Washington Defender Association

04/24/2026

On Public Defense Day of Action (April 23), defenders at the WDA Leadership Conference wore black to show support for defenders in SF and Chief Defender Mano Raju, facing contempt when the defense function is not fully funded.

12/09/2025

WDA and the WSBA testified last week at the Senate Law and Justice work session on the new caseload standards for public defenders. Click this link to view the entire work session, the discussion on defense caseload standards begins at 1:15: https://tvw.org/video/senate-law-justice-2025121044/

10/06/2025

"It is with sadness that we announce that long-time UW Law faculty member, John Junker, has died. Professor Junker joined the UW faculty in 1964, and he taught generations of UW Law students until taking emeritus status in 2009.

Specializing in criminal law and criminal procedure, Professor Junker was a Founder and Member of the Board of the Seattle-King County Public Defender Association. He was also the Reporter and principal draftsman of the Revised Washington Criminal Code, which was enacted as Title 9A of the Revised Code of Washington in 1975."
Click below to read more.

It is with sadness that we announce that long-time UW Law faculty member, John Junker, has died.

09/17/2025

WDA is proud to join & allies asking the to protect vulnerable consumers and bring back consumer protections and low prices for incarcerated people and their loved ones.

Federal Communication Commission Electronic Comment Filing System

08/12/2025

"Seattle police acknowledged Monday that homicide detectives arrested an innocent man in connection with a deadly house fire in Wallingford in June and called on the public for help in finding the actual suspect, who remains at large and may still pose a danger... Defense attorneys Brooks de Peyster and Rebecca Bradlow accused Seattle police of arresting Shi “based off a rushed and racist misidentification,” according to the objection to probable cause filed with the court. "
Click below to read the full article.

After charges were dropped against their initial suspect, Seattle police are asking the public for help in finding the actual suspect behind a fatal fire in Wallingford.

07/29/2025

"Earlier this month, SCP published a report on the growing need for funding for civil legal aid in cases where longtime Washington residents are facing deportation due to prior convictions. Currently, Washington State has allocated $0 in earmarked public funding for post-conviction relief legal services and removal defense for immigrants living with final orders of removal. There are thousands of Washington residents living under such a threat for whom deportation would cause permanent family separation, total loss of community, and traumatic exile. Despite the tremendous consequences of these cases, the government does not appoint attorneys for immigrants seeking relief from convictions that have triggered a removal order. On the Periphery illustrates this gap in the post-conviction infrastructure and the critical role of free direct representation through historical context on the Southeast Asian refugee experience in Washington State and the stories of four individuals who faced deportation to Cambodia after coming to the United States as child refugees fleeing genocide. The report demonstrates the potential of post-conviction relief legal services for immigrants to advance justice for vulnerable populations, interrupt cycles of systemic harm, and promote community restoration. On the Periphery advocates for continued community reinvestment funding for this area of civil legal aid and concludes with recommendations for key officials and the Governor’s Office."
Click below to learn more and read the report:

Earlier this month, SCP published a report on the growing need for funding for civil legal aid in cases where longtime Washington residents are facing deportation due to prior convictions. Currently, Washington State has allocated $0 in earmarked public funding for post-conviction relief legal servi...

07/16/2025

"In collaboration with LCYC, CHOOSE180 is hosting a Virtual Immigrant Safety Plan workshop.

There will be an informational webinar detailing the documents needed for the ISP, followed by an in-person workshop where LCYC staff will review attendees' documents and create a legal ISP document with them. "
Note: This training is not sponsored by WDA.

06/10/2025

Big news for WA Public Defense: The WA Supreme Court issued an Order on Jun 9, 20205, directing WA counties and cities to reduce public defender caseloads, beginning Jan. 2026.

Some public defenders have pushed for lower caseloads to improve legal representation, while some county leaders have raised concerns about staffing and costs.

05/01/2025

"Washington will more than double the money it sends to counties for public defenders in an attempt to reduce strain on the legal system, state lawmakers decided in the two-year budget they passed Sunday.

Yet the state will still cover less than 10% of what counties are spending on public defense, and those costs are increasing, so advocates say serious problems with the system may continue."

Washington will more than double the money it sends to counties for public defenders in an attempt to reduce strain on the legal system. But some say it's not enough.

09/18/2024

The Reentry 2030 initiative, with Washington recently joining as the sixth state, presents a promising framework aimed at addressing the systemic challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals. Governor Inslee’s acknowledgment that this is not new to Washington suggests a recognition of the state’s ongoing efforts in criminal justice reform, but it also highlights the tension between past promises and present realities. Many activists and stakeholders have expressed skepticism, not necessarily because they oppose the initiative, but due to past experiences where bold commitments have failed to lead to tangible change.

The initiative's goals—to scale up access to housing, education, employment, healthcare, remove economic barriers, and advance racial equity—are critical. Yet, the skepticism likely stems from a history of unfulfilled promises and insufficient action in addressing these very issues. While the Reentry 2030 initiative sounds promising, the real challenge will be ensuring consistent follow-through, transparency, and accountability.

Activists are likely to remain cautiously hopeful, eager to see if the state will incorporate input from those directly affected by the justice system and frontline workers. This has often been a gap in previous efforts, where policies and reforms were enacted without sufficient engagement from those most impacted by them.
For the initiative to succeed, the government will need to listen more closely to these voices, fostering a collaborative approach that includes those with lived experiences. Only then can lasting change occur, ensuring that Reentry 2030 doesn't follow the pattern of previous well-intentioned but under-delivered reforms.

The best prison, in the view of Gov. Jay Inslee, is one where people leave and don’t come back. Today he signed an executive order updating…

06/18/2024

When Martha Wright-Reed’s grandson was incarcerated out of state, she took on a decades-long fight to make prison phone rates affordable. As the prepares to vote on new, lower rate caps for incarcerated communications services, we’re calling on the agency to honor her work and legacy.

Join us in urging the FCC to put and set rates that are as low as possible. Read our letter:

Federal Communication Commission Electronic Comment Filing System