Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, August 1, 2008
A state appeals court upheld California's 12-year-old medical marijuana law Thursday, rejecting two counties' arguments that allowing patients to use the drug with their doctor's approval condones violations of federal narcotics laws.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Diego dismissed challenges by San Diego and San Bernardino counties, which objected both to the 1996 marijuana initiative and to recent legislation requiring counties to issue identification cards to users of medical pot.
The cards protect their holders from arrest by state or local police for possessing small amounts of marijuana.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government can enforce its drug laws, which ban marijuana use and cultivation, against patients and their suppliers in California and the 11 other states that have legalized medical marijuana under their own laws.
But in Thursday's ruling, the appeals court said states remain free to decide whether to punish drug users under their own laws.
"The (federal) law does not compel the states to impose criminal penalties for marijuana possession," said Justice Alex McDonald in the 3-0 ruling, which upheld a Superior Court judge's decision.
"The purpose of the (federal law) is to combat recreational drug use, not to regulate a state's medical practices."
Besides, McDonald said, the counties' only obligation under the California law is to process and hand out the ID cards, a requirement that poses no conflict with federal law.
State and local officers can't arrest marijuana users for violating the federal law, he said, and applications for the medical marijuana cards contain a warning that they provide no shield against federal authorities.
Although the state's decision to allow medical marijuana use "arguably undermines the goals" of the federal law, McDonald said, county governments are unaffected by any such conflicts and therefore have no right to sue to overturn the entire state law.
San Diego County's lawyer, Senior Deputy County Counsel Thomas Bunton, said county supervisors may decide by next week whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court. He said a future appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is also possible.
"We think the court should have found that California's medical marijuana laws are pre-empted by the federal law," Bunton said. "We think (the ID card law) requires us to issue cards in support of conduct that violates federal law."
Advocacy groups that joined the state in defense of its law said the ruling shows that states are free to chart their own course on medical marijuana.
The decision "provides yet further confirmation that states need not march in lockstep with federal policy," said Adam Wolf, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer representing the National Association for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
He said the court issued "a stinging rebuke to the misguided attempt of a few rogue counties to undermine the will of California's voters and the well-being of thousands of sick and dying patients."
In a separate case Thursday, the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento became the second to declare unconstitutional a 2003 state law that limited the amount of marijuana a patient could possess for medical use and remain exempt from prosecution.
The ruling would leave those decisions up to local governments, or to local prosecutors and juries in counties that lacked an official standard. The law, part of the same legislation that established the state-approved identification cards, allowed patients to possess up to 8 ounces of dried marijuana, or up to six mature marijuana plants or 12 immature plants, unless a doctor had recommended greater amounts to meet the patient's needs.
The Third District Court ruled that the law conflicted with the 1996 medical marijuana initiative, Proposition 215, which set no numerical limits on the amount of marijuana a patient could possess.
An appeals court in Los Angeles reached the same conclusion in May, a ruling that Attorney General Jerry Brown's office has appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Read the rulings
-- The San Diego ruling is available at links.sfgate.com/ZEJL
-- The Sacramento ruling is available at links.sfgate.com/ZEJM
E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.
Experienced legal counsel to cannabis businesses, entrepreneurs, and patients.
Seattle, Washington (206) 728-0200
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
DEA seizes medical marijuana confiscated in Seattle police raid
P-I NEWS SERVICES
SEATTLE – The federal government is getting involved in the case of a medical marijuana patient-support group that was raided by Seattle police last week.
According to the Seattle Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration has taken control of the marijuana seized during the raid on the Lifevine cooperative two weeks ago.
That raid made headlines largely because police seized hundreds of medical marijuana patient files. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg declined to press charges against the man who runs the group, Martin Martinez, and had the files returned to him. But Seattle police didn't immediately return the 12 ounces of dried marijuana bud or several pounds of less potent leaves, and the DEA took them last Friday.
A spokeswoman for the DEA said she had no immediate comment.
SEATTLE – The federal government is getting involved in the case of a medical marijuana patient-support group that was raided by Seattle police last week.
According to the Seattle Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration has taken control of the marijuana seized during the raid on the Lifevine cooperative two weeks ago.
That raid made headlines largely because police seized hundreds of medical marijuana patient files. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg declined to press charges against the man who runs the group, Martin Martinez, and had the files returned to him. But Seattle police didn't immediately return the 12 ounces of dried marijuana bud or several pounds of less potent leaves, and the DEA took them last Friday.
A spokeswoman for the DEA said she had no immediate comment.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Man shot in Mountlake Terrace standoff
P-I STAFF
A man was fatally shot early Wednesday in a standoff with police in Mountlake Terrace. Police were investigating whether the man was shot by an officer or whether he took his own life.
The incident began about 1 a.m. when police were called to the home near the intersection of 48th Avenue SW and 236th Street SW for reports of gunfire. An officer who responded heard shots and saw a man with a rifle at the window, KOMO/4 reported.
The man pointed the rifle at the officer, who fired a shot. More police surrounded the home and over the next few hours, other people came out and surrendered. A SWAT team then entered the home after 5 a.m. and found a man dead inside, KOMO/4 reported.
A man was fatally shot early Wednesday in a standoff with police in Mountlake Terrace. Police were investigating whether the man was shot by an officer or whether he took his own life.
The incident began about 1 a.m. when police were called to the home near the intersection of 48th Avenue SW and 236th Street SW for reports of gunfire. An officer who responded heard shots and saw a man with a rifle at the window, KOMO/4 reported.
The man pointed the rifle at the officer, who fired a shot. More police surrounded the home and over the next few hours, other people came out and surrendered. A SWAT team then entered the home after 5 a.m. and found a man dead inside, KOMO/4 reported.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Auburn motorcycle officer hurt in crash
P-I STAFF
An Auburn police motorcycle officer was hit by a car and hurt while racing to an accident scene.
The officer was struck sometime after 4 p.m. on West Main Street, said Auburn Police Sgt. Scott Near.
At the time, the officer was responding to a report of a collision and had his lights and sirens on, Near said.
He was westbound on Main Street, passing vehicles by driving into the lanes of oncoming traffic.
As he approached an intersection, a woman in a Volvo station wagon, also facing westbound, turned left in front of him.
The impact left the officer with a fractured wrist, Near said. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
There were no other injuries in the accident.
An Auburn police motorcycle officer was hit by a car and hurt while racing to an accident scene.
The officer was struck sometime after 4 p.m. on West Main Street, said Auburn Police Sgt. Scott Near.
At the time, the officer was responding to a report of a collision and had his lights and sirens on, Near said.
He was westbound on Main Street, passing vehicles by driving into the lanes of oncoming traffic.
As he approached an intersection, a woman in a Volvo station wagon, also facing westbound, turned left in front of him.
The impact left the officer with a fractured wrist, Near said. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
There were no other injuries in the accident.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Police investigate Everett homicide
KING5.com Staff
EVERETT, Wash. - Police homicide investigators are on the scene of a fatal shooting in front of a home in the 2400 block of 75th St. SE.
According to police the shooting occurred at about 5:30 a.m.
Neighbors reported hearing multiple shots being fired.
"I was asleep and I rolled over and heard shots from across the street. Two shots," said Mark Downey. "I checked the alarm clock and it was 5:32."
When police arrived they found a man's body.
"When they arrived they found a male deceased in the driveway of the residence," said Sergeant Robert Goetz of the Everett Police Department. "We're working with (a) multiple gunshot wounds victim."
Police say witnesses said they saw a vehicle leaving the scene. They have a vague description of the vehicle believed to be a Toyota pickup truck.
Police say the owner of the home told them he was "sucker punched" but is not a suspect in the shooting.
Neighbors tell KING5 News they are not surprised by the violent incident. They say a year ago they formed a neighborhood watch program to counter drug activity in the area.
"It's been a known problem house, a drug house basically. We've fought for years trying to get it shut down, " said one neighbor who did not want to be identified.
"We've got a neighborhood watch program that was started specifically because of that house and the known drug things that are happening down there," the neighbor said. " This is the first actual murder that we've had. There's been a lot of arrests and everything that have happened but this has gotten to a point where something has got to stop."
No arrests have been made as yet.
EVERETT, Wash. - Police homicide investigators are on the scene of a fatal shooting in front of a home in the 2400 block of 75th St. SE.
According to police the shooting occurred at about 5:30 a.m.
Neighbors reported hearing multiple shots being fired.
"I was asleep and I rolled over and heard shots from across the street. Two shots," said Mark Downey. "I checked the alarm clock and it was 5:32."
When police arrived they found a man's body.
"When they arrived they found a male deceased in the driveway of the residence," said Sergeant Robert Goetz of the Everett Police Department. "We're working with (a) multiple gunshot wounds victim."
Police say witnesses said they saw a vehicle leaving the scene. They have a vague description of the vehicle believed to be a Toyota pickup truck.
Police say the owner of the home told them he was "sucker punched" but is not a suspect in the shooting.
Neighbors tell KING5 News they are not surprised by the violent incident. They say a year ago they formed a neighborhood watch program to counter drug activity in the area.
"It's been a known problem house, a drug house basically. We've fought for years trying to get it shut down, " said one neighbor who did not want to be identified.
"We've got a neighborhood watch program that was started specifically because of that house and the known drug things that are happening down there," the neighbor said. " This is the first actual murder that we've had. There's been a lot of arrests and everything that have happened but this has gotten to a point where something has got to stop."
No arrests have been made as yet.
Woman who once posed as a boy arrested for violating probation
A woman who posed as a homeless, orphaned boy and befriended and abused a teenage girl has been returned to jail after state Department of Corrections officials say she had been living with a minor.
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A woman who posed as a homeless, orphaned boy and befriended and abused a teenage girl has been returned to jail after state Department of Corrections officials say she had been living with a minor.
Lorelei Corpuz, 31, was sentenced in June 2007 to a year in jail for child molestation. She had been released from prison and was on community supervision, this state's version of probation, when she was arrested last Wednesday.
Department of Corrections (DOC) spokesman Chad Lewis said that Corpuz was arrested by Snohomish County sheriff's deputies for illegal contact with a minor. Because of her conviction, Corpuz had registered as a sex offender and was forbidden from having contact with children.
Lewis said that when Corpuz was arrested she had been living with an underage relative.
Corpuz will have a DOC administrative hearing at the Snohomish County Jail on Aug. 4. At that time corrections staff will review her criminal history, the new crime she is accused of and likely recommend that she serve additional jail time, Lewis said.
Corpuz posed as 17-year-old Mark Villanueva when she met a 14-year-old girl at Everett Mall in September 2005. The girl's parents allowed Corpuz to move into their South Everett duplex.
After moving into the home Corpuz beat and molested the girl, Snohomish County prosecutors said. The relationship was discovered when police stopped Corpuz and the teenage victim for a traffic stop in April 2007.
When sentenced in June 2007, Corpuz was given the maximum penalty under state guidelines. She had also been charged with two counts of third-degree child rape, but the charges were dropped when she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and spared the victim from the trauma of testifying in court, authorities said.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A woman who posed as a homeless, orphaned boy and befriended and abused a teenage girl has been returned to jail after state Department of Corrections officials say she had been living with a minor.
Lorelei Corpuz, 31, was sentenced in June 2007 to a year in jail for child molestation. She had been released from prison and was on community supervision, this state's version of probation, when she was arrested last Wednesday.
Department of Corrections (DOC) spokesman Chad Lewis said that Corpuz was arrested by Snohomish County sheriff's deputies for illegal contact with a minor. Because of her conviction, Corpuz had registered as a sex offender and was forbidden from having contact with children.
Lewis said that when Corpuz was arrested she had been living with an underage relative.
Corpuz will have a DOC administrative hearing at the Snohomish County Jail on Aug. 4. At that time corrections staff will review her criminal history, the new crime she is accused of and likely recommend that she serve additional jail time, Lewis said.
Corpuz posed as 17-year-old Mark Villanueva when she met a 14-year-old girl at Everett Mall in September 2005. The girl's parents allowed Corpuz to move into their South Everett duplex.
After moving into the home Corpuz beat and molested the girl, Snohomish County prosecutors said. The relationship was discovered when police stopped Corpuz and the teenage victim for a traffic stop in April 2007.
When sentenced in June 2007, Corpuz was given the maximum penalty under state guidelines. She had also been charged with two counts of third-degree child rape, but the charges were dropped when she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and spared the victim from the trauma of testifying in court, authorities said.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Friday, July 25, 2008
Bothell man convicted nine times for DUI sentenced to five years in prison
P-I STAFF
A Bothell man convicted nine times for drunken driving was sentenced to five years in prison Friday in King County Superior Court.
Karl Solid, 45, last September became the first person in the county to be charged under a law that makes a fifth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. The law took effect in July 2007.
Solid received the maximum sentence allowed under the law for a class C felony. Had the Legislature made the crime a class B felony, Solid could have been sentenced for more than six years because of his lengthy criminal history, a county prosecutor's spokesman said.
Solid's blood-alcohol level measured 0.28 percent, more than triple the legal limit, after a Washington State Patrol trooper observed him swerving in and out of his lane on state Route 522 near Bothell.
The DUI conviction on July 2 was Solid's ninth since 1991. Though he was the first person in the county charged under the new law, he was the second convicted.
Solid also pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license last September. Judge Pro Tem Anthony Wartnik could have added one more year to Solid's sentence for that crime, but deferred action until Solid finishes serving his DUI sentence, in hopes it will prod the man to adhere to his probation requirements.
A Bothell man convicted nine times for drunken driving was sentenced to five years in prison Friday in King County Superior Court.
Karl Solid, 45, last September became the first person in the county to be charged under a law that makes a fifth DUI conviction in 10 years a felony. The law took effect in July 2007.
Solid received the maximum sentence allowed under the law for a class C felony. Had the Legislature made the crime a class B felony, Solid could have been sentenced for more than six years because of his lengthy criminal history, a county prosecutor's spokesman said.
Solid's blood-alcohol level measured 0.28 percent, more than triple the legal limit, after a Washington State Patrol trooper observed him swerving in and out of his lane on state Route 522 near Bothell.
The DUI conviction on July 2 was Solid's ninth since 1991. Though he was the first person in the county charged under the new law, he was the second convicted.
Solid also pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license last September. Judge Pro Tem Anthony Wartnik could have added one more year to Solid's sentence for that crime, but deferred action until Solid finishes serving his DUI sentence, in hopes it will prod the man to adhere to his probation requirements.
Teen sentenced in 2007 sexual assault at high school
P-I STAFF
One of two teens accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate in a Rainier Beach High School bathroom last year pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced Friday to eight months in jail and a year of probation.
Diojanique Davis, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree assault and one count of harassment but denied he had sexually assaulted the classmate.
Because he has been on electronic home detention since his arraignment, Davis will get credit for time served and won't spend time in jail, said Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff for the King County Prosecutor's Office. Davis has also been ordered not to have any contact with the female classmate.
The girl told her teacher in June 2007 that two male classmates had forced her into a men's bathroom at the school and that one guarded the door while the other sexually assaulted her. School officials had questioned the boys, who denied the allegations. The boys were suspended for three days, but police weren't notified until the girl's grandmother reported the incident nearly three weeks later. School staff members are considered "mandatory reporters" who must notify authorities of suspected child abuse or sexual abuse.
The school district didn't discipline any staff members after the incident but did issue "letters of direction" to them, outlining the mandatory reporting law and advising them how to handle such matters in the future, district spokesman David Tucker said Friday.
One of two teens accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate in a Rainier Beach High School bathroom last year pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced Friday to eight months in jail and a year of probation.
Diojanique Davis, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree assault and one count of harassment but denied he had sexually assaulted the classmate.
Because he has been on electronic home detention since his arraignment, Davis will get credit for time served and won't spend time in jail, said Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff for the King County Prosecutor's Office. Davis has also been ordered not to have any contact with the female classmate.
The girl told her teacher in June 2007 that two male classmates had forced her into a men's bathroom at the school and that one guarded the door while the other sexually assaulted her. School officials had questioned the boys, who denied the allegations. The boys were suspended for three days, but police weren't notified until the girl's grandmother reported the incident nearly three weeks later. School staff members are considered "mandatory reporters" who must notify authorities of suspected child abuse or sexual abuse.
The school district didn't discipline any staff members after the incident but did issue "letters of direction" to them, outlining the mandatory reporting law and advising them how to handle such matters in the future, district spokesman David Tucker said Friday.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Suit against treatment center loses again
P-I STAFF
The state Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal filed by two recovering drug addicts suing a South Seattle treatment center.
Former clients David Schodron and Leann Lafley sued Seattle Drug and Narcotic Center, saying they had been forced to work without pay in the center's recycling plant.
They argued in legal pleadings that they were made to work six days a week at the for-profit plant or face jail time for failing to complete court-ordered drug treatment.
SeaDruNar officials contended that clients working at the plant are volunteers engaged in a "work-therapy" program. Founder Nan Busby has received wide support from members of the Seattle legal community, including two King County Superior Court judges who sit on the SeaDruNar board.
The Supreme Court's July 8 decision not to hear the appeal effectively ended the lawsuit filed by Schodron and Lafley. The case had previously failed in Superior Court and the Court of Appeals, where judges found that SeaDruNar clients volunteered to work at the plant when they enrolled in the treatment program.
The state Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal filed by two recovering drug addicts suing a South Seattle treatment center.
Former clients David Schodron and Leann Lafley sued Seattle Drug and Narcotic Center, saying they had been forced to work without pay in the center's recycling plant.
They argued in legal pleadings that they were made to work six days a week at the for-profit plant or face jail time for failing to complete court-ordered drug treatment.
SeaDruNar officials contended that clients working at the plant are volunteers engaged in a "work-therapy" program. Founder Nan Busby has received wide support from members of the Seattle legal community, including two King County Superior Court judges who sit on the SeaDruNar board.
The Supreme Court's July 8 decision not to hear the appeal effectively ended the lawsuit filed by Schodron and Lafley. The case had previously failed in Superior Court and the Court of Appeals, where judges found that SeaDruNar clients volunteered to work at the plant when they enrolled in the treatment program.
Couple beats up armed robber with baseball bat
KING5.com Staff
MONROE, Wash. – A would-be robber armed with a gun was no match for a husband and wife and their baseball bat early Thursday morning.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says the 24-year-old Monroe man entered the home in the 21600 block of 164th Drive SE around 3:30 a.m. He apparently got in through an unlocked door.
The crook allegedly confronted the couple in their bedroom with a handgun. The couple fought back, beating the intruder on the head with a baseball bat.
The suspect was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious head injuries. Once released, he'll be booked into the Snohomish County Jail.
The couple has only minor injuries.
Even though the couple won in the end, sheriff's deputies say the incident is a reminder to lock all your doors and windows.
MONROE, Wash. – A would-be robber armed with a gun was no match for a husband and wife and their baseball bat early Thursday morning.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says the 24-year-old Monroe man entered the home in the 21600 block of 164th Drive SE around 3:30 a.m. He apparently got in through an unlocked door.
The crook allegedly confronted the couple in their bedroom with a handgun. The couple fought back, beating the intruder on the head with a baseball bat.
The suspect was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious head injuries. Once released, he'll be booked into the Snohomish County Jail.
The couple has only minor injuries.
Even though the couple won in the end, sheriff's deputies say the incident is a reminder to lock all your doors and windows.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Robber targets diners in upscale Tacoma restaurant
By AMY FINLEY / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash. – Diners at Pacific Grill, an upscale downtown Tacoma restaurant, were confronted by a man who was dining alone Monday evening.
According to Tacoma Police, the man sat down and ordered beer, then got up, went into a private dining area and demanded money from the diners.
He told them this was a robbery and demanded their wallets.
"He comes in the room and says, 'I want your wallet and your cash'," recalled Dr. Charles Weatherbee who was seated with fellow doctors and drug reps.
Another doctor handed over his wallet, but when he only found credit cards, he calmly returned to his table.
That's when kitchen staff and patrons surrounded the suspect.
Then the man got up and confronted the same diners in the private dining room again.
"I want your money and take care of my bill now," said the suspect.
One of the doctors, who had been at target practice earlier, pulled out his gun and ordered the suspect out, saying, "Get out of the restaurant now!"
The suspect left and was greeted by police officers outside.
Tacoma Police spokesperson Mark Fulghum says the armed doctor acted within the law, defending himself and others during a crime.
The suspect is now undergoing a mental evaluation. He faces one robbery charge and several attempted robbery charges.
TACOMA, Wash. – Diners at Pacific Grill, an upscale downtown Tacoma restaurant, were confronted by a man who was dining alone Monday evening.
According to Tacoma Police, the man sat down and ordered beer, then got up, went into a private dining area and demanded money from the diners.
He told them this was a robbery and demanded their wallets.
"He comes in the room and says, 'I want your wallet and your cash'," recalled Dr. Charles Weatherbee who was seated with fellow doctors and drug reps.
Another doctor handed over his wallet, but when he only found credit cards, he calmly returned to his table.
That's when kitchen staff and patrons surrounded the suspect.
Then the man got up and confronted the same diners in the private dining room again.
"I want your money and take care of my bill now," said the suspect.
One of the doctors, who had been at target practice earlier, pulled out his gun and ordered the suspect out, saying, "Get out of the restaurant now!"
The suspect left and was greeted by police officers outside.
Tacoma Police spokesperson Mark Fulghum says the armed doctor acted within the law, defending himself and others during a crime.
The suspect is now undergoing a mental evaluation. He faces one robbery charge and several attempted robbery charges.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Greg Wilson named new police chief in Mountlake Terrace
Greg Wilson, longtime Federal Way police officer, has been hired as chief of the Mountlake Terrace Police Department.
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A longtime police commander in South King County has been selected as the new police chief for the city of Mountlake Terrace.
Greg Wilson, most recently a patrol commander at Federal Way police, will take over the position on Aug. 11. His annual salary will range between $91,380 to $114,216 and he will oversee 31 sworn officers, according to Mountlake Terrace.
Wilson has 21 years of law-enforcement experience with the cities of Renton and Federal Way. He retired from Federal Way police last August, according to Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.
Wilson, 46, earned his bachelor's degree in social sciences from Washington State University, Schrock said. His brother, Brian Wilson, is chief of the Federal Way Police Department.
Wilson will succeed Scott Smith, who left the department in December to become chief of the Tulalip Tribal Police Department.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A longtime police commander in South King County has been selected as the new police chief for the city of Mountlake Terrace.
Greg Wilson, most recently a patrol commander at Federal Way police, will take over the position on Aug. 11. His annual salary will range between $91,380 to $114,216 and he will oversee 31 sworn officers, according to Mountlake Terrace.
Wilson has 21 years of law-enforcement experience with the cities of Renton and Federal Way. He retired from Federal Way police last August, according to Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.
Wilson, 46, earned his bachelor's degree in social sciences from Washington State University, Schrock said. His brother, Brian Wilson, is chief of the Federal Way Police Department.
Wilson will succeed Scott Smith, who left the department in December to become chief of the Tulalip Tribal Police Department.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Debit card scam drains dozens of bank accounts
By ELISA HAHN / KING 5 News & KING5.com Staff
PUYALLUP, Wash. – Dozens of victims have come forward after their bank accounts were drained by thieves.
At least 75 people fell victim to a scam by simply using their debit card at a Puyallup gas station and detectives expect many more reports to come in.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, a highly organized group using stolen debit card information withdrew thousands of dollars from Pierce County citizens' bank accounts.
The information was obtained by using electronic skimming machines placed on gas pumps at the ARCO gas Station at 11608 Meridian on Puyallup's South Hill.
Detectives believe the information was stolen in August 2007.
Almost a year later, the information was used at multiple banks to withdraw thousand of dollars from each account. This was done over the three-day weekend to avoid detection.
The card numbers and pins were trapped and stolen at the station and were used at ATMs throughout the King County area.
Most card loses are around $1,200, but some are much higher – up to $4,000, depending on account balance or overdraft rules.
Rhonda Hopkins first noticed the activity during the Fourth of July weekend.
"We pulled up our banking online and realized there were numerous withdrawals out of both our checking and our savings," she said.
The thieves stole $3,800 from her accounts.
"When we went to the bank to close out our account, there were three other people waiting to close their accounts because the same thing had happened," she said.
If anyone has used that ARCO station during that time frame, they should contact their financial institution and get a new card issued.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects involved. Crime Stoppers 253-591-5959
PUYALLUP, Wash. – Dozens of victims have come forward after their bank accounts were drained by thieves.
At least 75 people fell victim to a scam by simply using their debit card at a Puyallup gas station and detectives expect many more reports to come in.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, a highly organized group using stolen debit card information withdrew thousands of dollars from Pierce County citizens' bank accounts.
The information was obtained by using electronic skimming machines placed on gas pumps at the ARCO gas Station at 11608 Meridian on Puyallup's South Hill.
Detectives believe the information was stolen in August 2007.
Almost a year later, the information was used at multiple banks to withdraw thousand of dollars from each account. This was done over the three-day weekend to avoid detection.
The card numbers and pins were trapped and stolen at the station and were used at ATMs throughout the King County area.
Most card loses are around $1,200, but some are much higher – up to $4,000, depending on account balance or overdraft rules.
Rhonda Hopkins first noticed the activity during the Fourth of July weekend.
"We pulled up our banking online and realized there were numerous withdrawals out of both our checking and our savings," she said.
The thieves stole $3,800 from her accounts.
"When we went to the bank to close out our account, there were three other people waiting to close their accounts because the same thing had happened," she said.
If anyone has used that ARCO station during that time frame, they should contact their financial institution and get a new card issued.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects involved. Crime Stoppers 253-591-5959
Monday, July 21, 2008
Soccer mom accused of stealing from Pierce Co. league
By DREW MIKKELSEN / KING5 News
EDGEWOOD, Wash. - A soccer mom has been charged with stealing from her local youth soccer league.
According to court documents, besides being a mother and a former soccer coach, 42-year-old Deborah Angilley was the treasurer of the Fife-Milton-Edgewood Soccer Club. She's now accused of embezzling $72,000 from the league.
The documents say officials at Timberland Bank began investigating Angilley last fall after noticing some suspicious activity on soccer club's account.
A Pierce County Deputy who handled the case claims Angilley was writing checks to herself. She allegedly used funds at the Emerald Queen Casino where she was one of the casino's so-called "preferred players."
And investigators say she wrote checks to her 16-year-old son and landlord.
"If anybody got this cash knowing where it came from and helped cash the checks and spent the money knowing that it came from this account, and that it was not right, he could be held liable or as an accessory," said Det. Ed Troyer, Pierce Co. Sheriff's Office.
Angilley moved from the South Sound area last fall and now lives in Wenatchee.
The president of the league tells KING5 News dealing with the loss has been "difficult at best." The $72,000 taken is more than the league typically brings in each year.
“The club almost folded due to this theft, but has stayed in existence only through the generosity of those that have loaned us about $40,000,” League president Jeff Flesner said in a victim impact statement filed with Pierce County Superior Court.
Flesner says the loans cover this year's soccer games, camps and tournaments but it hasn't been easy. He says the league has now taken steps to prevent future treasurers from having that much unchecked access to the league's account.
EDGEWOOD, Wash. - A soccer mom has been charged with stealing from her local youth soccer league.
According to court documents, besides being a mother and a former soccer coach, 42-year-old Deborah Angilley was the treasurer of the Fife-Milton-Edgewood Soccer Club. She's now accused of embezzling $72,000 from the league.
The documents say officials at Timberland Bank began investigating Angilley last fall after noticing some suspicious activity on soccer club's account.
A Pierce County Deputy who handled the case claims Angilley was writing checks to herself. She allegedly used funds at the Emerald Queen Casino where she was one of the casino's so-called "preferred players."
And investigators say she wrote checks to her 16-year-old son and landlord.
"If anybody got this cash knowing where it came from and helped cash the checks and spent the money knowing that it came from this account, and that it was not right, he could be held liable or as an accessory," said Det. Ed Troyer, Pierce Co. Sheriff's Office.
Angilley moved from the South Sound area last fall and now lives in Wenatchee.
The president of the league tells KING5 News dealing with the loss has been "difficult at best." The $72,000 taken is more than the league typically brings in each year.
“The club almost folded due to this theft, but has stayed in existence only through the generosity of those that have loaned us about $40,000,” League president Jeff Flesner said in a victim impact statement filed with Pierce County Superior Court.
Flesner says the loans cover this year's soccer games, camps and tournaments but it hasn't been easy. He says the league has now taken steps to prevent future treasurers from having that much unchecked access to the league's account.
Two arrested sleeping on stolen goods
Police in Monroe say a trail of pillows and backpacks led to two sleeping men who were arrested in a department store break-in.
MONROE, Wash. —
Police in Monroe say a trail of pillows and backpacks led to two sleeping men who were arrested in a department store break-in.
Twenty-five-year-old Kyle Burress and 27-year-old Allen Pierce have been charged with charged with second-degree burglary.
Police spokeswoman Debbie Willis says a break-in was discovered July 9 at a Fred Meyer outlet on U.S. 2.
A surveillance videocamera showed two people going from one storage container to another, and police followed a trail of cardboard and items from the containers to Burress and Pierce - one sleeping in a stolen hammock and the other on a pile of stolen pillows.
Police took some photographs before waking and arresting the pair.
Willis says they apparently had been drinking and adds, "I'd say a lot of alcohol was involved."
---
Information from: The Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com
MONROE, Wash. —
Police in Monroe say a trail of pillows and backpacks led to two sleeping men who were arrested in a department store break-in.
Twenty-five-year-old Kyle Burress and 27-year-old Allen Pierce have been charged with charged with second-degree burglary.
Police spokeswoman Debbie Willis says a break-in was discovered July 9 at a Fred Meyer outlet on U.S. 2.
A surveillance videocamera showed two people going from one storage container to another, and police followed a trail of cardboard and items from the containers to Burress and Pierce - one sleeping in a stolen hammock and the other on a pile of stolen pillows.
Police took some photographs before waking and arresting the pair.
Willis says they apparently had been drinking and adds, "I'd say a lot of alcohol was involved."
---
Information from: The Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Lands commish was focus of sex harassment complaint
By ALLEN SCHAUFFLER / KING 5 News
SEATTLE – It's only July, but we've already seen the race for Governor get publicly nasty with attack ads from both sides.
Now, another statewide race is heating up with accusations of sexual harassment at the Department of Natural Resources involving current Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, who is up for re-election.
"I've dealt with negative campaigns before, but this is by far the lowest blow I've ever seen," said Sutherland.
It all stems from an incident in 2005, the details of which were first reported in a partisan liberal blog.
According to internal DNR documents, a new employee complains that during an informal breakfast meeting, Sutherland takes her by the shoulder and "feels it then twists me around so that my back is facing him and he holds me with one hand and feels my back (open palmed) from my neck down to my waist, shoulders, etc."
She goes on the claim Sutherland means he "could have felt up front or could have felt the other side."
Sutherland disputes that part of the report and others remember it differently.
"I don't believe I said that. That's out of my character," said Sutherland.
The commissioner acknowledges the incident happened, but says his intentions were misunderstood.
"I was being very joking, very humorous, asking to see where the arrows were in her back and saying 'you gotta be strong enough to deal with some of these folks,'" said Sutherland.
Sutherland, who has been in public service for more than two decades at the city, county and state level, says the incident has changed the way he deals with employees and people he doesn't know.
"I'm a very informal person. I'm a hugger. My whole family's huggers," said Sutherland.
The man trying to win Sutherland's job, Peter Goldmark, has a different take.
"Of course he's going to call it a cheap shot, but it wasn't something that was manufactured or created by anybody else but Mr Sutherland," said Goldmark. He calls the incident a completely appropriate campaign issue that should be aired for voters.
"I think they have every right and deserve to know how their agency leaders are treating the employees," said Goldmark.
The investigation was an internal investigation at the Department of Natural Resources. No other agency ever looked into it. There has never been any legal action taken as a result of the incident.
The employee has not been identified and has not spoken publicly about what happened. She left the agency after less than a month on the payroll.
SEATTLE – It's only July, but we've already seen the race for Governor get publicly nasty with attack ads from both sides.
Now, another statewide race is heating up with accusations of sexual harassment at the Department of Natural Resources involving current Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, who is up for re-election.
"I've dealt with negative campaigns before, but this is by far the lowest blow I've ever seen," said Sutherland.
It all stems from an incident in 2005, the details of which were first reported in a partisan liberal blog.
According to internal DNR documents, a new employee complains that during an informal breakfast meeting, Sutherland takes her by the shoulder and "feels it then twists me around so that my back is facing him and he holds me with one hand and feels my back (open palmed) from my neck down to my waist, shoulders, etc."
She goes on the claim Sutherland means he "could have felt up front or could have felt the other side."
Sutherland disputes that part of the report and others remember it differently.
"I don't believe I said that. That's out of my character," said Sutherland.
The commissioner acknowledges the incident happened, but says his intentions were misunderstood.
"I was being very joking, very humorous, asking to see where the arrows were in her back and saying 'you gotta be strong enough to deal with some of these folks,'" said Sutherland.
Sutherland, who has been in public service for more than two decades at the city, county and state level, says the incident has changed the way he deals with employees and people he doesn't know.
"I'm a very informal person. I'm a hugger. My whole family's huggers," said Sutherland.
The man trying to win Sutherland's job, Peter Goldmark, has a different take.
"Of course he's going to call it a cheap shot, but it wasn't something that was manufactured or created by anybody else but Mr Sutherland," said Goldmark. He calls the incident a completely appropriate campaign issue that should be aired for voters.
"I think they have every right and deserve to know how their agency leaders are treating the employees," said Goldmark.
The investigation was an internal investigation at the Department of Natural Resources. No other agency ever looked into it. There has never been any legal action taken as a result of the incident.
The employee has not been identified and has not spoken publicly about what happened. She left the agency after less than a month on the payroll.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Seattle to pay $100,000 excessive force settlement
By BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - The City of Seattle will pay more than $100,000 to settle a complaint of excessive police force.
A young woman sued the city, saying an officer kicked her legs out from under her during an arrest and sent her face-first to the ground.
Before Brittany Beaulieu's first run in with the law, she was working in marketing and excited about the next phase of her life.
Her encounter with Seattle Police left her face swollen, her cheekbone broken in three places.
"She was seriously injured, she was emotionally injured," said Allen Ressler, Beaulieu's attorney.
Ressler says the 30-year-old was with friends on Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood on April 21, 2006. They had just left a bar when Beaulieu saw one of her friends get pulled over for DUI. Trying to help, she walked up to her friend and offered legal advice.
An officer warned her to back away. When she didn't, Ressler said she was forced to the ground.
"All of a sudden for reasons she can't fathom, she's forcefully thrown to the ground," said Ressler.
The police officer had used a common maneuver called a leg sweep to subdue Beaulieu, basically grabbing her arms while trying to sweep her legs from underneath her. Somehow, the officer lost control of Beaulieu and she slammed face first into the cement.
An initial internal investigation concluded the officer had used unnecessary force and recommended he be disciplined. But in a follow-up, the head of the Office of Professional Accountability, which investigates police misconduct, exonerated the officer, suggesting instead he get more training.
This case follows previous complaints of excessive police force where the officer was not punished, like the 2005 arrest of Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes, a littering case that got out of control. In November, 2007 the city of Seattle settled a lawsuit brought on by Alley-Barnes for $185,000 against the police for use of excessive force.
In fact, last year, a citizen review board noted 23 cases where an officer was recommended for discipline, but Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske reversed the decision.
"Something's broken," said Ressler.
Ressler says while the latest settlement brings a close to Brittany Beaulieu's case, the larger issue remains.
"The police should not police the police," said Ressler. "You need someone to take a critical look at what happened…The process is skewed now towards exonerating the officer."
The Seattle Police Department, the city attorney's office and one Seattle City Council member all declined to comment for this story.
Earlier this year, the Seattle Police Department adopted 29 recommendations from the mayor's office aimed at more openness and police oversight.
SEATTLE - The City of Seattle will pay more than $100,000 to settle a complaint of excessive police force.
A young woman sued the city, saying an officer kicked her legs out from under her during an arrest and sent her face-first to the ground.
Before Brittany Beaulieu's first run in with the law, she was working in marketing and excited about the next phase of her life.
Her encounter with Seattle Police left her face swollen, her cheekbone broken in three places.
"She was seriously injured, she was emotionally injured," said Allen Ressler, Beaulieu's attorney.
Ressler says the 30-year-old was with friends on Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood on April 21, 2006. They had just left a bar when Beaulieu saw one of her friends get pulled over for DUI. Trying to help, she walked up to her friend and offered legal advice.
An officer warned her to back away. When she didn't, Ressler said she was forced to the ground.
"All of a sudden for reasons she can't fathom, she's forcefully thrown to the ground," said Ressler.
The police officer had used a common maneuver called a leg sweep to subdue Beaulieu, basically grabbing her arms while trying to sweep her legs from underneath her. Somehow, the officer lost control of Beaulieu and she slammed face first into the cement.
An initial internal investigation concluded the officer had used unnecessary force and recommended he be disciplined. But in a follow-up, the head of the Office of Professional Accountability, which investigates police misconduct, exonerated the officer, suggesting instead he get more training.
This case follows previous complaints of excessive police force where the officer was not punished, like the 2005 arrest of Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes, a littering case that got out of control. In November, 2007 the city of Seattle settled a lawsuit brought on by Alley-Barnes for $185,000 against the police for use of excessive force.
In fact, last year, a citizen review board noted 23 cases where an officer was recommended for discipline, but Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske reversed the decision.
"Something's broken," said Ressler.
Ressler says while the latest settlement brings a close to Brittany Beaulieu's case, the larger issue remains.
"The police should not police the police," said Ressler. "You need someone to take a critical look at what happened…The process is skewed now towards exonerating the officer."
The Seattle Police Department, the city attorney's office and one Seattle City Council member all declined to comment for this story.
Earlier this year, the Seattle Police Department adopted 29 recommendations from the mayor's office aimed at more openness and police oversight.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Man charged with pimping girl, 16, across state lines
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
A Washington man has been charged with pimping a 16-year-old girl he met in Tacoma across state lines.
Marquis J. Moon, 27, was indicted July 2 in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on a charge of interstate transportation of a minor in the furtherance of prostitution.
Moon, who has been ordered to remain in federal custody, is scheduled for arraignment July 14 at the federal courthouse in Tacoma, court records say.
Moon, who has a lengthy criminal history, had been a fugitive since October 2007, when a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. Tacoma police nabbed him June 4 after stopping a vehicle in which he was a passenger. He initially gave police a false name and birthday, but investigators identified him through fingerprints, the FBI reported.
Moon recruited the girl in Tacoma and took her to Portland, where she briefly worked the streets before police arrested her on Sept. 29, 2007 and booked her into custody, according to court documents.
The girl's mother called authorities after her daughter ran away and told an FBI investigator that she suspected Moon was her daughter's pimp, court documents say.
Investigators fear that Moon may have victimized more young girls that they have not yet discovered, FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said.
P-I REPORTER
A Washington man has been charged with pimping a 16-year-old girl he met in Tacoma across state lines.
Marquis J. Moon, 27, was indicted July 2 in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on a charge of interstate transportation of a minor in the furtherance of prostitution.
Moon, who has been ordered to remain in federal custody, is scheduled for arraignment July 14 at the federal courthouse in Tacoma, court records say.
Moon, who has a lengthy criminal history, had been a fugitive since October 2007, when a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. Tacoma police nabbed him June 4 after stopping a vehicle in which he was a passenger. He initially gave police a false name and birthday, but investigators identified him through fingerprints, the FBI reported.
Moon recruited the girl in Tacoma and took her to Portland, where she briefly worked the streets before police arrested her on Sept. 29, 2007 and booked her into custody, according to court documents.
The girl's mother called authorities after her daughter ran away and told an FBI investigator that she suspected Moon was her daughter's pimp, court documents say.
Investigators fear that Moon may have victimized more young girls that they have not yet discovered, FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Woman stabbed with stiletto heel of her shoe
Seattle police are seeking a man who stabbed a woman with the stiletto heel of her own shoe, causing an infection that required emergency surgery.
By Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police are seeking a man who stabbed a woman with the stiletto heel of her own shoe, causing an infection that required emergency surgery.
A 39-year-old Tukwila woman underwent emergency surgery on Saturday after contracting an "aggressive" bacterial infection, according to Seattle police. According to a police report, the woman was at a barbecue at a friend's house in the 7600 block of Rainier Avenue South in Seattle on June 29 when an acquaintance asked her to perform a sex act on him. When she refused, the man slapped her face, removed her boot and stabbed her in the left hand with the stiletto heel, police said.
The woman fled, police said.
Several days later the woman sought medical assistance from staff at Swedish Medical Center/Seattle after the wound became infected. Police said the woman was told by medical personnel that the aggressive bacterial infection would require immediate invasive surgery.
The woman's name was redacted from the police report and efforts to track her down were unsuccessful. Police said the woman described her assailant as a heavyset black man named Earl who possibly works at a business near Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street.
Seattle police said the investigation remains open.
Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com
By Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police are seeking a man who stabbed a woman with the stiletto heel of her own shoe, causing an infection that required emergency surgery.
A 39-year-old Tukwila woman underwent emergency surgery on Saturday after contracting an "aggressive" bacterial infection, according to Seattle police. According to a police report, the woman was at a barbecue at a friend's house in the 7600 block of Rainier Avenue South in Seattle on June 29 when an acquaintance asked her to perform a sex act on him. When she refused, the man slapped her face, removed her boot and stabbed her in the left hand with the stiletto heel, police said.
The woman fled, police said.
Several days later the woman sought medical assistance from staff at Swedish Medical Center/Seattle after the wound became infected. Police said the woman was told by medical personnel that the aggressive bacterial infection would require immediate invasive surgery.
The woman's name was redacted from the police report and efforts to track her down were unsuccessful. Police said the woman described her assailant as a heavyset black man named Earl who possibly works at a business near Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street.
Seattle police said the investigation remains open.
Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com
Monday, July 7, 2008
Civilian oversight part of King Co. police guild contract
By GREGORY ROBERTS
P-I REPORTER
King County has reached tentative agreement on a new labor contract with sheriff's deputies that would finally clear the way to establishing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office, County Executive Ron Sims said Monday.
But the County Council member who co-sponsored the 2006 legislation creating the oversight framework isn't ready to declare victory.
"It sounds like we're getting there," Councilman Bob Ferguson, D-Seattle, said. "But the devil's in the details."
The Office of Law Enforcement Oversight has not been activated because it would affect disciplinary procedures outlined in the prevailing contract with the deputies, and any changes to those procedures were subject to collective bargaining with the deputies' union.
The tentative deal on oversight differs from the legislation, a Sims spokeswoman said, but she was unable to provide more information before the deputies' union submits the deal to its membership for ratification. Any contract ultimately must be approved by the council as well.
The tentative labor agreement also includes pay raises for deputies in each of its five years, Sims' office said.
The 2006 legislation gives the oversight agency the authority to field complaints from the public about sheriff's deputies, to review Sheriff Sue Rahr's response to the complaints and to make suggestions to her about how to deal with them. Currently, complaints from citizens are handled within the Sheriff's Office.
Establishing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office was a key recommendation of the blue-ribbon panel appointed in 2006 by Sims, the council and then-Prosecutor Norm Maleng to investigate how the sheriff responds to citizen complaints. The panel was formed in reaction to "Conduct Unbecoming," a Seattle P-I series that reported on wrongdoing by deputies and lax internal discipline.
Other panel recommendations also have been put on hold pending the contract negotiations, including applying new performance standards and evaluations for deputies and setting up an "early intervention system" that would be triggered when problems first surface.
Rahr has moved ahead with reforms not restrained by the labor contract, such as posting complaint forms and procedures at the sheriff's web site (www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/), stressing accountability within the department, upgrading supervision and training and forming precinct-level citizens advisory committees.
As for the tentative deal with the deputies, a Rahr spokesman said, "We're very happy to have this finally settled," although he noted the union has yet to vote on it.
Deputies' union president Steve Eggert could not be reached for comment.
Under the provisions of the 2006 legislation:
# The oversight office will report directly to the council. Sims will nominate a full-time director, who will serve a four-year term, subject to council approval,
# The office can respond immediately to homicides or other "critical incidents," dispatching observers to the crime scene.
# A panel of 11 citizen volunteers will advise the director on issues of misconduct by deputies and will help inform the public about the office's work. Sims will appoint the members, subject to council confirmation.
# The sheriff and the oversight director will set up a voluntary procedure for mediation of citizen complaints about deputies..
# The county auditor will review the oversight agency and report regularly to the council.
The county has set aside $425,000 in its 2008 budget for an oversight office with a director and three staff members.
The Sheriff's Office polices the unincorporated areas of King County and also provides law enforcement by contract to a dozen suburban cities, the Metro bus system and some other agencies. It employs 1,150 people, including 650 deputies, and functions with an annual budget of $150 million.
The city of Seattle operates its own oversight system for its police department. A civilian director heads the Office of Professional Accountability, which includes a team of police officers who investigate complaints of misconduct. The director forwards the office's findings to the chief, who makes the final decision on discipline.
The system also includes a civilian auditor who reviews investigations for thoroughness and fairness and who looks for trends that might warrant remedial training. In addition, a three-member civilian review board examines a portion of closed misconduct cases and issues public reports on how the department handles internal investigations.
P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez contributed to this story.
P-I REPORTER
King County has reached tentative agreement on a new labor contract with sheriff's deputies that would finally clear the way to establishing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office, County Executive Ron Sims said Monday.
But the County Council member who co-sponsored the 2006 legislation creating the oversight framework isn't ready to declare victory.
"It sounds like we're getting there," Councilman Bob Ferguson, D-Seattle, said. "But the devil's in the details."
The Office of Law Enforcement Oversight has not been activated because it would affect disciplinary procedures outlined in the prevailing contract with the deputies, and any changes to those procedures were subject to collective bargaining with the deputies' union.
The tentative deal on oversight differs from the legislation, a Sims spokeswoman said, but she was unable to provide more information before the deputies' union submits the deal to its membership for ratification. Any contract ultimately must be approved by the council as well.
The tentative labor agreement also includes pay raises for deputies in each of its five years, Sims' office said.
The 2006 legislation gives the oversight agency the authority to field complaints from the public about sheriff's deputies, to review Sheriff Sue Rahr's response to the complaints and to make suggestions to her about how to deal with them. Currently, complaints from citizens are handled within the Sheriff's Office.
Establishing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office was a key recommendation of the blue-ribbon panel appointed in 2006 by Sims, the council and then-Prosecutor Norm Maleng to investigate how the sheriff responds to citizen complaints. The panel was formed in reaction to "Conduct Unbecoming," a Seattle P-I series that reported on wrongdoing by deputies and lax internal discipline.
Other panel recommendations also have been put on hold pending the contract negotiations, including applying new performance standards and evaluations for deputies and setting up an "early intervention system" that would be triggered when problems first surface.
Rahr has moved ahead with reforms not restrained by the labor contract, such as posting complaint forms and procedures at the sheriff's web site (www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/), stressing accountability within the department, upgrading supervision and training and forming precinct-level citizens advisory committees.
As for the tentative deal with the deputies, a Rahr spokesman said, "We're very happy to have this finally settled," although he noted the union has yet to vote on it.
Deputies' union president Steve Eggert could not be reached for comment.
Under the provisions of the 2006 legislation:
# The oversight office will report directly to the council. Sims will nominate a full-time director, who will serve a four-year term, subject to council approval,
# The office can respond immediately to homicides or other "critical incidents," dispatching observers to the crime scene.
# A panel of 11 citizen volunteers will advise the director on issues of misconduct by deputies and will help inform the public about the office's work. Sims will appoint the members, subject to council confirmation.
# The sheriff and the oversight director will set up a voluntary procedure for mediation of citizen complaints about deputies..
# The county auditor will review the oversight agency and report regularly to the council.
The county has set aside $425,000 in its 2008 budget for an oversight office with a director and three staff members.
The Sheriff's Office polices the unincorporated areas of King County and also provides law enforcement by contract to a dozen suburban cities, the Metro bus system and some other agencies. It employs 1,150 people, including 650 deputies, and functions with an annual budget of $150 million.
The city of Seattle operates its own oversight system for its police department. A civilian director heads the Office of Professional Accountability, which includes a team of police officers who investigate complaints of misconduct. The director forwards the office's findings to the chief, who makes the final decision on discipline.
The system also includes a civilian auditor who reviews investigations for thoroughness and fairness and who looks for trends that might warrant remedial training. In addition, a three-member civilian review board examines a portion of closed misconduct cases and issues public reports on how the department handles internal investigations.
P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez contributed to this story.
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