Jan. 5, 2009 As part of its Car Theft Initiative (CTI) in 2008, the PAO and local law enforcement have reduced car theft in King County by an amazing 53% since 2005. In 2005, there were about 17,700 reported car thefts in King County. In 2008, three years after we launched a county-wide partnership with police agencies, there were only 8,300 reported car thefts. That means that there were 9,400 fewer stolen cars in 2008 than there had been in 2005. The savings to citizens, insurance companies, and the overall improvement to public safety have been enormous. The police and PAO have now turned their attention to car prowlers, those despicable criminals who bash in windows and damage parked cars in order to steal everything but the car itself. On January 4, The Seattle Times reported that there were more than 370 reported car prowls in Seattle during the last two weeks of November. The story seemed to imply that there was little that could be done to curtail this troublesome crime. While it is true that state law makes car prowl crimes misdemeanors, not felonies, DPAs are able to make felony cases out of the damage done to gain entry (malicious mischief) and the value of items taken (felony theft). Using these legal tools, and the successful partnership with police, prosecutors have been able to achieve significant prison sentences for the most prolific car prowlers. Recently, the Bellevue Police Department (BPD) identified and investigated a major car prowl ring that was operating in the Eastside area of King County. We want to thank BPD for their investigative work in breaking this crime ring. Working with BPD, the PAO charged these defendants with several counts: - Defendant Faraz Zolfagharkani has been charged with 10 felonies stemming from 11 counts of Vehicle Prowl. If convicted, he faces a standard range sentence of 63-84 months in prison.
- Defendant Ashley Dickinson has been charged with seven felonies arising from seven car prowls. If convicted, she faces a standard range sentence of 15-20 months in prison.
- Defendant Wesley Moton has been charged with four felonies connected with four vehicle prowl incidents. If convicted, he faces a standard range sentence of 13-17 months in prison.
- Defendant Cierra Kastner has been charged with three felonies stemming from two counts of Vehicle Prowl. If convicted, he faces a standard range sentence of 12-14 months in prison.
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King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg has taken the rare and extraordinary step of supporting clemency for Stevan Dozier, a man who, in 1994, was sentenced to life in prison under Washington's "Three Strikes, You're Out" law after being convicted of his third "strike" -- an unarmed Second Degree Robbery, where he knocked down an elderly woman and took her purse. Washington's "Three Strikes, You're Out" law was the first law of its kind in the nation. Dozier, who struggled with substance abuse and drug addiction at the time of his crimes, has been a model prisoner during the past 15 years. By all accounts, he has taken responsibility for his crimes, turned his life around, and no longer resembles the person he was when he committed his crimes. Satterberg was joined in his support for clemency by King County Superior Court Judge Brian Gain (the judge who sentenced Dozier to life in prison) and radio talk show host, John Carlson, who co-authored Washington's "Three Strikes, You're Out" law. All three testified before the State Clemency Board. If Governor Chris Gregoire follows the Board's recommendation and grants clemency, Dozier would be the first three-strikes inmate to be released from prison. To listen to a National Public Radio story on this case, please click on this link.
Return to the News Dan Satterberg has joined the King County Alliance For Human Services' legislative efforts to secure adequate funding for health and human services. The Alliance is a group of service providers (private and non-profit), faith-based community representatives, and King County citizens who are concerned about providing basic health, housing, medical and treatment needs for individuals and families in need. Satterberg explained the partnership in this way: "In times of decreasing resources, it would be easy to pit the needs of the criminal justice system against those of human service providers, but it would be very short-sighted. The truth is that health and human services are necessary to support children and youth at risk, to help families avoid poverty, to provide drug treatment to addicts and support for crime victims." Law enforcement and criminal justice agencies are natural partners with human service providers, and exist in a symbiotic relationship for a stronger and safer community. Efforts are underway in anticipation of the 2009 Legislative session to ensure that these interconnected services are adequately funded to fulfill their respective critical functions.
Return to the News Cristy Craig and Justin Monroe are Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys (DPAs) assigned to the Land Use Section of the PAO's Civil Division, and bring legal actions on behalf of the County's Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) to enforce the County's environmental, zoning, and building codes. As code enforcement DPAs, Craig and Monroe assist DDES in responding to a wide variety of community complaints, ranging from minor permitting issues and junk vehicles to serious environmental hazards. For example, in one recent code enforcement case, the respondent operated an unlawful concrete recycling business for several years. This illegal business was a nuisance for many and threatened the environment and safety of several neighborhoods. This unlawful business generated large amounts of thick, acrid dust that settled and accumulated in nearby neighborhoods, and dumped massive amounts of construction waste down a steep slope, above a natural gas pipeline. Only after turning to the PAO for legal action was DDES able to get the business owner to comply with environmental and permitting requirements. In a recent mediation, Craig and Monroe also brokered a compromise between DDES and a local business that operated an upscale tree house bed and breakfast. DDES was concerned that the tree house threatened preservation of a pristine environmental area, and the business owners, who had considerable local support, wanted to operate their dream business. With help from the PAO, DDES and the business owners found solutions to their problems.
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