Press Release
For Immediate Release
Seattle City Attorney Launches New Connection Court and Announces New Repeat Offenses Strategy
SEATTLE, WA – Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans today announced two new approaches to misdemeanor casework in Seattle, tailoring accountability to individual circumstances and patterns of behavior.
Defendants committing low-level, nonviolent offenses will now be eligible for the newly-launched Connection Court, which offers and requires that participants meaningfully engage in direct service connections that are responsive to their unmet needs. Separately, City prosecutors will seek longer jail sentences for people who repeatedly engage in misdemeanor criminality under the High-Priority Repeat Offenses system, known internally as HiPRO.
“Solving our city's serious public safety challenges requires changing people's behavior, in ways that last. My experience prosecuting criminal cases taught me that one-size-fits-all policies do not deliver those long-term changes we need,” said City Attorney Erika Evans. “Connection Court restores a key prosecution alternative with new accountability, and our HiPRO protocols seek firmer consequences for those who have taken advantage of Seattle's compassion.”
Connection Court
In cases where the charged offense is low-level, does not involve violence, and was not part of a pattern of frequent criminal misconduct, prosecutors may send a charge to Seattle’s new Connection Court — a program providing same-day connection to services that a Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) counselor identifies as responsive to the person’s unmet needs. People with serious felony records are not eligible for Connection Court, among other disqualifiers.
“Every individual entering Connection Court is referred directly to SMC’s Community Resource Center, located in the courthouse, ensuring they receive support and service referrals at the very start of their journey,” said the Hon. Anita Crawford-Willis, Presiding Judge, Seattle Municipal Court. “With strong partners and dedicated staff and volunteers, we are ready to help people move forward.”
Connection Court restores a vital missing link in Seattle’s local misdemeanor system. A previous program called Community Court was shuttered in 2023.
The new Connection Court differs from the previous Community Court in three key ways.
First, while both courts prioritize screening assessment with a Seattle Municipal Court counselor and immediate engagement with services best tailored to their challenges, partners have collaborated to improve the quality of services offered and expand connections to service agencies.
A collaboration with the Downtown Seattle Association will offer employment opportunities for eligible Connection Court participants to apply and interview for the Metropolitan Improvement District’s Downtown Ambassador program. The City Attorney’s Office is also in close conversation with the Mayor's Office about steps that could be implemented to support referral of eligible Connection Court participants to shelter.
“We’re thrilled to partner with City Attorney Evans and her team as they take new steps to ensure accountability and a safer city. Rebuilding this court is an important step in making sure our system has the right kind of interventions and we know how critical employment can be for people trying to rehabilitate their lives,” said Downtown Seattle Association President & CEO Jon Scholes. “In downtown through the years, we’ve seen firsthand how a few people can have an outsized impact on neighborhoods, and I commend the City Attorney for her leadership in applying methods that can interrupt this cycle of behavior.”
Second, City Attorney Evans insisted on a 90-day jurisdiction requiring a period of law-abiding behavior to successfully complete Connection Court. Defendants who fail to successfully complete Connection Court will be screened out of the Court to be prosecuted through a traditional path.
Third, the prior Community Court lacked eligibility restrictions tied to a person’s prior criminal history. For the new Connection Court, City Attorney Evans has imposed eligibility restrictions excluding people with certain serious criminal histories — such as a 2nd degree assault conviction within the past decade, or any prior conviction for murder or rape, to name just a few examples.
When an eligible defendant receives and accepts a Connection Court offer from City prosecutors, Connection Court staff will work with them to identify meaningful services and support. Services will include things like medication assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction, peer support, job opportunities, or help signing up for applicable state or federal benefits programs.
High-Priority Repeat Offenses (HiPRO) program
Those who are charged with three cases in any three-month span or six cases in any six-month span will have their cases processed under the High Priority Repeat Offenses (HiPRO) program. HiPRO cases are ineligible for diversion programs and Connection Court, and prosecutors will ask Seattle judges to impose aggravated jail sentences.
The City Attorney’s Office HiPRO program is modeled after the approach of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. This approach lets prosecutors dynamically target patterns of individual behavior, rather than relying on a static list of names.
Another facet of HiPRO addresses individuals harassing businesses or attempting to steal from vehicles. If a person returns and steals from a store that they had been previously trespassed from, their case will be designated HiPRO and ineligible for diversion. Any car prowl case where the defendant has been convicted of felony theft, car theft or robbery in the past year will be automatically designated HiPRO.
“As an experienced prosecutor, I know that one-size-fits-all criminal justice doesn’t advance lasting public safety,” Evans said. “My career in criminal courtrooms has taught me to take a dynamic approach, tailoring consequences to what will meaningfully disrupt patterns of behavior. Smart justice means holding people accountable who repeatedly break the law, and also helping those who are ready to be helped, while maintaining supervision and accountability as that process plays out.”
What people are saying:
Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles:
“Connection Court gives people a real chance to change course, connecting them to services the same day while holding them accountable if they don't follow through. City Attorney Evans has built a program that pairs compassion with consequences, and the Seattle Police Department is proud to support it. Seattle police officers see firsthand how the same individuals cycle through the justice system when the root causes of their behavior go unaddressed: addiction, untreated mental illness, unemployment, and housing instability. Connection Court is designed to break that cycle.
“What I appreciate most about this approach is it doesn't stop at the courtroom door. It offers real opportunities, like job interviews with the Metropolitan Improvement District Ambassadors, not a box-checking exercise. City Attorney Evans has committed to reviewing the program regularly and adjusting what isn't working. That's exactly the kind of leadership public safety requires.
“Together, these efforts reflect a balanced strategy. We offer a real path forward to those ready to take it, and we hold accountable those who continue to cause harm. The Seattle Police Department looks forward to partnering with the City Attorney's Office and Seattle Municipal Court to make Connection Court a success.”
“I am a firm believer that our systems should be designed to intervene thoroughly and effectively at the first sign of serious trouble. For too long, our first responders have watched people repeatedly fall through the cracks, never really being afforded the right supports paired with the right level of accountability. It has been inspiring to support City Attorney Evans and her team as they reimagined what a community court could look like, and then developed a practical approach to both program design and evaluation. They have worked with urgency and focus, learning from the models with the best outcomes in the country, and in close collaboration with key criminal legal and behavioral health partners locally. I celebrate the launch of Connection Court and am confident that it will fill a critical void in our public safety system.”
Seattle Metro Chamber President & CEO Joe Nguyễn:
“A safer Seattle is fundamental to our city’s future and remains one of the Chamber’s highest priorities. Connection Court strengthens accountability, creates clear consequences and connects people directly to services that can help break the cycle of repeat offenses. This is the kind of focused, results-driven approach we need to make our streets safer and build a stronger Seattle for everyone.”
Retired public defender Karen W. Murray:
“As a career public defender for nearly thirty years, until my retirement I had the privilege and honor of not only supervising the first Seattle Municipal Community Court, but I also was one of the collaborators of that initial Court. So, when hearing and reading about the Seattle City Attorney's launch of a new Connection Court in Seattle Municipal Court and her introduction of a new repeat offenses strategy, I was excited to see that she led with compassion and common-sense prosecution to design a diversion program that is innovative, appropriate for the time, and well thought-out for the circumstances confronting our criminal justice system. Unlike traditional Community Court this court allows the defendant to determine his/her fate immediately by allowing them to connect with services that meet their individual needs as accessed by designated pretrial services counselors while holding the participants accountable to specific requirements to be completed within a 90-day period with no new violations.
“This concept of accountability is key and addresses what the community and even some of us in the criminal justice system have been asking to be addressed, and that is safety. Ms. Evans has addressed the safety issue by introducing the commonsense policy of a new repeat offenses strategy where an individual's prior criminal history may restrict their participation. From the perspective of this lifetime Public Defender, someone who still believes in second chances, and who believes that everyone should feel safe within and outside the confines of their home, I believe Seattle City Attorney's Connection Court is a great start to getting us there.”
Joe Barsana, President of the WA State Therapeutic Courts Alumni Association:
“Therapeutic court helped me take responsibility for my actions, make lasting changes in my life and get the support I needed to get better. Accountability, connection and belonging were all part of that experience. Being surrounded by people who believed in me helped me believe I could build a different life. I thank City Attorney Erika Evans for her leadership in bringing Connection Court forward and the chance it offers others to find hope, rebuild relationships and feel connected to their community again.”
Elected Officials
“Connection Court recognizes that people with complex needs need tailored approaches. If individuals are cycling through our criminal legal system over and over that means something isn’t working, and this is a thoughtful, intentional approach to break that cycle while maintaining accountability. City Attorney Evans has been a leader on this issue and I thank her for her partnership in addressing the reasons people repeatedly end up in court, not just closing the case.”
“I welcome this measured approach that advances restoration and public safety at the same time. The combination of Connection Court's opportunities for meaningful paths to assistance—grounded in accountability—and HiPRO's thoughtful consequences for those who repeatedly break our laws, is an example of the balance Seattle should be striking. This new Connection Court becoming operational within 10 months of City Attorney Evans’ term speaks volumes to her leadership, experience, collaboration, and effectiveness.”
“Connection Court is a much-welcomed successor to its failed predecessors for importantly it centers on the participants and their needs but also accountability. I thank City Attorney Evans for furthering a more functional criminal justice system, which is crucial in creating a safer Seattle, and will work with her on DUI, HiPRO, ERPO and other initiatives.”
“Too often, we see people cycling in and out of jail, the hospital, and back onto the street. People are not getting the support they need for long-term improvement, and neighborhoods like Little Saigon, North Beacon Hill, and Belltown are facing difficult financial and safety challenges as a result.
“I am thankful for all the hard work and collaboration to create the Connection Court. I am excited and hopeful to see the difference it can make, pairing accountability with resources for individuals who are struggling, including healthcare, housing, and job opportunities. This is common-sense good governance that can save lives and help our impacted neighborhoods.”
“Connection Court serves as a public safety deterrent from the criminal court system. Having access to services for low-level nonviolent offenses is a proactive approach by the City Attorney’s office to hold people accountable as well as provide much needed social services. In short, Connection Court is generous in both empathy and accountability.”
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to addressing our city's complex public safety challenges. Connection Court brings the right combination of community resources and personal accountability to each case. This responsive and responsible approach will ensure public resources are deployed effectively and efficiently, resolving cases faster, and with better long-term outcomes. I applaud City Attorney Evans for her leadership in taking the community court model her predecessor walked away from and remaking it into something stronger and more effective for our City.”
“The redesigned Connection Court gives us another critical tool for the City to ensure we meet our public safety and addiction challenges with the right tools based on what each case requires. I applaud City Attorney Evans for taking a strong and balanced approach; ensuring Connection Court participants have same-day access to services, clear guidelines to meet meaningful goals and program requirements, and a focus on addressing the underlying challenges that bring people into contact with the criminal legal system in the first place.”
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