SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: Judge tells City Attorney Pete Holmes the truth about how poorly he serves us

Oct 18, 2018, 5:32 AM

pete holmes, Seattle City Attorney...

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes. (AP File Photo/Elaine Thompson)

(AP File Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Our news partner, KIRO 7, told us of this shocking story. You may remember, several months ago, a white guy was screaming a racial rant outside of Beacon Hill Station, as captured in this video (WARNING: offensive language in video).

The guy was identified, he was arrested, and he was sent to court. That’s where it gets really interesting. This guy has a history of initiating threats and violence on the streets. So the office of our dope-smoking city attorney, Pete Holmes, basically said, “You know what punishment he gets? We’ll do a plea deal with him. Just 20 days in jail. And then we’ll let him back on the streets.”

Pete Holmes’ job is public safety, to protect innocent people, to protect us from guys like this.

RELATED: Since when does City Attorney Pete Holmes prosecute liberals?

Bless her heart, municipal court Judge Kimi Kondo told the prosecuting attorney, “I’m not going to take this … These were hate crimes and he’s not an appropriate candidate for probation at all. I think that the city is being remiss and there’s a complete disregard for public safety with this city recommendation.” You can hear the courtroom audio in KIRO 7’s article.

What more do you need to know about leadership in Seattle when a judge tells Pete Holmes’ office that it has a complete disregard for public safety? That is the story of our region right now. We’re letting the heroin addicts take over the streets. We’re letting the mentally ill take over our streets. And that is a shocking rebuke, to have a municipal court judge tell the city attorney that he has a complete disregard for public safety.

KIRO 7 has been trying for weeks to talk to the city attorney’s office, and they refuse. Hey Pete, why don’t you explain to KIRO 7 why you would take a guy who has a history of escalating mental health issues, who is arrested for screaming the n-word and the supremacy of white people, who has a history of telling people he will kill them, and think that putting this guy in jail for just 20 days is appropriate?

Luckily, the judge gave the guy the most she could, given that there was no cooperation from the city attorney whatsoever. She gave him four months behind bars. After that, though, he’ll be back out on the streets. But when a judge tells the city attorney he has a complete disregard for public safety, that is a shocking and glaring example of how our leaders are letting us down.

Options trader Marty Handler works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Aug. 27, ...

Associated Press

Investors prosper and consumers pay as the Iran war exacts an uneven economic toll 6 months in

NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. and Israel relentlessly bombed Iran in the opening days of war, the most dramatic predictions of the conflict’s toll were unsparing: surging oil prices, worldwide recession and economic catastrophe. But six months into the conflict, the direst predictions haven’t come true even if no corner of the world’s […]

3 hours ago

This photo released by Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue, shows a rescuer with the man who was ...

Associated Press

Volunteers rescue climber stranded on small ledge in California’s Sierra Nevada

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) — Volunteers carried out a more than 15-hour operation to rescue a man who got off route in the Sierra Nevada and was stranded on a small ledge, the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team said. A four-person team carried out the rescue last weekend near Mammoth Lakes, California, in […]

4 hours ago

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails past Singapore as seen from Batam, Indones...

Associated Press

USS Abraham Lincoln sails past Singapore on its way home from Middle East

BATAM, Indonesia (AP) — The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sailed past Singapore early on Sunday as it headed home after a grueling deployment in the Middle East. It’s expected to stop in Thailand for a port visit. Associated Press journalists on the Indonesian island of Batam, across the Singapore Strait, spotted the massive […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Nepal warns of more possible floods as communities grapple with devastation

DHADING, Nepal (AP) — Authorities in Nepal are warning of possible fresh flooding on Sunday and urged residents in flood-affected districts to remain on high alert after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River. Flood warning notices were sent to people’s phones throughout Sunday morning, as rescue crews worked to clear a major highway connecting […]

5 hours ago

Fairgoers pass the Tilt-A-Whirl, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Hei...

Associated Press

Spinning and dipping, Minnesota fairgoers delight in the classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride as it turns 100

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — With screams and giggles, whipping ponytails and white-knuckle grips, Minnesota fairgoers are taking delight in the magic of the Tilt-A-Whirl ride as it turns 100 years old. The iconic ride and its brightly colored cars debuted at the Minnesota State Fair in 1926, and it has been a mainstay at […]

5 hours ago

FILE - Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England on June 29, 2025. (...

Associated Press

Olivia Rodrigo’s festival is uniting women and girls behind nonprofits promoting their well-being

Evoking the same do-it-yourself pop-rock feminism of her ’90s musical influences, Olivia Rodrigo raised $20 million for women’s well-being with a benefit show that activated her young audience. Daisy Chain Fields united a women-led lineup boasting queer pop star Chappell Roan, breakout rapper Doechii and riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill behind issues of women’s health, […]

6 hours ago

Dori: Judge tells City Attorney Pete Holmes the truth about how poorly he serves us