It’s been seven months since the city of Medical Lake collaborated with Cheney for court services and it appears to have gone pretty smooth.
During a report, Cheney court administrator Terry Cooper informed the Medical Lake City Council at its April 7 meeting there have been 36 court cases — 19 traffic incidents and 17 criminal cases — from Medical Lake so far this year.
Back in August, the Medical Lake City Council passed an interlocal agreement with Cheney to provide municipal court services and facilities.
Under the agreement, Cheney will provide administration, a clerk, a judge, bailiff and public defender services for Medical Lake cases. Cheney will charge Medical Lake $48,000 annually, reimburse court fees to the city, and sends a report at the end of every month.
One of the primary reasons for the agreement is concerns relating to building and safety with having court at Medical Lake’s City Hall. Another reason was Medical Lake did not have a bailiff or a full-time court administrator.
“At the time, our former court administrator Jessica Roberts took up a job with Spokane Superior Court and we were happy for her,” City Administrator Doug Ross said. “We thought ‘let’s look into collaborating court services with Cheney.’”
Ross said there was hesitation from some residents, citing concerns about loss of identity, but the collaboration with Cheney also helped the city financially.
“There’s a stigma with contracting with other cities for services but many smaller cities do that to save money in this financial climate,” Ross said.
The transition was also smooth for Cheney’s side. Cooper, who is a Medical Lake resident and used to work for the city’s municipal court, said the court process between the two cities is the same.
“It’s part of a wider court system that is based upon the law and circumstances of the crime rather than where you are from,” Cooper said. “We are happy to be working with Medical Lake.”
In addition to the financial benefits, Cheney’s court system provides several programs for offenders, including a full-time court staff, a service probation department, a moral reconation therapy (MRT) class and counseling. Sean O’ Quinn is the public defender and probation officer Molly Davidson works with clients from Medical Lake. There is also youth court for Medical Lake High School students where they review teen court violations.
“We did not have a full-time probation officer before so folks had to seek it outside of the city,” Medical Lake city attorney Cynthia McMullen said. “The court orderlies are professional and cordial. I think it’s working very well.”
McMullen, who is still the prosecutor for Medical Lake, added that Cheney also has additional services for victims of theft and domestic violence.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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