensing action where required.