Pretrial Processes Workgroup

ABOUT THE WORKGROUP


The Pretrial Processes Workgroup is a subgroup of the Legal and Justice Committee focused on developing a pretrial release assessment tool and monitoring unit for Superior Court. Participants include representatives from Superior and District Courts, the Prosecutor's Office, the Public Defender's Office, the small Cities, and members of the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force. 

SCHEDULE

Upcoming Workgroup meetings are scheduled below. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed, and meeting dates may change.  Please check this webpage periodically for confirmed meeting information.  Audio recordings of the meetings are the official transcripts.  No summaries are created.

2021 Meetings

Members of the public joining the Zoom Webinar online or by phone will enter the meeting without audio or video controls. The Webinar Host will invite members of the public to speak at the appropriate time during the meeting.

The next meeting is at noon on October 19, 2021

  • Link to join meeting: TBD
  • Agenda
  • Phone number to join by phone: TBD
  • Meeting ID: TBD
  • Password: 17783

Regular meetings are generally held at 12:00 p.m. on various Tuesdays every other month. The 2021 regular meeting schedule:

2020 Meetings

  • Council Audio February 4, 2020
  • May 5, 2020: CANCELLED
  • Council Audio August 18, 2020, 12:00 PM
  • Video: December 15, 2020

2019 Meetings

  • Council Audio January 15, 2019
  • Council Audio February 19, 2019
  • Council Audio April 16, 2019 (Courthouse Conference Room 513)
  • Council Audio May 7, 2019
  • Council Audio June 13, 2019, Courthouse Courtroom 2, second floor, 311 Grand Ave., Bellingham
  • Council Audio October 22, 2019
  • Council Audio December 3, 2019

2018 Meetings

  • Council Audio March 6, 2018
  • Council Audio March 20, 2018
  • Council Audio April 3, 2018
  • Council Audio April 17, 2018
  • Council Audio April 19, 2019: Presentation with links to additional information
  • Council Audio May 1, 2018
  • Council Audio May 15, 2018
  • Council Audio May 29, 2018
  • Council Audio Monday, June 11, 2018: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  • June 26, 2018  This meeting was rescheduled to June 18, 2018
  • Council Audio June 18, 2018
  • Council Audio July 17, 2018, Courthouse Room 513
  • Council Audio July 31, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
  • Council Audio August 14, 2018,Courthouse  Room 514
  • Council Audio August 28, 2018, Courthouse Room 514 
  • Council Audio September 18, 2018, Courthouse Room 513
  • Council Audio October 2, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
  • October 16, 2018, Courthouse Room 513 - CANCELLED
  • Council Audio October 30, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
  • Council Audio November 27, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
  • Council Audio December 4, 2018, Bellingham Municipal Court Fireplace Room, 625 Halleck Street, Bellingham
  • Council Audio December 10, 2018, Bellingham Municipal Court Fireplace Room, 625 Halleck Street, Bellingham

EXPECTATIONS OF A RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL


Determining conditions for pretrial release is one of the most important decisions in criminal justice. Courts are required to order the least restrictive conditions that are reasonably necessary to cause a defendant to return to court and to protect the safety of the community.  

Every pretrial risk assessment tool should:

1. Consider the individual circumstances of each defendant;

2. Apply factors known to indicate a likelihood that a defendant will comply with the court’s pretrial conditions, or a risk that a defendant will not comply;

3. Provide judicial officers with clear and individualized assessments of risk factors;

4. Identify pretrial release conditions which will address a defendant’s risk factors and promote that defendant’s compliance with court orders and return to court as ordered.

CORE FUNCTIONS OF A PRETRIAL RELEASE 

PROGRAM


The core functions of a pretrial release program include: 

1. A process for obtaining current, accurate information from legal system and law enforcement databases, and from the defendant, as early as possible and in most cases before the defendant’s first appearance before a judicial officer;

2. Verification processes to confirm interview information and criminal history checks.

3. Use of a validated tool to assess risk of pretrial misconduct through objective means, and to present recommendations to the court for pretrial release conditions which are appropriate to each individual defendant’s risk factors and circumstances;

4. Accountable and appropriate pretrial supervision or monitoring of defendants who are released, including court date reminders to assure the defendant’s appearance in court;

5. Follow up reviews, at reasonable intervals, of defendants who were unable to meet the release conditions ordered by the court

6. Accurate reporting of outcomes, and an ongoing process to assure accurate pretrial assessments and effective pretrial monitoring and supervision.