Rebuffing union, Mayor Murray orders Seattle police to begin wearing body cameras

July 17, 2017 / Steve Miletich, Seattle Times

“[Kevin] Stuckey, the guild president, said Murray’s order will make it more difficult to reach agreement on the police-accountability measures and overall contract.

City Attorney Pete Holmes, in a statement, noted Murray’s action “deploys the cameras as soon as possible while continuing to bargain with our police unions in good faith.”

City Council President Bruce Harrell, a longtime proponent of body cameras, applauded the mayor’s decision, saying in a statement, “While we respect the collective bargaining process and have been …

Work begins to restore W. Seattle hillside after trees cut to ‘improve view’

July 13, 2017 / Staff, KOMO

“‘Trees are a vital resource and this settlement puts people on notice that the city will not ignore any unauthorized cutting of city trees,’ said Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes after the settlement in April.”

http://komonews.com/news/local/work-begins-to-restore-w-seattle-hillside-after-trees-cut-to-improve-view

Seattle City Council approves income tax for high-earning residents

July 10, 2017 / Natalie Brand, KING 5

“Our Supreme Court may be the final word on Seattle’s proposed high earners income tax, but remember this is the same court that has held our state legislature in contempt for failing to adequately fund public education,” said City Attorney Pete Holmes.

http://www.king5.com/news/local/seattle-city-council-approves-income-tax-for-high-earning-residents/455499111

139 men arrested in Aurora sex sting

July 5, 2017 / Lynsi Burton, SeattlePI

“In the past, like most jurisdictions, Seattle law enforcement efforts were largely focused on prostituted women and girls – the true victims of prostitution,” City Attorney Pete Holmes said in the media release. “This was neither a just nor effective approach; prostitution and trafficking continued to grow in our area. We changed our policy to reverse the trend and reduce the crime of commercial sexual exploitation and related crimes in Seattle using a two-prong approach: reducing sexual exploitation through …

EastPAC: Groups, SPD address neighborhood issues of crime, substance abuse

June 26, 2017 / Ester Kim, Capitol Hill Times

“It’s not enough to enforce a law, you have to change the law,” Holmes said. “We’re taking a public health issue and dealing with it more appropriately.”

Holmes said substance abuse is not a criminal justice issue; it is a public health problem. Changing how the issue is addressed may result in the problem at first seeming to get worse, Holmes said, so it still needs to be a public health concern”

“‘We can’t arrest our way out of …

The C Is for Crank Interviews: Pete Holmes

June 20, 2017 / Erica Barnett, The C is for Crank
https://thecisforcrank.com/2017/06/20/the-c-is-for-crank-interviews-pete-holmes/

Police Accountability:

“At some point, the city has got to be able to negotiate its contracts. It’s got to be able to hire and fire officers. It’s got to be able to appoint chiefs. The [CPC’s] approach is going to actually confound the ultimate goal of having a well-disciplined, well-trained, and community-respected police force. That’s my concern, and you can’t explain that in a sound bite.”

Specialty Courts:

“The defense bar was advising clients not to accept the …

Sessions orders nationwide review of police reform decrees including Seattle’s

“They can’t undo the consent decree in Seattle,” City Attorney Pete Holmes was reading Sessions’ memo last night.
Holmes had a variety of reactions. He noted the timing of Sessions’ memo. “It is just like his ‘sanctuary cities’ pronouncement last week, coming on a day of bad news for the Trump administration,” said Holmes. (The news broke last night of a secret meeting seeking to establish a back channel between Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.)
As to Sessions’ memo, said Holmes: …

Seattle Files Lawsuit Over ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Funding Threat

“Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said the effects of the executive order have already been felt, with victims in domestic violence cases choosing not to pursue prosecution due to immigration status. He said local governments do not enforce federal immigration laws. Holmes noted that terms like “sanctuary cities” are nebulous and ill defined.

“Instead of the press conferences from Washington, instead of the Tweets from the White House, we want to have a sober statement of the law that can be reassuring to the communities that …

Seattle Sues Trump Administration Over Order to Defund Sanctuary Cities

“The City of Seattle is suing the Trump administration over the President’s order to cut all federal funding to so-called “sanctuary cities,” which provide limited protection against deportation for undocumented residents. City Attorney Pete Holmes said that the executive order is both vague and unconstitutional; he wants a federal judge to “nail down” exactly what that order means, and then strike it down. The lawsuit specifically names President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly as defendants.”-Casey Jaywork, Seattle …

Q&A: City Attorney Pete Holmes on Deciphering What Trump Policies Mean for Seattle

“On January 25, Trump issued this executive order vowing to yank federal funds from cities that refuse to hand over undocumented immigrants for deportation, and local politicians have remained steadfast in their message that Seattle will remain a sanctuary. Mayor Ed Murray said he is willing to risk “every penny.”

But in determining what the true consequences will be, officials like city attorney Pete Holmes are navigating murky waters, further clouded by unfettered presidential tweets. So they’re looking for answers. As announced at Murray’s State of the City …

City Inside/Out: Marijuana Lounges

Recreational marijuana is legal in Washington state, but it’s illegal to use it publicly. Advocates are now asking our state Legislature to let cities legalize “consumption lounges” where patrons could use pot socially without breaking the law. A plus for pot tourism or a public safety hazard? Should pot parlors go to a public vote? Both sides weigh in.

On the show:
Vicki Christophersen, Exec. Director, WA CannaBusiness Association
Pete Holmes, Seattle City Attorney
Yusuf Kabdi, Somali Community Leader
Daryl King, Owner, Bacon Mansion B&B Cmdr.
Pat Slack, Snohomish Co. Regional …

Seattle leaders promise to fight immigration executive order

SEATTLE – Seattle City leaders are promising to fight back against President Trump’s immigration related Executive Orders issues Wednesday, including one that takes aim at so-called Sanctuary cities.

The new administration’s action promises to strip federal grant money from cities that harbor illegal immigrants.

“This is the darkest day in immigration history in America since the internment of the Japanese Americans since the Second World War. Mr. President, I have a message for you. Seattle has been here before, we’ve experienced this dark history before and we …