Everett Municipal Court plans to host a pilot program to give people charged with misdemeanors who have substance use disorder an alternative to the criminal process. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Everett Municipal Court plans to host a pilot program to give people charged with misdemeanors who have substance use disorder an alternative to the criminal process. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

New Everett, Marysville court program to offer treatment over jail

After drug possession was downgraded to a misdemeanor, it will aim to get people more help and less punishment.

EVERETT — In his nearly two decades on the bench, Marysville Municipal Court Judge Fred Gillings says one challenge has stood above the rest:

“What to do with the drug issue in our community and how best to address it.”

Drug use in Snohomish County remains astonishingly high, with hundreds of fatal overdoses every year from heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and other drugs. Meanwhile, more drug-related cases are landing in municipal courts after the Legislature reclassified drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor following a state Supreme Court ruling last year, Gillings said.

To help address the crisis, Everett and Marysville plan a new program to get residents facing misdemeanor charges into drug treatment as an alternative to criminal proceedings. City councils in both cities approved agreements to potentially get the project up and running in municipal courts in coming weeks.

Misdemeanor cases in Lake Stevens will also fall under the program because those charges are filed in the Marysville court.

Snohomish County Superior Court already has an intensive drug court, offering people addicted to drugs a chance to get clean and avoid having felonies tarnish their records when they are charged with non-violent crimes.

In the existing system for misdemeanor cases, it can take a long time for defendants to get help, Gillings said.

A judge can order drug evaluations and treatment only after someone pleads guilty or is convicted. That could take a year after someone is charged. Without an incentive to accept help, they’re likely to reoffend, the judge argued, so the problem remains unsolved.

Under this new program, people charged in the Everett and Marysville courts can voluntarily meet with a liaison from Bridgeways, an Everett-based nonprofit, at their first court appearance.

If treatment is recommended, Bridgeways can get them help quickly for detox and outpatient treatment.

“This pilot project is trying to offer those services immediately,” Gillings said. “… They don’t have to go somewhere. They don’t have to pay money. They don’t have to go obtain a copy of their police report. They don’t have to jump through the hoops that, in the past, would derail them or prevent them from being successful.”

But it’s not just about drug treatment, said Michael Campbell-Danas, marketing and development manager for Bridgeways. It’s also about helping people get housing, employment and other aid they need.

In exchange for participating in the program, prosecutors could weaken charges against the defendants or drop them entirely. The participants will likely be facing charges stemming from drug-related offenses.

“It’s an alternative to going to jail, so they can hopefully get their treatment and not have to go to jail as a repercussion if they were found guilty of a charge,” said Sharon Whittaker, administrator at the Everett Municipal Court.

A state grant worth over $300,000 will cover the pilot program through June 2023. The courts hope to get more funding to continue it in the following years.

The program would be similar to an existing one available for Everett defendants needing mental health assistance. As of October, that program had served 72 participants — 46 of whom graduated, Everett Municipal Court Judge Laura Van Slyck said in an email. Those 46 have seen a drastic drop in recidivism.

Typically, participants spend 18 months getting help through the mental health program. Campbell-Danas expects people in the new one to take less time.

The goals of the program are both short- and long-term, Van Slyck said.

In the short term, residents can begin to get a grip on their addiction.

And in the long term, they can be better prepared for broader success, for example with a job or vocational classes. This can be a boon both for the person as well as their families and the general community.

Gillings sees the approach as a more compassionate way to chip away at the drug crisis.

“As a society,” he said, “if we’re going to try to come up with a solution for this, you have to offer people the opportunity to help themselves with treatment.”

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

Aaron Kennedy / The Herald
The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide.
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.