The 50 percent reduction in misdemeanor prosecution is a good choice if it forces the legal system to be more selective in cases they choose to pursue.  Hopefully it will become more streamline and efficient.  I’ve lived in San Juan County for a good part of 18 years and have had one direct and one indirect encounter with the law. Both of those regrettable experiences resulted in an opinion: The said system was inefficient and wasted tax payers’ time, money, and natural resources (paper).

The cases I was involved in were a misdemeanor and a criminal charge. After a huge pile of paperwork and public servants’ time, one was a not guilty verdict (after three days of a jury trial).  This case was clearly a “he said, she said” situation and should not have been pursued. The other I pleaded guilty to, so I didn’t have to or couldn’t afford to fight city (county) hall.  That case required a huge amount of time and resources just to deal with a misdemeanor case, which could have easily doubled if I had challenged it.

Mikial Denker

Orcas Island