Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Court Calendar Deferred Discovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Forest Park judge grants deferred findings, dismisses multiple cases after discovery gaps
Summary
On June 22, 2026, Judge Jennifer Branch granted several six-month deferred findings and repeatedly granted defense motions to suppress and dismiss after attorneys said prosecutors did not provide requested discovery in multiple camera-ticket and infraction cases.
Judge Jennifer Branch presided over the Lake Forest Park Municipal Court afternoon infraction calendar on June 22, 2026, granting multiple deferred findings and ordering dismissals in cases where defense attorneys said discovery was not provided.
Defense counsel asked for deferred findings in several matters, and the court granted the requests with consistent conditions: six-month deferral periods, a $175 administrative fee and a prohibition on moving traffic violations during the deferral. Cases addressed with deferred findings included Hector Santana (citation listed as 5A09 62460), Albino Vargas (6A0157579), Evan Cohen (T252207), Bonnell (5A0878668), Ganim (68005747), Tremaine (580965164) and a matter for Anthony Gardio (T00316532). In each instance the court granted defense requests after confirming eligibility.
Separately, defense attorneys pressed motions under local discovery rules (3.1(b)) asserting they had timely requested materials and received no response from the city. One counsel described mailing a June 4 discovery request to Sarah Roberts, Lake Forest Park Prosecuting Attorney, and filing confirmation in the court e-file system; the attorney said he received no response. The court granted motions to suppress and dismissed multiple counts where discovery was not produced.
"As an officer of the court, I did not receive any response from the city by mail, email, or any other means to that request for discovery," defense counsel said when explaining the record to the judge. The court then granted the defense motion in that matter.
The court also handled several routine plea arrangements tied to registration and photo-enforcement matters. Where defense counsel reached agreements with the prosecutor, the judge accepted those dispositions; where discovery was not produced, the judge granted dismissals. Court staff arranged for paperwork to be sent to counsel or defendants' addresses as requested.
The calendar included multiple attorneys seeking similar relief; Judge Branch repeatedly instructed that deferred findings would include the same fee and the no-moving-violation condition. Many motions to suppress and dismiss were resolved during the session. The court scheduled continuances and noted follow-up mailing or e-filing of orders where appropriate.
The court did not record any jury trials or contested bench trials in the afternoon session; most matters resolved by agreement or dismissal. The calendar concluded with clerical housekeeping and scheduling for follow-up sessions.
