Judge Grant reduces fines, offers deferred finding and dismisses some photo-ticket cases at Lake Forest Park remote calendar

Lake Forest Park — Judge Jennifer Grant presided over a remote municipal infraction calendar on Feb. 2, 2026, resolving a series of traffic- and registration-related citations by reducing penalties, offering a deferred dismissal option in one speeding case and dismissing several citations after registrants swore they were not the driver.

The mitigation calendar, the judge explained, is an admission of the violation but allows defendants to present circumstances or financial information for a reduced penalty. “The mitigation calendar is admission that the violation occurred, but you wish to provide some information to the court,” Grant said at the start of the session.

Several defendants received mitigated penalties. Judge Grant reduced two school-zone photo tickets for Michael Corona to $75 and $90 respectively (total $165), with payment due March 20 and time-payment arrangements available. Alexander Simachov was offered a reduction to $75 or the choice of community service; he accepted mitigation rather than a contested hearing. For a speeding citation, Mohammed Diba accepted a deferred finding — a six-month continuance with a $175 administrative fee due in 30 days and dismissal if he maintains a clean driving record for six months.

Other mitigations and payment plans included a reduced $125 fine for Brianna Dorsey (expired registration) on a $25-per-month, five-month payment plan and a reduction to $100 for Sheila Parker, a senior who said she lives on a fixed income. Regina Reed contested two photo-enforcement citations and asked the court to consider whether equipment could have been in error; she also said, “I really almost felt like I was racially profiled, not welcomed in Washington.” Grant noted calibration and maintenance records for the photo-enforcement equipment are posted publicly and concluded the devices were maintained; she reduced the October infraction from $290 to $125 and the January violation to $90 (total $215), with the payment notice to follow.

At contested hearings the judge reviewed evidence and calibration records. In a contested case, Matthew Erickson presented a speed-validation worksheet and argued the camera could be off by about 1 mph; after reviewing the validation report, the judge found the device was working appropriately, found the violation committed by a preponderance of the evidence and reduced the fine to $100.

The court dismissed multiple citations after the registered owners swore they were not the driver at the time the camera captured the vehicle. Judge Grant repeatedly placed defendants under oath and dismissed cases where individuals testified they were not operating the vehicle, including matters involving Sameer Alabara and Jamal Saeed.

The calendar also recorded several failures to appear. The judge found multiple FTAs and entered default findings of committed violations where notice had been mailed and no appearance was made; clerks were directed to impose penalties per the docket and to issue updated notices to listed addresses.

The court flagged an access issue when a scheduled Spanish-language interpreter was not available for a contested hearing; that matter was continued to March 18 on Zoom and a notice will be mailed to the defendant. Throughout the calendar Judge Grant repeatedly offered time-payment plans and community-service alternatives where eligible and confirmed that most photo-enforcement citations are treated like parking infractions and do not appear on driving records.

The court concluded by noting that reduced penalties and deferred findings will be mailed to the addresses on file and that payments are due by March 20 unless a time-payment plan is arranged. Several default findings for failures to appear were entered and will be processed according to court procedures.