HomeMy WebLinkAbout1862 ResolutionAP!'Rq D AS T
RESOLUTION NO. 1862
A RESOLUTION declaring the opposition of the Pasco City
Council to SB 5415 and HB 1461 the "Court Consolidation
Measures" before the Washington State legislature.
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WHEREAS, SB 5415 ' and HB 1461 are nothing more than thinly
disguised measures to establish coercive means to cause
municipalities to eliminate municipal court systems in favor of
contracting services with district courts; and
WHEREAS, the municipal courts of the State of Washington
have, as well as any other court system in this state, provided
court services at reasonable costs to the public while at the
same time have been responsive to the particular local needs of
the municipality which they serve; and
WHEREAS, both SB 5415 and HB 1461 would impose unnecessary
burdens upon municipal courts and penalize them financially
without any rational basis for the discrimination between them
and district courts required by the proposed legislation; and
WHEREAS, until it can be demonstrated, if ever, that our
State's municipal courts provide an inferior standard of justice
to the citizens of our state and do not provide benefits to the
communities of which they serve, the municipal courts of the
State of Washington should be allowed to exist without
unnecessary regulation or control, coercive monetary penalties or
other unnecessary burdens; and
WHEREAS, the Pasco Municipal Court is a significant asset
to the local criminal justice system served by full-time staff
and a part-time attorney judge, providing public defenders for
the indigent, spanish translation services for the many hispanic
citizens of our community and integrating state of the art
computerization resources; NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON, DO
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Pasco City Council hereby formally
declares for the reasons set forth above, its objection and
opposition to SB 5415 and HB 1461, the "Court Consolidation
Measures" currently before the Washington State legislature and
strongly urges all members of both the State House and the State
Senate to oppose these measures as they are unjustly
discriminatory, coercive, costly to the taxpayers, and without
merit.
SSED by the City Council and APPROVED by the Mayor this
of February, 1989.
ED HENDLER, Mayor
EVELYN LLS, City Clerk GRE A. RUBSTELLO, City Attorney
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