Latest news with #KingCountySuperiorCourt
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Seattle Councilmember Cathy Moore to step down July 7, citing health issues
Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore announced Monday that she will step down from her District 5 seat on July 7, citing health and personal reasons. In a statement, Moore said the decision follows months of consideration due to recent health challenges. 'My decision to leave the City Council is one I've been considering seriously over the past several months due to some recent health challenges,' Moore said. 'Ultimately, I believe that District 5 community members deserve a representative who can give their full attention to the critical issues facing the City and its neighborhoods.' Moore, a former King County Superior Court judge, was elected to the Council in 2023. She ran on a platform focused on public safety, housing, and homelessness, while pledging to maintain Seattle's progressive values. Her departure comes halfway through her four-year term. During her time in office, Moore led or contributed to several initiatives, including: Moore partnered with community groups and the Seattle Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit to advance new loitering laws targeting pimps and sex buyers. She secured $2 million in funding for emergency shelter beds and services for victims of commercial sexual exploitation. She also helped expand CCTV coverage along Aurora Avenue from North 85th Street to North 145th Street. Alongside Councilmember Maritza Rivera, she supported funding a new North Seattle public safety hub and voted to raise police salaries. That move has contributed to a notable uptick in officer hiring. Moore also backed expanding CARE civilian crisis response services, which now operate in District 5. As chair of the Housing and Human Services Committee, Moore helped secure an additional $5 million in rental assistance in 2024, doubling the fund to $10 million. She also sponsored an overhaul of the rental assistance process to improve how vulnerable tenants are identified and supported before falling behind on rent. Moore obtained $5.9 million to boost non-congregate shelter capacity, $1.9 million in homelessness prevention funding, and funds to open a seasonal winter shelter in District 5. She also played a key role in updating Seattle's participation in the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, helping revise the interlocal agreement and bylaws to improve accountability and coordination. Thanks to Moore's efforts, the 2024 voter-approved Transportation Levy included a historic investment in new sidewalks for District 5. The district, which has 36% of the city's missing sidewalks, is now slated to receive the same percentage of new sidewalk construction—more than any other area in Seattle. Moore co-sponsored legislation this year to strengthen local protections against harmful federal actions, specifically in the areas of reproductive and gender-affirming care. She also backed amendments to place guardrails on the use of Automated License Plate Recognition systems and the deployment of blast balls during protests. Her advocacy also contributed to the Seattle Department of Transportation launching a pilot program that closed certain areas of Aurora Avenue at night, a move credited with reducing gun violence between North 101st and North 107th streets. In her farewell statement, Moore thanked District 5 residents for their support. 'I want to wholeheartedly thank the residents of District 5 for their engagement and support during my time here,' she said. 'Serving on the Seattle City Council has truly been an honor for me, both personally and professionally.' The Seattle City Charter requires the Council to fill any vacancy within 20 calendar days. Additional details on the appointment process for Moore's replacement are expected to be announced soon.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Seattle woman's 2021 heat death blamed on fossil fuel giants in first of its kind lawsuit
A wrongful death lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court claims major fossil fuel companies are responsible for the death of a 65-year-old woman during the record-breaking 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome, arguing the companies knowingly contributed to climate change and misled the public about its dangers. According to the complaint filed May 29 by Misti Leon, her mother Juliana 'Julie' Leon died of hyperthermia in her car in Seattle on June 28, 2021, after being overwhelmed by extreme heat. The lawsuit alleges that oil giants including ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Shell, and ConocoPhillips are liable for Julie's death and accuses them of a decades-long campaign of deception about the risks of burning fossil fuels. On the day she died, Seattle reached 108°F—its highest recorded temperature. Julie, who lived in Ferndale, had driven to Seattle for a post-operative appointment following bariatric surgery. With her car's air conditioning not working, she tried to cool herself by rolling down the windows. The complaint states she pulled over to a residential street after feeling ill, and was later found unconscious by a passerby. Despite CPR and emergency treatment, her body temperature reached 110°F, and she died from heat stroke. The suit claims this unprecedented heat wave, part of what scientists called the 2021 'Heat Dome,' would have been 'virtually impossible' without human-caused climate change—fueled primarily by burning fossil fuels. The legal complaint argues the fossil fuel companies have known since at least the 1950s that their products were accelerating climate change. Instead of alerting the public, the lawsuit claims, the companies 'concealed their knowledge,' 'sowed public doubt,' and blocked climate action in order to preserve profits. It further alleges that the companies funded disinformation campaigns, downplayed risks, and falsely presented themselves as climate-conscious in recent years despite continued large-scale fossil fuel production. Julie's daughter is seeking damages under Washington's wrongful death and product liability laws, claiming the defendants failed to warn consumers about the foreseeable dangers of their products and caused public harm through false advertising and promotion. She also claims the companies' actions delayed the shift toward cleaner energy sources and left vulnerable populations—like her mother—unprotected from intensifying climate threats. The defendants named include: Exxon Mobil Corporation and ExxonMobil Oil Corporation BP P.L.C., BP America Inc., and Olympic Pipeline Company Chevron Corporation and Chevron U.S.A., Inc. Shell PLC and Shell USA, Inc. ConocoPhillips, ConocoPhillips Company, Phillips 66, and Phillips 66 Company The lawsuit marks one of the first known wrongful death claims in Washington directly linking a fatality to climate change and holding fossil fuel companies accountable. A trial date has not yet been set.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Dozens of former King County juvenile detainees sue over decades of sexual abuse
The Brief 36 plaintiffs allege sexual abuse spanning from the late 1960s to the 2000s in King County juvenile and adult detention facilities. The lawsuit claims institutional negligence, with abuse by guards, staff, and even a judge, often involving coercion, threats, and post-release contact. King County is accused of ignoring red flags, delaying federal compliance, and failing to protect minors from known risks of custodial sexual misconduct. KING COUNTY, Wash. - Thirty-six former juvenile detainees have filed a sweeping lawsuit against King County, alleging that for more than four decades, children and teens in the county's custody were repeatedly subjected to sexual abuse, assault, harassment, and retaliation, often by county employees entrusted with their care. Timeline The suit, filed in King County Superior Court on April 29, 2025, accuses the county of institutional negligence, detailing a pervasive culture of abuse spanning from the late 1960s through the 2000s. The plaintiffs, who were all minors during their incarceration, describe harrowing experiences inside the county's juvenile detention center and, in some cases, the adult jail in Seattle. The complaint includes graphic allegations of rape, groping, voyeurism, and forced sexual contact, often carried out in isolation, at night, or under the guise of routine supervision. What they're saying In several cases, plaintiffs allege they were threatened with longer sentences or loss of privileges if they reported abuse. Some were plied with drugs, candy, or food by staff to manipulate or silence them. The lawsuit alleges King County failed to provide proper reporting systems, ignored red flags, and enabled repeat offenders, some of whom continued the abuse even after the victims' release. Among the most high-profile figures named is Judge Gary Little, a former King County Superior Court judge who is accused of abusing multiple boys while on the bench. According to the complaint, King County staff knowingly escorted boys to Little's chambers and allowed him to take them to his home, where abuse occurred. Little died by suicide in 1988 shortly before a news article detailing the abuse was set to publish. Also named in the lawsuit are multiple guards, probation officers, a nurse, and a teacher, many of whom allegedly assaulted children under the county's supervision in bathrooms, supply closets, cells, and blind spots without surveillance. The plaintiffs accuse King County of failing to adopt federal standards such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and waiting until 2015 to implement a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse in detention centers—long after PREA became law in 2003. What's next According to the complaint, King County's lack of oversight, failure to act on known misconduct, and culture of silence allowed the abuse to flourish unchecked for decades. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for the lifelong trauma and psychological harm they say was caused by King County's systemic negligence. Lawyers say they know there are more victims out there, and ask that victims reach out to them through the Bergman Oslund Udo Little, PLLC website. FOX 13 Seattle reached out to King County for comment and received the following statement: "We will be thoroughly investigating each claim. We are committed to the safety and well-being of all youth in our juvenile detention facility. We will continue to uphold robust standards that have been put in place over the course of many years to protect young people in our care from harm." The Source Information in this story comes from a complaint filed in King County Superior Court, Bergman Oslund Udo Little, (BOUL), a Pacific Northwest law firm with a focus on catastrophic injury cases, and King County. Underwater volcano poised to erupt off OR coast, Seattle scientists say Teen in custody for stabbing mother's boyfriend, Pierce County deputies say Rumors claim Seattle ports are 'dead'. Here's the truth Idaho judge slams Bryan Kohberger's 'hollow' attempt to dodge death penalty Houdini Fly Hunt launched in WA, OR. Here's what to do if you spot one To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Axios
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
The fight over Washington's natural gas measure isn't over
A Washington ballot measure that aimed to stop government officials from discouraging the use of natural gas was struck down last month by a King County judge — but the court fight isn't over yet. Why it matters: Although Washington voters approved Initiative 2066 with nearly 52% of the vote last fall, the measure has been on hold because of a legal challenge. If the initiative were allowed to go into effect, it would force a rollback of recently adopted state energy codes that promote the use of electric heat pumps over natural gas appliances. I-2066 also could threaten financial incentive programs that help homeowners replace fossil-fuel burning furnaces with electric heat pumps, opponents of the measure argued. Flashback: On the campaign trail last year, I-2066 supporters said the ballot measure was needed to protect access to natural gas, while opponents said it would set back efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The latest: In an oral decision last month, King County Superior Court Judge Sandra Widlan found I-2066 unconstitutional, ruling that it groups too many subjects under one initiative and didn't make the ballot measure's effects clear in its title. Widlan also found that the text of the ballot measure didn't clearly lay out the text of the laws it sought to amend, another constitutional violation. Seattle and King County were among the plaintiffs that sought to overturn I-2066, joining environmental groups and others. Yes, but: The Building Industry Association of Washington, one of I-2066's main backers, plans to appeal the ruling as soon as the King County court enters a final written order, spokesperson Janelle Guthrie told Axios.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Washington AG takes software company to court over rental price-fixing allegations
A view of Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. (gregobagel/Getty Images) Washington is suing a property management software company and a handful of landlords over allegations they colluded to inflate rents through a price-fixing scheme, Attorney General Nick Brown announced Thursday. The state says RealPage has three products to help landlords calculate rental prices and manage occupancy. The company uses nonpublic information that landlords agree to share to create an algorithm that pushes them to raise rents, according to the lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court. Instead of competing, the landlords all raise their prices together based on RealPage's recommendations, according to the complaint. So instead of the market helping determine rents, it's software. RealPage also tells landlords to nix discounts they give to attract tenants, the lawsuit alleges. And it reportedly recommends keeping units vacant to keep rents up, instead of leasing them for a lower price. In a press conference Thursday, Brown said property managers used the Texas-based RealPage software to price an estimated 800,000 leases in Washington between 2017 and 2024. About a third of Washington residents are renters, according to the lawsuit. In 2023, more than half of Washington's renters paid more than 30% of their income toward rent, according to a state report released in December. 'Pricing is higher and occupancy is lower for properties managed by landlords using RealPage than for those that don't,' Brown said. 'Washington needs a competitive market to help with our critical shortage of affordable, multifamily housing. RealPage's unfair practices are drowning renters and pricing more and more families out of stable housing in Washington.' The lawsuit alleges RealPage and nine landlords violated the state's Consumer Protection Act by stifling competition. 'It's price fixing, it's illegal and it hurts Washingtonians,' Brown said. Chris Vialpando, a renter in Seattle's Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, said his landlord raised his rent over 50% in 2022 based on RealPage's algorithm. He said he is one of many 'falling victim to the collusion, thereby perpetuating this already complex, systemic housing crisis.' 'And I also understand that inflation and market adjustments are naturally part of the rental economy, but what I don't understand is how these predatory companies can continue to operate freely without continuous authoritative examination and scrutiny,' Vialpando said. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Gov. Bob Ferguson, when he was still attorney general, launched an investigation into the RealPage software in early 2023. The investigation came on the heels of a ProPublica report on RealPage's algorithm that found just 10 property managers oversaw 70% of apartments in a Seattle neighborhood. All of them used RealPage's pricing software. The state had previously been part of an ongoing federal lawsuit along with other states and the U.S. Department of Justice over antitrust concerns, but dropped out of that case in late February. The attorney general's office withdrew from that lawsuit because 'we saw a bigger problem,' Brown said. 'We saw a conspiracy, and we saw a greater path to help more renters,' he said. 'We filed this case in state court because we believe that state law protects a greater number of Washingtonians and tenants than the federal case.' Tenants across the country have also brought a class-action lawsuit against RealPage and its property management clients that is ongoing in federal court in Tennessee. Washington's lawsuit asks a judge to declare the conduct illegal, award restitution and hand down civil penalties. The landlords named as defendants in the complaint are Greystar, Cushman & Wakefield, LivCor, UDR, Prime Administration, Quarterra Multifamily Communities, LaSalle Properties, MG Properties and Sares Regis Management Company. Lawmakers in Olympia are also looking to ban algorithmic rental price-fixing this year. Senate Bill 5469 would prohibit the collection of data that feeds recommendations for rental rates and bar landlords from obtaining those recommendations. The attorney general would enforce violations of the proposed law. The state Senate passed the measure on a party-line vote this month, and it is now moving through the House. This week, RealPage sued the city of Berkeley, California, over a similar ordinance aimed at stopping landlords from using algorithms to set rents. In an interview the day he took office in January, the new attorney general said one of his top priorities was tackling 'unjust, illegal, misleading business practices' in the housing sector. 'It's our job to be a watchdog, and make sure that housing is affordable and available for everyone,' Brown said at the time.
