Harger: It’s time for an adult conversation about the justice system

Online journalist Photog Steve has been reporting on a man named Tony.

It’s a small example of an issue we need to have an adult conversation about.

Last week, Steve spoke to Tony’s mom, Diane, outside the municipal courthouse in Everett. She had just spoken to a judge after Tony was released from jail again because he wasn’t mentally competent to stand trial. Diane said Tony caused several disturbances that week:

“Tuesday, he went to Glenwood Elementary School. He pressed the button, they let him in. They saw that he wasn’t all there, and they escorted him out with no problem. Then they had a lockdown. Then, about 3:15 in the afternoon, he went back to the school at the door, and they called the police. The police put handcuffs on him, and they let him go. Yesterday, he went to the Navy base, telling them that he was with the CIA and FBI and all that good stuff. They arrested Tony,” she said.

Tony’s mom begged the judge to send her son to somewhere like Fairfax Hospital, where he can get intensive treatment. She told the judge she worries he might hurt someone. The judge said his hands were tied, and they were. The judge released him. No bail. No mandated follow-up.

Tony’s previous crimes

Steve reported that Tony was convicted of first-degree robbery in 2008. The judge told him that he’s now a felon who can’t ever have a gun after he gets out of prison.

In 2015, The Everett Herald reported Tony used a 40-caliber Smith and Wesson to blow out a window at Everett Community College while high on meth. Got two and a half years for that.

And Tony’s case isn’t an outlier. Not even close.

There was that guy last year who stabbed 10 people over two days in the International District. His attorney called him “fully delusional.” A judge ordered a mental health evaluation.

There’s the man who killed 80-year-old Ruth Dalton in Madison Valley. Dragged her with her own car. He was found mentally unfit to stand trial.

Think about that list. Stabbings. A homicide. We’re not even talking about the recent transit and hatchet attacks and transit violence. The system is struggling to deal with this.

The cops think their hands are tied. The judges think their hands are tied. They’re probably right. In Washington, if someone is found incompetent, judges often must release them unless the state can quickly place them. And we don’t have enough secure treatment beds.

Something needs to change

I don’t have all the answers. But what we’re doing isn’t working. I want to have a conversation, and I’m willing to acknowledge I could be dead wrong.

But should Washington build more humane, secure medical settings where people in crisis go before they hurt someone? Not jail, but not optional. A therapeutic place with locked doors, licensed staff, and clear rules.

This is a question for our conversation. What if release wasn’t automatic? Release could come after stability is demonstrated. With supervised follow-through. Medications. Appointments. Case managers who actually show up. If someone stops treatment and the risk returns, they go back to the facility quickly. Not optional.

I get it. Forced care is serious. The guardrails would have to be incredibly tight. Lawyers. Independent reviews. A clear path out when someone proves they can stay well.

Yes, it will be expensive. Maybe the idea is flawed. But what is the cost of doing nothing?

We can be compassionate and careful at the same time. But if my idea isn’t right, let’s hear yours. Because what we’re doing now isn’t working. It’s time for an adult conversation.

Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here. 

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