Pretrial Processes Workgroup

SCHEDULE

Upcoming Workgroup meetings are scheduled below. In general, the meetings are from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Courthouse Fifth Floor Conference Room 514, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed, and meeting dates may change. Please check this webpage periodically for confirmed meeting information. Audio recordings of the meetings are the official transcripts. No summaries are created.

2020 Meetings

February 4, 2020
May 5, 2020: CANCELLED
Next meeting to be scheduled

2019 Meetings

January 15, 2019
February 19, 2019
April 16, 2019 (Courthouse Conference Room 513)
May 7, 2019
June 13, 2019, Courthouse Courtroom 2, second floor, 311 Grand Ave., Bellingham
October 22, 2019
December 3, 2019

2018 Meetings

March 6, 2018
March 20, 2018
April 3, 2018
April 17, 2018
April 19, 2019: Presentation with links to additional information
May 1, 2018
May 15, 2018
May 29, 2018
Monday, June 11, 2018: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
~~June 26, 2018~~ This meeting was rescheduled to June 18, 2018
June 18, 2018
July 17, 2018, Courthouse Room 513
July 31, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
August 14, 2018,Courthouse Room 514
August 28, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
September 18, 2018, Courthouse Room 513
October 2, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
~~October 16, 2018, Courthouse Room 513~~ - CANCELLED
October 30, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
November 27, 2018, Courthouse Room 514
December 4, 2018, Bellingham Municipal Court Fireplace Room, 625 Halleck Street, Bellingham
December 10, 2018, Bellingham Municipal Court Fireplace Room, 625 Halleck Street, Bellingham

EXPECTATIONS OF A RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL

Determining conditions for pretrial release is one of the most important decisions in criminal justice. Courts are required to order the least restrictive conditions that are reasonably necessary to cause a defendant to return to court and to protect the safety of the community.

Every pretrial risk assessment tool should:

1. Consider the individual circumstances of each defendant;

2. Apply factors known to indicate a likelihood that a defendant will comply with the court’s pretrial conditions, or a risk that a defendant will not comply;

3. Provide judicial officers with clear and individualized assessments of risk factors;

4. Identify pretrial release conditions which will address a defendant’s risk factors and promote that defendant’s compliance with court orders and return to court as ordered.

CORE FUNCTIONS OF A PRETRIAL RELEASE

PROGRAM

The core functions of a pretrial release program include:

1. A process for obtaining current, accurate information from legal system and law enforcement databases, and from the defendant, as early as possible and in most cases before the defendant’s first appearance before a judicial officer;

2. Verification processes to confirm interview information and criminal history checks.

3. Use of a validated tool to assess risk of pretrial misconduct through objective means, and to present recommendations to the court for pretrial release conditions which are appropriate to each individual defendant’s risk factors and circumstances;

4. Accountable and appropriate pretrial supervision or monitoring of defendants who are released, including court date reminders to assure the defendant’s appearance in court;

5. Follow up reviews, at reasonable intervals, of defendants who were unable to meet the release conditions ordered by the court

6. Accurate reporting of outcomes, and an ongoing process to assure accurate pretrial assessments and effective pretrial monitoring and supervision.