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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is Seattle considering eliminating most misdemeanor crimes?

By Laura Brickman
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NO

Seattle is considering an amendment of its criminal code to allow additional "duress" defenses for those accused of misdemeanors.

Seattle's current law allows charges to be dismissed if an individual is ruled to have committed a crime under "duress." The amendment, proposed by Seattle council member Lisa Herbold, would add poverty and mental illness to the list of permissible "duress" defenses. But it wouldn't eliminate the crimes from its code.

"This proposal would not...provide blanket immunity from most misdemeanors, nor...an absolute defense," Herbold wrote. "The legislation would allow the judge and/or jurors to consider not just what may have happened but why it may have happened."

A decision on the proposal is not due until after the city's annual budget process in late November.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Legistar: City Council review of community safety and violence prevention measures, September 2020 (p. 11)
Municode.com: Seattle Subtitle I - Criminal Code
Westside Seattle: Herbold's response regarding her proposal on redefining misdemeanor crime pleas
MYNorthwest: Council likely to table misdemeanor crime proposal for later in 2020
Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: Council shows support for changes but legislation will probably have to wait
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.