Marysville increases mandatory minimum penalties for repeat offenders

MARYSVILLE — The city of Marysville will increase its mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders who commit certain crimes, such as theft and using illegal drugs in public.

Last October, the City Council passed an ordinance mandating 30-day jail sentences for those convicted of three “public disorder” crimes — including theft, vehicle prowling, criminal trespass and using illegal drugs in public — over a five-year period.

A new ordinance the council passed this month increases the minimum sentences for four-time offenders to 45 days and adds malicious mischief — the willful destruction of property, which can include vandalism and graffiti — as another such crime.

“For people whose crimes are related to addiction or mental health issues, we have staff to help them access effective treatment programs,” City Council President Michael Stevens said in a written statement Friday. “If tougher penalties can dissuade repeat offenders from committing more crimes in Marysville, that’s a public safety win for our residents, businesses and visitors.”

The effects of the original ordinance are still unclear as the city continues to gather data, City Attorney Jon Walker said at the Nov. 4 meeting, but the council still unanimously voted to strengthen the law.

Mandatory minimums require judges to impose a sentence of at least an amount of time as defined by law, typically triggered by severe offenses or a certain amount of recidivism. Under Marysville’s law, defendants who receive a mandatory minimum sentence can request to enter inpatient drug or mental health treatment instead of serving time in jail, if it is determined they would benefit from treatment.

Mandatory minimum sentencing has been controversial for decades. The ACLU has argued it “ties judges hands in considering individual circumstances,” while research has shown longer prison sentences have little effect on recidivism rates.

The council decided to add malicious mischief as a public disorder crime because of the “significant impact on the quality of life in our city,” city spokesperson Connie Mennie said.

“Vandalism and graffiti are not just eyesores; they also cost residents, businesses and the city time and money for repair and cleanup,” Mennie wrote in an email.

Between late 2023 and August 2024, Mennie said, 34 defendants were found guilty of a total of 49 public disorder crimes for a second time or more. Of those, 20 accepted some kind of resource. Eleven completed a treatment program, and of those, nine were also placed into housing. Nine did not complete treatment.

It’s unclear if any people who were sentenced under the mandatory minimums later committed other offenses. Currently, the city cannot access recidivism data because the state’s online court system is down due to a system breach, Mennie said.

Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31 last year, 942 public disorder crimes were reported in Marysville. That number increased to 1,054 in the same period in 2024.

The increase is primarily due to a rise in reports of shoplifting and public drug use. Drug use reports increased because a bill passed in 2023 recriminalized drug possession after a state Supreme Court decision, State v. Blake, had decriminalized simple possession in 2021, Mennie said.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.