King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Criminal Division
Early Plea Negotiations Process Guidelines
Purpose: The KCPAO is committed to the fair and expeditious resolution of every criminal case. Our early plea practice is based on our belief that many cases can be fairly resolved early in the life of a case - and that an early plea is a significant mitigating factor in the negotiation process.
Hours of Negotiation: Most units in the criminal division have a designated prosecutor devoted to early plea negotiations. The hours of negotiations and other information for each early plea negotiator are attached. Defense counsel are encouraged to meet with early plea deputies as soon as practicable. Our early plea deputies strive to make themselves available to all defense attorneys, including those in trial, and will make appointments outside of regular drop-in hours to accommodate attorneys who are in trial or otherwise need to meet at another time.
Discovery: The KCPAO will make its best effort to provide all discovery for the defense that is available at the time of filing or that becomes available thereafter. If the defendant requests a copy of redacted discovery, the early plea negotiator will discontinue negotiations and will have the case assigned to a trial deputy. We are unable to provide redacted discovery with our limited early plea staff.
Defense Investigation: If the defense intends to conduct additional investigation beyond reviewing the discovery (for example, contacting the State's witnesses), and also wishes to keep an early plea offer open, counsel should review the attached summary of early plea practices for each unit. If the defense attorney is still unsure about whether investigation will impact negotiations, the attorney should contact the assigned early plea negotiator.
Questions: The KCPAO is committed to the continued success of our early plea process. We encourage defense attorneys with comments, questions, concerns or suggestions about any aspect of our early plea practice to contact the unit chair or the Assistant Chiefs of the Criminal Division.
Seattle: Erin Ehlert at 296-9454 orErin.Ehlert@kingcounty.gov
MRJC: Dan Clark at 296-9659 orDaniel.Clark@kingcounty.gov
Seattle Early Plea Negotiation Process and Hours
For pre-assigned cases, contact the assigned prosecutor directly to schedule an appointment for negotiations or pretrial discussions.
Domestic Violence Unit
Negotiator: Chris Bell (206-205-7431) orChristopher.Bell@kingcounty.gov
Hours:
Mondays 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Wednesdays 1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
or by appointment;
Unavailable for appointments during DV Calendars (Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., and Tuesday afternoons)
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of a case. However, if the defense requests discovery beyond what is normally expected during the early plea negotiation period (such as victim/witness interviews, redacted discovery, records that are not in the possession of the State, lab testing, etc.), then the case must be assigned to a trial deputy and any outstanding early plea offer is withdrawn.
Special Assault Unit
Negotiator: Corinn Bohn (206-296-9469) or Corinn.Bohn@kingcounty.gov
Contact Lisa Johnson (206-296-9504) or Lisa.Johnson@kingcounty.gov if Corinn is unavailable.
Hours:
Mondays 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Wednesdays 1:30 p.m. -4:00 p.m.
or by appointment
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of a case. However, if defense requests discovery above what is expected during the early plea negotiation period (e.g. victim/witness interviews, CPS/counseling records that are not in our possession, lab testing that we would not do unless case goes to trial, etc.), the case will be assigned to a trial deputy, and any outstanding early plea offer is withdrawn.
Homicide and Violent Crimes Unit
Aggravated Murder, Murder, Manslaughter, Assault 1 and 2, Robbery, Kidnapping, Unlawful Imprisonment, Burglary 1, Arson/Reckless Burning, Felony Traffic (including Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, Hit and Run, Felony DUI)
General cases (excluding homicides and felony traffic):
Negotiators: Cases are assigned to the negotiators alphabetically by offender's last name. If there are co-defendants, use the last name of the first co-defendant:
A - L: Alex Voorhees (206-296-9447) or Alexandra.Voorhees@kingcounty.gov
M - Z: Jeff Dernbach (206-296-0547) or Jeff.Dernbach@kingcounty.gov
In the event neither negotiator is available, defense may contact Brian McDonald at Brian.McDonald@kingcounty.gov.
Hours:
Mondays through Thursdays 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
or by appointment
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of the case, but the defense should expect that the State’s best offer will be made at the early plea stage. If the defense requests discovery beyond what is normally expected during the early plea negotiation period (such as victim/witness interviews, redacted discovery, records that are not in the possession of the State, lab testing, etc.), then the case must be assigned to a trial deputy and any outstanding early plea offer is withdrawn.
-
Early plea offers will not be kept open for an extended period of time. Further, the State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances, such as new information or evidence, the defendant’s commission of new crimes, a failure to appear, violations of conditions of release, any evidence of inappropriate communication/contact with victims or witnesses, etc.
Homicides
Negotiator: Contact the assigned trial deputy.
Felony Traffic
(Veh. Hom., Veh. Assault, Felony Hit and Run with a death, Felony DUI):
Negotiator: Amy Freedheim (206-296-9478) or Amy.Freedheim@kingcounty.gov
Hours: By appointment only
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by e-mail. In person negotiations encouraged for initial discussions of any case. Plea forms must be turned in prior to the plea hearing.
-
Most felony traffic cases will be assigned to Amy Freedheim for trial.
-
See general Violent Crimes Unit early plea negotiation practices noted above.
Felony Trial Unit
Animal Cruelty, Assault 3, Attempt to Elude, Bail Jumping, Burglary, Custodial Assault, Escape, Felony Harassment, Intimidating or Tampering with a Witness or Public Servant, Introducing Contraband, Malicious Mischief, Stalking, Theft 1 (taking from person), Theft or Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Threats to Bomb, Unlawful Imprisonment, UPFA, VUCSA, Car Theft Initiative ("CTI") and Repeat Burglar Initiative ("RBI").
Negotiators: Cases are assigned to the negotiators alphabetically by offender's last name. If there are co-defendants, use the last name of the first co-defendant:
A - O: Maggie Nave (206-205-0826) or Margaret.Nave@kingcounty.gov
P - Z: Angie Kaake (206-296-9532) or Angela.Kaake@kingcounty.gov
Car Theft Initiative ("CTI")
Susan Harrison (206-296-9656) or Susan.Harrison@kingcounty.gov.
Repeat Burglary Initiative ("RBI")
Darren Thompson (206-296-8984) or Darren.Thompson@kingcounty.gov
Hours:
Maggie Nave and Angie Kaake:
Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.;
or by appointment.
Susan Harrison: by appointment
Darren Thompson: by appointment
In the event the negotiator is not available, defense may contact Amy Montgomery (206-296-8987) or Amy.Montgomery@kingcounty.gov or Mary Barbosa (206-296-9651) or Mary.Barbosa@kingcounty.gov.
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of the case, but the defense should expect that the State’s best offer will be made at the early plea stage. If the defense requests discovery beyond what is normally expected during the early plea negotiations period (such as victim/witness interviews, redacted discovery, records that are not in the possession of the State, lab testing, etc.), then the case must be assigned to a trial deputy and any outstanding early plea offer is withdrawn.
-
Early plea offers will not be kept open for an extended period of time. Further, the State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances, such as new information or evidence, the defendant’s commission of new crimes, a failure to appear, violations of conditions of release, any evidence of inappropriate communication/contact with victims or witnesses, etc.
-
RBI does not negotiate all burglary cases, only cases involving defendants who have been identified as prolific offenders. A prolific offender is any defendant who has been recognized by a policing agency or the KCPAO as having a disproportionate effect on crime rates in the region. Most prolific offenders will have several prior, current, or uncharged burglary cases.
Economic Crimes Unit
Forgery, ID Theft, Theft 1 and 2, PSP 1 and 2, Trafficking 1 and 3, UIBC, FTR/Theft of Rental Prop., Promoting Prostitution 2, Money Laundering, Gambling, Insurance Fraud, Mortgage Fraud, Voter Fraud, Cheating, Complex Financial Crimes, Elder Abuse
Property Offenses
Negotiator: Angie Kaake (206-296-9532) or Angela.Kaake@kingcounty.gov
Contact Maggie Nave (206-205-0826) or Margaret.Nave@kingcounty.gov or Melinda Young (206-205-3337) or Melinda.Young@kingcounty.gov if Angie is unavailable.
Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
or by appointment
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of the case, but the defense should expect that the State’s best offer will be made at the early plea stage. If the defense requests discovery beyond what is normally expected during the early plea negotiation period (such as request to arrange victim/witness interviews or motion for such interviews, redacted discovery, records that are not in the possession of the State, lab testing, etc.), then the case must be assigned to a trial deputy and any outstanding early plea offer is withdrawn.
-
Early plea offers will not be kept open for an extended period of time. Further, the State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances, such as new information or evidence, the defendant’s commission of new crimes, a failure to appear, violations of conditions of release, any evidence of inappropriate communication/contact with victims or witnesses, etc. The State will strive to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
Elder Abuse
Negotiators:
Page Ulrey (296-9539) Page.Ulrey@kingcounty.gov
Kathy Van Olst (296-9076) Kathy.Vanolst@kingcounty.gov
Hours: By appointment
Other Information:
-
No negotiations by email unless a case has been discussed in person first, but defense counsel may email any information the attorney would like considered prior to negotiations.
-
Deadline for offer will be specified when offer is extended. Offer will be withdrawn when case is set for trial or victim interview is conducted unless otherwise specified.
-
The State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances (such as a new crime is committed, new charge are filed, additional criminal history is discovered, the defendant fails to appear for court etc.), although it strives to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
Mortgage Fraud
Negotiators:
Jennifer Atchison (206-296-9502) or Jennifer.Atchison@kingcounty.gov
Hugo Torres (206-296-9080) or Hugo.Torres@kingcounty.gov
Hours: By appointment
Other Information:
-
Email negotiations are permitted, but in person negotiations are preferred and are more effective.
-
Negotiations are to take place only upon defense fully reviewing discovery. The assigned prosecutor will be available to identify the critical documents and witness statements. Deadline for offer will be specified when offer is made. Plea offers made early in process will always expire if the defendant sets matter for trial.
-
The State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances (such as a new crime is committed, new charge are filed, additional criminal history is discovered, the defendant fails to appear for court etc.), although it strives to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
Insurance Fraud and Organized Retail Theft for Seattle and MRJC
Negotiator: Andy Hamilton (296-9493) Andy.Hamilton@kingcounty.gov
Contact Melinda Young at MelindaYoung@kingcounty.gov if Andy is unavailable.
Hours: By appointment
Other Information:
-
Email negotiations are permitted, but in person negotiations are preferred and are more effective. For the MRJC, email negotiations are preferred.
-
Deadline for offer will be specified when offer is made. Offers always expire if defendant sets the matter for trial.
-
The State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances (such as a new crime is committed, new charge are filed, additional criminal history is discovered, the defendant fails to appear for court etc.), although it strives to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
Identity Theft for Seattle and MRJC
Negotiator: Peter Lewicki (206-296-9071) or Peter.Lewicki@kingcounty.gov
Contact Melinda Young at (206-205-3337) or Melinda.Young@kingcounty.gov if Peter is unavailable.
Hours:
SEATTLE: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (by appointment)
MRJC: Wednesday (by appointment)
Other information:
-
Email negotiations are permitted, but in person negotiations are preferred and more effective. For the MRJC, email negotiations are preferred, as negotiator is only at the MRJC on Wednesdays.
-
Deadline for offer will be specified when offer is made. Offers always expire if defendant sets the matter for trial.
-
The State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances (such as a new crime is committed, new charge are filed, additional criminal history is discovered, the defendant fails to appear for court etc.), although it strives to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
MRJC Early Plea Negotiation Process and Hours
For pre-assigned cases, contact the assigned prosecutor directly to schedule an appointment for negotiations or pretrial discussions.
Domestic Violence Unit
Negotiator: Nicole Weston (206-205-7425) or Nicole.Weston@kingcounty.gov
Contact Brad Bales (206-205-7427) or Brad.Bales@kingcounty.gov if Nicole is unavailable.
Hours:
Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Thursdays 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
or by appointment
Unavailable for appointments during DV Calendars (Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and Thursdays 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.)
Other Information:
-
In person negotiations required for initial discussions of any case; follow-up clarifications can be done via email. Plea forms must be turned in prior to the plea hearing.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of a case. However, the case will be transferred to a trial DPA if significant additional investigation is necessary or witness interviews are requested. Once assigned to a trial deputy, any early plea offer expires.
Special Assault Unit
Negotiator: Rich Anderson (206-205-7466) or Rich.Anderson@kingcounty.gov
If Rich is unavailable, contact Cecelia Gregson (206-205-7451) or Cecelia.Gregson@kingcounty.gov
Hours:
Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
or by appointment
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email.
-
Negotiations will continue throughout the pendency of a case. However, if defense requests discovery above what is expected during the early plea negotiations period (e.g. victim/witness interviews, CPS/counseling records that are not in our possession, lab testing that we would not do unless case goes to trial, etc) then the case will be assigned to a trial deputy, and any outstanding early plea offer is withdrawn.
Violent and Economic Crimes Unit
Negotiators:
Tod Bergstrom (206-205-7461) or Tod.Bergstrom@kingcounty.gov
Bianca Tse (206-205-7440) or Bianca.Tse@kingcounty.gov
Attorneys are welcome to approach either negotiator based upon availability, but once negotiations begin with a negotiator they generally remain with that negotiator through resolution.
Hours: Bianca Tse and Tod Bergstrom: Mondays through Wednesdays 8:45 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Tod Bergstrom only: after case setting (approximately 3:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.); Thursdays 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.; or by appointment
Other Information:
-
First negotiation must occur in person, email thereafter for minor adjustments to the recommendation.
-
Case transfers to a trial deputy upon request for interviews, OR, upon request for redacted discovery OR after case is set for trial.
-
Generally, investigation by the defense, including witness interviews, does not revoke an early plea offer, with the exception of the following: witness is a confidential informant, or a sensitive victim/witness is involved. The State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances (such as a new crime is committed, additional criminal history is discovered, failures to appear, or violations of CCAP, etc.), although it strives to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
Car Theft Initiative ("CTI")
Negotiators: Jim Ferrell (206-205-7505) or Jim.Ferrell@kingcounty.gov
If Jim is unavailable, contact Doug Young (206-205-7426) or Doug.Young@kingcounty.gov
Hours: Mondays through Wednesdays 8:45 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Other Information:
-
First negotiation must occur in person, email thereafter for minor adjustments to the recommendation.
-
Case transfers to a trial deputy upon request for interviews, OR, upon request for redacted discovery OR after case is set for trial.
-
Generally, investigation by the defense, including witness interviews, does not revoke an early plea offer, with the exception of the following: witness is a confidential informant, or a sensitive victim/witness is involved. The State reserves the right to revoke an early plea offer in other circumstances (such as a new crime is committed, additional criminal history is discovered, failures to appear, or violations of CCAP, etc.), although it strives to provide predictability and notice to the defense of any revocation.
Felony Traffic (Veh. Hom., Veh. Assault, Felony Hit and Run with a death, Felony DUI):
Negotiator: Amy Freedheim (206-296-9478) or Amy.Freedheim@kingcounty.gov
Hours: By email; or by appointment on Wednesdays only
Other Information:
-
Will negotiate by email. In person negotiations encouraged for initial discussions of any case. Plea forms must be turned in prior to the plea hearing.
-
Most felony traffic cases will be assigned to Amy Freedheim for trial.
-
See general Violent and Economic Crimes Unit early plea negotiation practices noted above.
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