Seattle Court Request For Clean Up Leads To Controversy Over Race and Resources

Judges asked for the emptying of trash cans and removal of homeless tents near the building.  One of the most curious objections came from Council member Larry Gossett  who reportedly “said he didn’t like the idea of power-washing the sidewalks because it brought back images of the use of hoses against civil-rights activists.”

That would seem to bar any power washing of government buildings.

The controversy however raises another more compelling issue.  If the judges are correct and staff and jurors fear coming to the building, such fears can have a distortive effect on cases and judgments.  Jurors who are fearful of being attacked at a courthouse may be more inclined or responsive to prosecutorial arguments.   Many prosecutors emphasize law-and-order themes in cases are that more likely to resonate with jurors who must run a gauntlet to enter the courthouse.

58 thoughts on “Seattle Court Request For Clean Up Leads To Controversy Over Race and Resources”

  1. Nothing at all about this from my usual news sources. You sure that this isn’t just Faux Neuz?

  2. Sometimes justice is done!

    Being the socially & racially sensitive types, they should be excited about being able to share the stench with the homeless, the junkie, and the vagrant!!

    Time for the comfortably isolated progressives to get their noses dirty;)

  3. Larry Gossett is a member of the King County Council, not the Seattle City Council. It’s possible that this hasn’t been attended to because of a jurisdictional interface between the Sheriff’s department (responsible for court security) and the Seattle police (responsible for order maintenance in the city).

    Gossett seems like a stupid old man who was once a stupid young man.

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