Seattle's 5,000-case prosecution backlog: two budget fixes on the table Tuesday, and what each would pay for

About 5,000 criminal cases are waiting in the Seattle City Attorney's Office, and two sets of councilmembers have filed budget proposals to clear them. Both go to the Select Budget Committee on Tuesday.

Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 9) announced her proposal Monday with City Attorney Erika Evans in a Council release. It would spend $1 million once, starting with about 1,700 cases. The release breaks the backlog down this way:

• about 1,700 domestic violence cases, roughly a third
• 830 criminal traffic cases
• 715 harassment cases

The release says the backlog has lasted through three City Attorney administrations. It blames more evidence per case and heavy caseloads for prosecutors.

"No victim or survivor should have to wait up to two years for their case to be filed on," Evans said in the release. Foster said, "Every case deserves a thorough look, because justice for survivors depends on it."

For residents, the backlog decides how long a misdemeanor case can sit before anyone decides whether to file charges. That includes domestic violence and harassment cases.

What our records add: the two approaches side by side

The Council's City Attorney proposal packet for Tuesday lays out three items:

• LAW-001 (Foster, with Eddie Lin and Alexis Mercedes Rinck): $1 million in 2027, one time, for the Criminal Division. Central Staff says it is meant as short-term help beyond current staff. It could pay for outside lawyers, contract paralegals, externs or law-student interns.
• LAW-002 (Robert Kettle, with Debora Juarez and Dan Strauss): about $562,000 in 2027 and $715,000 in 2028 for four new assistant city prosecutors. This would be ongoing money. Central Staff notes the proposed budget gives the Criminal Division 82 positions, including prosecutors, paralegals, legal assistants, support staff and victim advocates.
• LAW-003 (Kettle, with Juarez and Strauss): $277,000 a year for toxicology testing and witness travel. Central Staff cites the office's 2025 annual report on slow toxicology results, which are needed in most DUI prosecutions, and on trouble reaching witnesses. It also notes a new state law, SB 5880, that lets the city contract with accredited private labs.

Together, the three items would cost about $1.84 million in 2027. The main difference is how long the money lasts. Foster's is a one-time push on the existing backlog. Kettle's adds permanent prosecutor positions.

Kettle also has a related item for the court that hears these cases. SMC-001 (with Rob Saka and Strauss) would add about $410,000 a year to Seattle Municipal Court to restore two vacant positions, an IT professional and a manager. The mayor's budget would cut both, per the court's packet.

Where the Council has heard from this office before. The committee reviewed the City Attorney's budget last year at its Oct. 28, 2025 meeting (Inf 2774). The Public Safety Committee got a briefing on the office's "new public safety tools" on Sept. 9, 2025 (Inf 2729). That was under Evans' predecessor, Ann Davison.

Connection Court, the other change at the office

The backlog proposals come as Evans rolls out Connection Court, a sentencing alternative for low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors, KUOW reported Oct. 23. Defendants are connected to services and must go 90 days without a new offense to avoid prosecution. King County's public defense agency has objected to its eligibility rules, The Stranger reported. We explain how it works in Seattle's new Connection Court.

What's next

• Tuesday, Oct. 27, 9:30 a.m.: Central Staff presents the City Attorney and Municipal Court proposals at the Select Budget Committee (LAW agenda item). Other members can sign on as co-sponsors in open session.
• Nov. 4: the budget chair's balancing package shows which proposals are funded.
• Nov. 5: public hearing, with remote comment at 1 p.m. and in-person comment at 5 p.m., per the Foster release and the Central Staff schedule.

Our overview of all 36 proposals on Tuesday's list shows the rest.