Washington judges flagged criminal law defects last year that remain unresolved

(The Center Square) – Months before the 2026 legislative session, superior court judges outlined three “defects and omissions” in Washington criminal law‚ none of which were addressed by the Legislature, recently obtained public records show.

Chief Justice Debra Stephens sent the report to Gov. Bob Ferguson last November. She said the rest of the Washington Supreme Court had nothing of concern to report, and neither did the Court of Appeals.

The Superior Court Judges’ Association, on the other hand, identified three issues in a report obtained by The Center Square: “age of consent,” jury instructions in robbery cases and multicounty offenders.

The public record shows that the Legislature didn’t introduce bills last session to address the concerns.

“Overall, win-win legislative changes for the criminal justice system,” SCJA officials wrote in a letter to Stephens dated Oct. 13 of last year, proposing how state lawmakers could reduce delays and “unn...