New Everett, Marysville court program to offer treatment over jail
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.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-everett-marysville-court-program-to-offer-treatment-over-jail/
