Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes cruises to reelection over Scott Lindsay

November 7, 2017 / Sara Jean Green, The Seattle Times

“Incumbent Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes secured a crushing victory over challenger Scott Lindsay, scoring nearly 73 percent of the roughly 98,000 votes counted Tuesday night.

Holmes, 61, has been in office eight years, first beating former City Attorney Tom Carr in 2009 and running unopposed in 2013. Lindsay, 39, is the former public-safety adviser to former Mayor Ed Murray.

“I’m very happy for such a decisive vote … I think I had a great record to talk about,” Holmes said. “It …

Happy Election Day!!!

Celebrate Election Night with Pete at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio (2227 5th Ave) from 7-9pm!

Please RSVP on Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/153567328712031/

#Hashtag #BallotGuide Part 2 – Seattle

October 31, 2017 / #Hashtag

Seattle City Attorney

Pete Holmes has had a pretty awesome career as city attorney.  Holmes ran for office in 2009 against noted buzzkill Tom Carr, pledging to stop criminal prosecutions for marijuana possession and opposing the construction of a new jail in the city.

Since then, Holmes has helped create a gun surrender program that has removed guns from the hands of domestic abusers and successfully defended the constitutionality of Seattle’s gun tax.

He’s managed to piss off the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, an organization that holds some pretty wild …

Experience, outside legal costs at heart of race for Seattle City Attorney

October 26, 2017 / Sara Jean Green, The Seattle Times

“Holmes recalled a case from earlier this year: A 19-year-old African-American man with no criminal history was pulled over by a police officer at 1 a.m. for driving without his headlights. The officer thought he smelled pot, so obtained a warrant to draw the man’s blood, which came back with 1 nanogram of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, per milliliter of blood.

The legal limit for drivers is 5 nanograms per milliliter, but it’s illegal for …

The C is for Crank General Election Endorsements

October 23, 2017 / Erica C. Barnett

The C Is for Crank General Election Endorsements

“City attorney Pete Holmes has a long record of fighting for progressive causes. He defended protections for hotel workers against a lawsuit by their employers; ended the widespread practice of prosecuting drivers who lost their licenses (and often their cars and livelihoods) because they couldn’t pay their traffic fines; and reduced sentencing for minor crimes to protect undocumented immigrants from unjust deportation. He has also been deeply involved in the city’s efforts to counteract …

Seattle’s sanctuary city lawsuit moves forward

October 19, 2017 / Sarah Anne Lloyd, Curbed

“The lawsuit was pursued by the Seattle city attorney’s office. City attorney Pete Holmes said in a statement that the city is “committed to rebuffing the Trump administration’s unconstitutional efforts to coerce us into supporting its divisive and un-American, anti-immigrant policies.”

https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/10/19/16505608/seattle-portland-sanctuary-city-lawsuit

The Stranger’s 2017 Election Cheat Sheet!

The Stranger’s quick list of general election endorsements: 

For a complete list of The Stranger’s endorsements: https://www.thestranger.com/endorsements-cheat-sheet/2017/10/11/25460129/2017-election-cheat-sheet

Outside counsel costs, case outcomes at heart of city attorney’s race

October 16, 2017 / Joe Veyera, Queen Anne & Magnolia News

“Ultimately the incumbent believes the city law department is functioning better than ever, and praised a newfound efficiency that came with the consolidation of the office in one location (the Columbia Center) after being scattered across six floors of three separate buildings. That has made the civil side of the department more primed that ever to defend the city and initiate lawsuits to advance city goals, with Holmes noting the suit against Monsanto on PCB …

Honored to receive the Contribution to Oversight Award!

Last week in Spokane, I received the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement’s Contribution to Oversight Award just after delivering the keynote address.

NACOLE is a national non-profit dedicated to improving oversight of police officers in the U.S. and fair and professional law enforcement that is responsive to community needs. It is an honor to be recognized by this innovative group for my longtime commitment to police reform in Seattle.

As a founding member of the Office of Professional Accountability Review Board (OPARB), police accountability …

City of Seattle joins lawsuit vs. drug-injection site opponents

October 2, 2017 / Stephen Cohen, SeattlePI

“City Attorney Pete Holmes filed a motion to join the lawsuit against I-27 on Sept. 22, calling the suit “the next logical step in turning away from relying on the criminal justice system to solve public health problems.”

In its suit, Protect Public Health argued that public health policies are to be made administratively, not through legislation, per state law. The suit seeks to have I-27 barred from coming to a vote, which was expected in February.”

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/City-joins-lawsuit-opposing-drug-injection-site-12247231.php

Inside Politics: Battle for City Attorney

September 30, 2017 / Natalie Brand, King 5

“Topics covered:

Cost overrun in city budget unveiled this week
Debate over donations received in the race
View of biggest responsibility and top priorities of the job
View of leadership and role of city attorney in policymaking at city level”

http://www.king5.com/news/politics/inside-politics-battle-for-seattle-city-attorney/479718489

State AG, City Attorney Announce Lawsuits Against OxyContin Manufacturer

September 28, 2017 / Heidi Groover, The Stranger

“Holmes also linked Seattle’s homelessness crisis to opioid production. The city spends more than $50 million a year on homelessness and its firefighters and parks staff, among others, encounter needles and people using drugs, Holmes said. A recent city survey of people experiencing homelessness found that 55 percent of respondents reported using drugs or alcohol and 13 percent said drug or alcohol abuse was the primary cause of their homelessness.

“Unlike earthquakes and hurricanes, this disaster is a human …