Episode Transcript
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Welcome to Hacks & Wonks.
I’m your host, Crystal Fincher.
On this show we talk with policy wonksand political hacks to gather insight
into local politics and policy inWashington state through the lens of those
doing the work, with behind-the-scenesperspectives on what’s happening, why it’s
happening, and what you can do about it.
Today, we're speaking with ErikaEvans, a candidate running for
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Seattle City Attorney, a positionwith real power to shape how our city
responds to harm, enforces laws, andprotects the rights of its residents.
While this office doesn't always makeheadlines, its decisions have a direct
impact on public safety, civil rights,and the everyday lives of Seattleites.
The City Attorney has a team of nearly200 employees, including over 100 lawyers,
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and manages both the civil, criminal, andadministrative branches of the office.
On the criminal side, the City Attorneyhandles prosecutions for misdemeanors
and gross misdemeanors in SeattleMunicipal Court - offenses such as
theft, harassment, and vandalism.
Felony cases are handled by the KingCounty Prosecutor, not the City Attorney.
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So while the City Attorney doesn'toversee the most serious violent crimes,
it plays a major role in shaping howlower-level offenses are addressed
- including whether to pursue prosecution,offer diversion, or prioritize
treatment and services over jail time.
On the civil side, the City Attorneyserves as the legal counsel for the
City of Seattle - advising electedofficials, reviewing legislation,
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and defending the city in lawsuits.
That includes navigating complex andhigh-stakes issues: deciding how to
respond to federal attempts to identifyand deport undocumented migrants, even
when doing so could put the federalfunding for critical services like
housing and transit at risk; advising alargely new City Council on the legality
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of proposed laws; and determininghow to approach enforcement of newly
passed ordinances targeting drug use,sex work, and people living outdoors.
In today's conversations, we'll be talkingabout the vision for the office, how
Erika would approach these issues, andwhat her priorities would be if elected.
We'll be asking open-ended questionsshortly, but first, we're going to
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start with our Hacks & Wonks LightningRound of quick yes-or-no questions
or a few one-word answer questions.
If you aren't able to provide ananswer quickly, we'll just call it a
waffle and you can choose to addressit later in more detail if you wish.
These are designed to give us a senseof where each candidate stands on
key issues, what values shape theirthinking, and how they approach
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the responsibilities of the role.
All right, so we're going tokeep these answers quick and
brief and roll through them.
Starting with the first question,do you own or rent your residence?
We are blessed that we were able to buyour first home just about two years ago.
But before that, we were longtime renters.
Okay, so we want quick,one-word answers - super quick.
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All right.
Are you a landlord?
No.
Have you ever been a member of a union?
Yes.
Have you ever walked on a picket line?
Yes.
Have you ever crossed a picket line?
No.
Is your campaign staff unionized?
I will support if they want to unionize.
Well, wow - that was my next question.
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If your campaign staff wants tounionize, will you voluntarily
recognize their effort?
Absolutely.
What political party do you identify with?
Democrat.
Have you used the Seattle PublicLibrary system in the past month?
Yes.
Have you or someone in your householdever relied on public assistance?
Yes.
Have you ever been stopped orquestioned by police in Seattle?
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Yes.
Have you ever worked in retail or ajob where you had to rely on tips?
Yes.
Have you ever owned a business?
No.
Have you ever managed ateam of 10 or more people?
Yes.
100 or more?
Yes.
Have you ever reported someone'smisconduct in your workplace?
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Yes.
Have you ever fired someone?
No.
What's your favorite park in Seattle?
Cal Anderson.
What's your favorite restaurant?
Ooh - Sushi Kappo Tamura in Eastlake.
What was the last live performancethat you saw in Seattle?
Tems.
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Do you agree with the City Attorney'sdecision to end Seattle Community Court?
Absolutely not.
Do you believe that SPD referrals for useand possession of controlled substances
are equitable throughout the city?
No.
Do you believe the City Attorney'sOffice filing decisions for use and
possession are being made equitably?
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No.
Do you support the SOAP and SODAlegislation passed by the City Council?
Hell, no.
Do you agree with the city's decisionto jail people arrested for misdemeanor
offenses in the South CorrectionalEntity, or SCORE, facility in Des Moines?
No.
People are dying.
Do you support the new safety regulationsfor nightlife lounges operating after
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2 a.m. recently passed by the Councilto address gun violence and disorder?
Yes.
Do you support increasingfunding in the City budget for
violence intervention programs?
Yes.
Do you believe it's inappropriateto subpoena media organizations
for their records on behalf of SPD?
Yes.
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Do you support the city's decisionto join a lawsuit that challenges
the Trump administration's actionsagainst jurisdictions like Seattle that
have so-called "sanctuary" policies?
Yes.
She took too long, though - but yes.
Do you believe that the CityAttorney's Office provides sufficient
data and transparency regardingtheir activity and outcomes?
No.
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The City Attorney's Officecurrently provides a quarterly
report for the Criminal Division.
Should quarterly reports alsobe provided for the Civil
and Administrative Divisions?
Yes.
Do you believe the City Attorney'sOffice should make hiring decisions
that include consideration ofdiversity, equity, and inclusion?
Absolutely.
Do you believe the City Attorney shouldincorporate diversity, equity, and
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inclusion - or DEI - considerationsin the design and evaluation of the
effectiveness of programs and initiatives?
100%.
Should the City Attorney reporton all financial settlements and
staff costs related to claimsregarding city employee conduct?
Yes.
Will you vigorously defend thecity against lawsuits that oppose
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funding or action by Seattle'ssocial housing developer?
Yes.
Do large corporations in Seattlepay their fair share of taxes?
No.
Do small businesses paytheir fair share of taxes?
Small businesses, yes.
Do you plan to increase fundingand staffing for prosecutions
of labor violations like wagetheft and illegal union busting?
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Yes.
Do you think facial recognitionshould be banned in city use?
Yes.
If there's - there's issues with it.
Okay, so is that a yes?
Or is that a waffle?
Is that a - needs more to explain?
A waffle isn't necessarily a badthing - it's just not a yes or no.
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Yes, uh yes.
Waffle.
Okay.
Did Seattle ever "defund the police"?
Did they?
No.
Do you think every policeofficer in Seattle should be
required to live in the city?
Yes.
Have you ever been arrested?
I've been unlawfully detained before.
Have you ever served on a jury?
No.
I was excused.
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Have you ever contested a traffic ticket?
Yes.
Have you taken transit in the past week?
Yes.
Have you ridden a bike in the past week?
No.
In the past month?
No.
What's your favorite song?
I have so many.
"Outstanding" by The Gap Band.
Ooh, that's a good one.
What's the last song you listened to?
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It was a song fromChappell Roan's new album.
I think it was "HOT TO GO!".
What's the most recent book you read?
It was called Barracoon.
Have you voted in every generalelection in the past four years?
Yes.
Have you voted in every primaryelection in the past four years?
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Yes.
Have you made any politicalendorsements that you regret?
No.
Have you made any politicaldonations that you regret?
No.
In 2021, did you vote for Bruce Harrellor Lorena González for Seattle Mayor?
Bruce Harrell.
In 2021, did you vote for AnnDavison or Nicole Thomas Kennedy
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for Seattle City Attorney?
Neither.
I voted for my husband - he wasa public defender at the time.
In 2021, did you vote for Sara Nelsonor Nikkita Oliver for City Council?
Nikkita Oliver.
In 2022, did you vote for Leesa Manion orJim Ferrell for King County Prosecutor?
Leesa Manion.
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In 2024, did you vote forAlexis Mercedes Rinck or Tanya
Woo for Seattle City Council?
Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
In 2024, did you vote for Nick Brownor Pete Serrano for Attorney General?
Nick Brown.
Did you vote for Bob Fergusonor Dave Reichert for Governor?
Bob Ferguson.
Did you vote for Donald Trumpor Kamala Harris for President?
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Kamala Harris.
Will you be voting to approvethe Automated Fingerprint
Identification System, or AFISlevy, on the April 22nd ballot?
Yes.
This year, on Seattle's socialhousing initiative vote in February,
did you vote for Option 1A - whichpassed - 1B, or no to both?
1A.
Will you be voting for ClaudiaBalducci, John Wilson, or Girmay
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Zahilay for County Executive?
Girmay Zahilay.
All right, that's all for theLightning Round - there we go.
Now we're going to shift intothe heart of this conversation
with open-ended questions.
So we'll go deeper into your visionfor the City Attorney's Office and
how you'll approach key issues.
So just starting off, why are yourunning to be Seattle's City Attorney
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and what are your priorities?
Absolutely.
And thank you for that question.
I think a lot of it for me starts,you know, from my grandparents and
the values they instilled in me.
My grandmother - she moved out herein Seattle in the 70s, she worked
at the UW School of Social Work.
And my dad was raised and grew uphere and went to Ingraham High School.
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And just from a young age, theyinstilled in me the values of
service, and giving back, andstanding up when things aren't right.
My grandfather - he was in the 1968Olympics, and he used his platform
to protest what was happening toBlack Americans in our country.
And a lot of people don't know,Crystal, but it was the women behind
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those athletes that were organizing andgetting the black berets and the black
gloves and the black socks to help withthose demonstrations that happened.
And I wrote myself a letter beforeI started law school of - Why
do I want to be an attorney?
And it was to absolutely be in a positionto represent and serve my community.
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And that's why I've only workedin public service as a lawyer.
And I knew I was a - most recently, upuntil about four and a half weeks ago,
an assistant United States attorney.
And I was getting those crazy,unlawful executive orders from
Trump and Elon Musk - and we werebeing told we're Trump's lawyers.
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And I knew that's not the oaththat I took to become an attorney.
And I knew that the things that theywere telling us - like to report on
our colleagues that are doing diversitywork - those are not my values.
And folks have asked me for overa year for this specific role,
given my background and experiencepreviously working in the Seattle City
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Attorney's Office in both divisions.
And I knew, you know, Ijust knew it was time.
And I knew that all my experiences - bothprofessionally and life experience
- really prepared me for this moment.
And you asked about priorities- it's absolutely public safety.
But absolutely leading withthe restorative justice model.
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You spoke in the beginning, Crystal, ofhow the City Attorney's Office - it's a
misdemeanor court on the criminal side.
So what does that mean?
That folks are getting out of jail ina couple days, the maximum time someone
could go to jail for a misdemeanor isup until a year - but most folks are
not getting anything near close to that.
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And so what are we doing to address rootcauses and things that are affecting
everyday folks that are in our city.
And the third priority is absolutelyfighting back - fighting back
against unconstitutional federaloverreach from the administration
- and having the experience andskills to do that on Day One.
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It's so important that, you know,we can't lose again in November.
And having someone like myselfthat has the experience to know
what I'm doing on the first day isso important at a time like this.
Now, we'll talk, probably indetail, about disagreements with the
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current City Attorney Ann Davison.
But has Ann Davison gottenanything right that you would
look to continue or build upon?
Yeah.
You talked about her joining onto the sanctuary city lawsuits
with other jurisdictions.
That's good - good, you did that.
It took too long, for sure, butI - that's one thing I could say,
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like, it was good that after herbeing pressured to do so, that she
finally hopped on board with that.
Now, violent crime, includinggun violence, continues to harm
communities across Seattle.
Do you believe the current CityAttorney has taken the right steps to
address gun violence and violent crime?
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And what would you do to reduce violenceand support impacted communities?
I think that the current RepublicanCity Attorney has not done a good
job to address violent crimes.
When you look at how long domesticviolence cases are taking, they're taking
twice as long to file and charge asthey did prior to her being in office.
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And that's not public safety.
And when we're talking about gunviolence, this is something specifically,
uniquely, that I have experiencedoing and getting, you know, machine
guns and high capacity magazines offthe streets as a federal prosecutor.
And it's also something, you know, havinga lived experience as well - you know,
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I have had very close family membersthat have been victims of gun violence.
I've experienced, on the other end, myhusband and I's apartment getting shot up
by the Seattle police in Eastlake in 2017.
It was extremely scary,and we could have died.
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And some of the bullets actuallywent through the building - it went
through the laundry room downstairs,where you have to go in the
apartment building to wash clothes.
And I was on my way to wash clothesthat night - but something in my stomach
started to turn and I just didn't godownstairs because I wasn't feeling well.
And within seconds, I justhear dozens of shots going off
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and it was extremely scary.
I knew what to do - get down,and I'm grabbing my husband,
like, get down, get down.
But, you know, being, seeing it fromall these different lenses, I think,
really informs my experience - bothprofessionally and personally - and we can
do a lot better on that front, for sure.
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We've seen a rise in dangerous drivingacross Seattle - from an increase in
pedestrians being hit and injured oreven killed, to high-profile nuisances
like the so-called Belltown Hellcat.
What role do you see the CityAttorney playing in improving traffic
safety and addressing dangerousdriving behaviors on the streets?
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Absolutely.
That office deals with the drivingwhile under the influence cases.
And what's been not good right now isthat it is taking longer for DUIs as well
- that's something that's been a failurefrom the current Republican City Attorney.
And I actually have experience previously,as a city prosecutor, you know, doing
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those cases at a line level, doing thoseDUI matters and infractions as well.
And so I think there could be betterpublic safety put into that work.
I think it just comes, frankly, with alack of experience of doing it at a line
level that is causing some of the delayswe're seeing in public safety in driving.
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Now, what role does the City Attorneyplay in mitigating federal attacks on
civil rights, particularly those targetingthe trans community and immigrants?
Absolutely.
There can be - on the civil sideof that office - more affirmative
litigation to stand up to thoseunconstitutional federal overreach.
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And what that looks like, youknow, is filing amicus briefs.
It looks like partneringwith the Attorney General.
It looks like suing on behalfof the City of Seattle when it's
affecting the City of Seattle.
There's ways to do that and to beproactive and to speak out and do
things that are protecting, youknow, all of our groups in the city.
And that's currently not being done.
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And additionally, Crystal, you'rereminding me of a case that I actually
worked on on the civil side of thatoffice that involved a trans woman
who was harmed by a police officer.
And one of the roles as the CityAttorney - you're responsible for all,
you know, City of Seattle departments.
And that includes - one of those clientsis the Seattle Police Department.
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And in that matter, this woman- she was harmed by an officer.
And I was responsible for representingthe City and the police department.
However, given my background andexperience, the right resolution
for that case was to settle it.
And it was to bring it to the CityAttorney, like - Hey, look, this
is, these are the dynamics here.
This is what happened.
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This person was wrong, then that'sthe best result here for this case.
And that comes with, you know, sometimeshaving those hard conversations with
your client, like - it's not the rightthing to just fight, fight, fight.
It's no - sometimes the rightresolution is settling a case.
And having actual experience doingthat, and then lived experience to
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have that lens - I think it's sofundamental and key in this role.
Now, Seattle has expanded its use ofsurveillance technologies like CCTV
systems and Real-Time Crime Centersoftware, particularly in neighborhoods
like the Chinatown-InternationalDistrict and Aurora Avenue.
Civil rights organizations, likethe ACLU of Washington, have raised
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concerns that these technologiesmay disproportionately impact Black
and Brown communities and could beleveraged by federal agencies like
ICE to target immigrants and refugees.
Given the Trump administration'sintensified immigration enforcement
efforts, how would you work toensure that surveillance tools
are not used to exacerbate racialdisparities or facilitate federal
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targeting of vulnerable populations?
Absolutely.
And when we were talking aboutthat question earlier, that's what
was coming in my mind - of thedisproportionality on Black and Brown
folks with this type of technology.
So as City Attorney, it's absolutelynot, you know, supporting that
when it's affecting Black andBrown folks, not turning over those
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things, you know - if it's beingrequested - to the federal government.
But, yeah, I think we've historicallyknow that these types of mechanisms of
surveillance disproportionately affect us.
And that's - and that's not okay.
So what would you implement oradvise to promote transparency,
accountability, and community oversightwhen these technologies are deployed?
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You know, it's figuring out thescope of - what is the purpose
and why is it being used?
You know, if SPD is puttingthat up - like, there needs to
be a clear articulation of whatexactly it's being used for.
I think just it broadly beingout there - I don't support that.
And I don't think that is anequitable way to surveil at all.
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I think it's - you know, there'sdifferent technology, too, as well.
So it's something that I know,though, with facial recognition
- it's disproportionatelyaffected Black and Brown folks.
In light of Seattle's recent $10 millionsettlement with protesters who alleged
excessive force by police during the2020 demonstrations, and considering
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ongoing concerns about the treatmentof protesters, how would you ensure
the protection of First Amendmentrights during public demonstrations?
Absolutely.
As the next Seattle City Attorney, Iwould absolutely not prosecute folks
that are exercising their right topeacefully protest, unless something
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gets violent or someone is doingsomething damaging or hurting someone.
But there's a right to peacefully protest.
And that's something as wellthat is personal to me with my
grandfather's story of using theOlympic national stage to protest.
So I would be committed to absolutelynot prosecuting folks that are
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exercising their First Amendment right.
And on the civil side of it, you know,it's being proactive of, you know,
training correctly officers of, like,how to interact with folks in community.
In every precinct - under the CityAttorney's umbrella is our precinct
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liaisons that are hired to be inthe different precincts in our city.
And so being proactive when it comesto training officers on how to avoid
these types of lawsuits is absolutelysomething I will champion, and make
sure that we are reducing the amount ofsuits that come in from unlawful conduct
or harmful conduct by police officers.
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City Attorney Ann Davison ended Seattle'sCommunity Court, a program designed
to divert people facing low-levelcharges into services instead of jail.
Critics argue that this decisionrolled back a key alternative to
prosecution and disconnected peoplefrom the help they need - and is
exacerbating backlogs in the court.
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What's your view of that decision,and what changes would you make
to how the City Attorney's Officeapproaches diversion programs overall?
I think it was a terribledecision to end Community Court.
And when we talked about earlier,Crystal, public safety and why now
domestic violence cases and DUIsare taking so much longer - those
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prosecutors are getting huge docketsthat are having a lot of cases that
used to be in a Community Court docketwith a dedicated prosecutor and defense
attorney now in the mainstream docket.
Which is making cases that are really more
- that have a greater impacton public safety - to take
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longer now because of that.
And so what I've been doing is I've beenspeaking with folks in our state that have
Community Court models that are working.
One of those, in particular, is in Auburn.
And I was just speaking with a publicdefender that was working there for
decades - and talked about how successfulit's been and how they've seen it make
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a difference in their clients' lives.
And folks that have had yearsof, you know, being in and out,
actually getting stability.
Because when you have a system thathas a wraparound resources all in one
place, that is a way to be successful.
So the model I'm talking about - what Iwould champion and bring back - is a model
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that where Community Court is not in thecourtroom, it's in community somewhere.
And we're going to have resourcesof services all in one place.
And what does that look like?
Having services for treatment, havingservices for employment and housing.
Auburn even has pet fostering forfolks that need to go into inpatient
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treatment - having that as a resourceand making sure all folks need to do
is show up and they're going to haveeverything they need to be successful.
And I think that is a model thatI would champion and bring back.
Another huge thing is they even haverepresentatives from Apple Health that
come in and help folks get medical.
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And those are the wraparound services thatare needed to really help folks and help
people not see, like, a cycling in andout of jail - because that doesn't work.
And that actually costs us moreas taxpayers when we're looking at
it a lens like - Oh, just get themoff the street, put them in jail.
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They're going to be out in a fewdays, and it's the same thing.
What are we doing to address rootcause issues with these misdemeanors,
where folks need help and folksneed treatment and there needs to be
something there that provides that?
And that is what I will absolutelychampion and bring back, because that's
what our values and what we want herein Seattle - when we think about if
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this was our family member, is itjust saying, Oh, put them in jail?
No, it's how do we help thisperson - get them what they
need so they can thrive too?
How do you respond to people who feellike diversion is letting people off easy,
it's not the same level of accountability,and it contributes to continued crime?
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I would say that providing nothing to helpfolks when they need treatment, when they
need housing - that's not going to solve,that's not solving the problem at all.
And diversion can still lead toaccountability - that's absolutely
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part of the process to make it work.
And what they do in Auburn - if folks arenot doing the things that they need to
do, they go back into the main docket.
So there needs to be accountability.
And I think, Crystal, when you mentionedthe Community Court that was taken
away, I think that was one of thethings that was not happening - the
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accountability piece needing to be there.
And so having a new Community Court thathas wraparound services, but also has
things that help with accountabilityfor folks - because that's what we need.
Now, Seattle has reinstated Seattle'sStay Out of Drug Areas, and Stay Out
of Areas of Prostitution, also knownas the SOAP and SODA laws, which
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allow judges to ban people accused ofcertain offenses from designated areas.
Proponents argue that these measuresshould disrupt open-air drug markets
and reduce sex trafficking, but evidencesuggests that these measures may not
effectively reduce drug use or humantrafficking and could disproportionately
impact marginalized communities.
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As City Attorney, how will you assesshow effective these laws are, and what
would your approach be to deal with them?
Yes, we know SOAP andSODA are not effective.
So I would not be recommending theprosecutors go into the court and
request SOAP and SODA orders on folks.
And I would not prosecute them as well.
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I think that they - yes,we know the data on them.
They do disproportionately affect Blackand Brown folks, and that's not okay.
And so we won't be using them.
I think my experience at the federallevel, you know, going after high level,
like cartel, drug traffickers, traffickersof guns - there's, there's other ways
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to to address, you know, and work withwith partners on that that are that
are addressing the high level stuff.
But at a misdemeanor level,you know, you cannot.
There absolutely needs to be services forfolks, and SOAP and SODA - that's not it.
So much of our public conversationaround crime focuses on punishing
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offenders, but very little attention ispaid to rehabilitation and prevention.
The conversation often claims to speak forvictims - but studies, including another
major, one just released, show thatmost victims of violent crime actually
want more investment in rehabilitationand prevention than in punishment.
Do you agree that we shouldfocus more on keeping people from
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becoming victims in the first place?
And how would you use your powersas City Attorney to do that?
Yes, I think that absolutelyensuring that this is not happening
in the first place is so important.
And that comes with - what are wedoing to provide services to folks so
they're getting what they need, they'regetting the right tools they need,
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so folks are not committing crimes?
So absolutely, it's somethingthat I would champion and do.
I think the point of rehabilitation,Crystal, it's so folks are
not committing crimes again.
How are we addressing, though, that?
And I think a big part of that ishaving resources and services for folks
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so they can have the tools they needso they're not recommitting crimes.
And just saying - Put someone injail - that's not going to cut it.
And if someone has a drug addictionand needs treatment, putting someone in
jail - that's not going to work either.
There's drugs in jail.
I've at a federal level, you know, hadto prosecute cases where folks were
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smuggling fentanyl into the jails.
And so that is not a place - it'snot a treatment facility.
Now, many crime victims report notreceiving the help they need in the
aftermath of what they've experienced- whether it's trauma recovery, housing
support, or just being kept informedabout what's happening in their case.
As City Attorney, how would you work tomake sure victims are better supported
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and centered in the legal process, andnot just used to justify punishment?
Absolutely.
I would definitely beef up - there'sdomestic violence advocates in the City
Attorney's Office on the criminal side.
And ensuring that they are partof the process is so important.
You know, as a federal prosecutor, youknow, working with victims on cases where
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they've been harmed - you absolutelyneed to include them in that process.
You know, I'm thinking back to a caseI worked on where a young girl was
sexually abused by her own father, Andhow important it was to, you know, be very
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mindful of the trauma and experience thatthey have to live with, and what does that
look like in getting justice for them?
What does that look like ingetting them services they need,
with counseling and whatnot?
And being able to proactively, youknow, be a resource for victims.
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And so I think the City Attorney's office- having domestic violence advocates,
having advocates that partner withthe victims in the case is absolutely
something that I would increase.
And also something that is sofundamental in every part of the process.
Wage theft remains a significant issuein Seattle, with cases like those
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involving Baja Concrete and NewwayForming highlighting the challenges
workers face in recovering stolenwages and trying to avoid retaliation.
Given that the City Attorney's Officeplays a crucial role in prosecuting
wage theft cases referred by theOffice of Labor Standards, how do
you plan to enhance enforcementefforts to ensure timely and effective
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justice for affected workers?
Absolutely.
I am absolutely committed to puttingmore attorneys in the Employment Law
section that deals with the wage theft.
I think also my unique experienceas a federal prosecutor - I've
actually worked on these cases.
I had an employer, Crystal, thatI prosecuted that stole over a
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million dollars of his employees'monies from their paychecks.
And then he literally used the moneyto buy $100,000 horses and Porsches.
And holding them accountable, because
that behavior is absolutely not okay.
(33:30):
And those affect themost vulnerable people.
And so I'm the only candidate inthis race that's actually worked
on these cases for wage theft.
And that experience and skillset isabsolutely what I would prioritize.
I would expand the unit that does thosematters and absolutely hold bad employers
(33:52):
accountable - because it's not right.
You think about the money that'slost every year from bad employers
- it's more money that's lost thanfolks that are stealing stuff from
Target or the stores in our city.
And so there needs to be a shift in focuson holding bad employers accountable.
(34:14):
Absolutely.
And I think that comes from just anunderstanding working on these cases.
And that's another reason it's soimportant to have a candidate that has
actually worked on these cases and is ableto prioritize that immediately on Day One
- because I have the experience to do so.
Washington's Attorney General, Nick Brown,recently filed a lawsuit against RealPage
(34:38):
and several landlords, alleging that theyused algorithmic software to coordinate
rent increases, affecting almost 800,000.
Leases in Washington state.
This practice is believed tohave significantly contributed
to rising rents in Seattle.
As City Attorney, what steps willyou take to address the harm caused
(34:59):
by these practices and to preventsimilar issues in the future?
Absolutely.
And that conduct is not okay.
And when we're talking aboutpriorities - of what is being
done for bad landlords and bademployers - that's in the same bucket.
It's absolutely holding thosefolks accountable because that
affects vulnerable folks inour city - and that's not okay.
(35:22):
You know, and Crystal - when wewere talking about the, you know,
bad employers and wage theft.
Coming from a low-income, working-classfamily, I absolutely understand the value
of a dollar and what that means and whatthat - when bad employers are taking
advantage and bad landlords are takingadvantage of folks, that is unacceptable
(35:44):
and they will be held accountable.
Do you support the creation of apublicly accessible database of
corporate-owned real estate inSeattle to enhance transparency and
accountability in the housing market?
Absolutely.
The Seattle Municipal Courtis facing significant backlogs
and has been in recent years.
As City Attorney, how would you addressthese backlogs to ensure timely justice?
(36:07):
Yes.
I think a lot of this also comes backto reinstating a new Community Court.
That's going to put a lot of thesecases that are the matters that have not
as great impact on public safety in abucket, which is, you know, one bucket.
And then we're focusing on theother matters that have a greater
(36:29):
impact on public safety, like ourassault cases, domestic violence
cases, DUIs, the harassments.
Being able to focus on those more seriouscases is vital in ensuring public safety.
And so addressing the backlog comeswith having experience to prioritize
matters that affect public safety.
(36:49):
And ensuring that folks that needto be having services and treatment
- that that's being provided, and it'snot clogging up the main docket.
And having experience at a line levelin that office and actually practicing
there, I understand - having 20,25 cases set in one week for trial
(37:09):
and that's extremely challenging.
And so having things prioritizedin a way - that is a approach
to cut down on the backlog.
It's putting cases such as low-levelthefts and trespasses and things like
(37:30):
that - when they're dealing with crimesof poverty - in a Community Court,
so that the cases that affect publicsafety more can be on the main docket.
Now, in 2024, City Attorney Ann Davison'soffice filed a blanket affidavit of
prejudice to disqualify Judge PoojaVaddadi from all criminal cases,
(37:51):
citing a pattern of biased rulings.
However, the substantiation ofthose claims were questioned, and
the move sparked significant debateabout prosecutorial discretion
and judicial independence.
How do you view that action?
And under what circumstances, if any,would you consider using such authority
to disqualify a judge from cases?
(38:12):
I think doing a blanket affidavitis wild - it's an elected judge,
that should not have been done.
There's other methods and means toappeal if you don't like a ruling.
It's called a rouge appeal - it'ssomething I've actually done
before at the city level.
And that is a mechanism, if you're notliking your ruling, to do it that way.
(38:33):
But instead, what the Republican CityAttorney has done is essentially gotten
an elected judge to now just dealing withinfractions - that also is a contributor
of the backlog - when there's less electedjudges on the bench to hear these cases.
And it's also costing taxpayers more moneybecause they're having to bring in, you
(38:57):
know, pro tem substitute judges to fillsome of that space - and that costs money.
And so I think that that was, you know,it comes with a lack of experience on
her decision to do a blanket affidavit.
That's an elected judge, andthat should not have been done.
Because there's other ways as alawyer - if you have experience
(39:19):
doing that - to file an appeal ifyou don't like a judge's ruling.
Now, we also asked each candidate in thisrace to ask a question of their opponents.
So this upcoming question isfrom your opponent, Nathan Rouse.
He asks (39:34):
As someone who's been a
prosecutor for their entire career, how
are you equipped to come in and bringchange to how justice is done in Seattle?
Absolutely.
I like this question.
So I think it's a combination of - Ihaven't just been a prosecutor.
I've worked at the City Attorney'sOffice in the Civil Division as
(39:56):
well - and we essentially are defenseattorneys - so having that experience.
I think also, at a time when weneed someone that understands
it - being a pro tem judge aswell, that's a different experience
that I bring to the table as well.
I think, you know, my lived experience - Ithink that makes a difference, frankly.
(40:19):
I think being, you know, growingup and navigating as a Black
woman in this country is hard.
And when we look at the makeup of how manyof us are attorneys in the nation, it's
5% of lawyers in this country are Black.
And even less are women.
(40:40):
And I think for good government andleadership, you need to be coming at it
with diverse lenses and having those livedexperiences - you know, growing up, my mom
was a construction worker here in Seattle.
My dad's a current bus driver.
My brother is a public school teacher.
My husband was a former publicdefender for almost a decade.
(41:02):
I think all these lived experiencesand values really shape the ideas
and vision that I bring to the table.
You know, and we talked about, youknow, my experience, you know, being
a victim of unlawful policing, youknow, be a victim of, you know, our
(41:24):
apartment getting shot up by SPD.
But then also working, you know, beingat the table and the importance that was
being at the table with that experience.
You know, also in the United StatesAttorney's Office, I was one of two
of the civil rights prosecutors.
And what that looked like isprosecuting folks that committed
(41:47):
hate crimes in our city.
And also prosecuting and investigatinglaw enforcement officers that
were acting unlawfully, criminallyagainst people in our district.
So I think all those lived andprofessional experiences allow
me to absolutely be the mostqualified and effective City
Attorney for at a time such as this.
(42:09):
Now, this upcoming question is fromyour opponent, Rory O'Sullivan.
He says (42:13):
My goal in this campaign
is to ensure we have a progressive
City Attorney who reflects thevalues of the City of Seattle.
As such, I have directed my campaign staffand volunteers to refrain from engaging
in negative campaigning against you, andI have made the same commitment myself.
Are you willing to refrain fromnegative campaigning against your
(42:35):
progressive opponents in the primary?
Yes.
All right.
Now we're going back to ourgeneral questions asked by us.
So what experience do you have thatshould give voters the confidence that
you can manage a large staff like theone at the City Attorney's Office, and
work with law enforcement partners andstakeholders and impacted people in
(42:59):
the community in order to accomplisheverything you've talked about?
Absolutely.
And I think it comes to my experience.
I previously led the Loren Miller BarAssociation, which is the oldest and
largest bar association in our state- and it's our Black bar association.
And leading that organization aspresident absolutely came with, you
(43:22):
know, coordinating with many folks.
And I think also my experience leadingthe Washington Leadership Institute,
which we have a budget - a couple hundredthousand dollars - and managing that and
understanding, you know, how to lead.
There's fellows that we havein the program every year.
(43:42):
That's a management position that helpsme, you know, understand those dynamics.
Also, as a federal prosecutor,there was cases that I was leading
the investigations on with a lot ofdifferent federal partners - you know,
the FBI or the Secret Service, orthe DEA - and leading those federal
investigations on big cases like thewage theft case I mentioned earlier.
(44:07):
That was my case, and I was the onlyfederal prosecutor on that matter.
Being able to successfully do that - Ithink that gives voters reassurance
that I've actually done this work,been on a line level, and have the
skill sets to take off running onDay One to serve the city of Seattle.
(44:27):
Now, our final question fortoday is, really, thinking about
voters who may be looking foran alternative to the incumbent.
Why should they choose youover the other challengers?
Crystal, I think the biggest answercomes back to - a time like this.
A time like this when we're facingunconstitutional federal overreach,
(44:51):
when people are scared, and havingsomeone that has been at the federal
level to know what to do on Day One.
I think that is something thatcompletely sets me apart from
everyone, including the incumbent.
Also being someone that has workedat a line level as a prosecutor and
(45:13):
as a defense attorney for the city.
Having familiarity with that office inboth divisions at a line level completely
sets me apart from any candidate,including the incumbent in this race.
I think also, you know,community leadership experience.
I think that speaks volumes to who I am- leading the Loren Miller Bar Association,
(45:34):
leading programs that enhance diversity.
I led a bar pass programfor almost seven years.
And it was all about working withdiverse folks - Black and Brown, LGBTQ+
folks - that were taking the bar examand working with them to help get
them to pass and into the profession.
(45:54):
So when we talk about enhancingdiversity in the profession, I was
actually on the ground as a volunteerhelping do that, helping change that.
And also another thing is the CharlesV. Johnson Youth and Law Forum, that I
previously led as a co-chair - which isall about bringing youth in King County
(46:15):
together with legal professionals anddoing Know Your Rights workshops and
working with them to get them excitedand encouraged to pursue careers in law.
I think those, you know, communityleadership experiences are also something
so important that sets me apart.
I think, you know, finally, you know,just as we talked about, you know,
(46:39):
having a diverse background and lensas a Black woman in our country - you
know, running for an elected prosecutorrole where a lot of that work affects,
you know, communities of color.
Having those lived experiences isso important at the end of the day.
Having those equity lenses because you'veactually experienced that is so important.
So to sum it up, I think it's myprofessional experience - you know,
(47:02):
only working in public service,working in that office before
in both divisions, my communityleadership, and my lived experiences.
Well, that wraps upour conversation today.
Thank you so much for taking the timeto share your views and priorities and
your approach to working, and as theCity Attorney, should you be elected.
(47:24):
As we've heard today, this officeplays a really powerful role in
shaping how Seattle handles safety,accountability, justice, and civil rights.
And the decisions made here will havereal impacts on people's lives every day.
So thank you so much for yourtime and your willingness to speak
directly to the people - that isso important for our democracy.
(47:45):
And standing up and being accountablebefore the people is an important thing.
And to our listeners - thankyou for tuning in.
We encourage you to learn more, askquestions, and, more importantly, make
your voice heard in the upcoming election.
Thank you so much, Erika Evans.
Thank you, Crystal.
Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks,which is produced by Shannon Cheng.
(48:08):
You can follow Hacks & Wonkson Bluesky @HacksAndWonks.
You can find me on Bluesky at@finchfrii - that's F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I.
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(48:30):
If you like us, leave areview wherever you listen.
You can also get a full transcriptof this episode and links to the
resources referenced in the showat officialhacksandwonks.com.
Thanks for tuningin - talk to you next time.