Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research and criminal justice system leaders in Pierce County and Thurston County are holding a Pretrial Justice Journalism Summit. The summit will occur on Monday, May 6, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT. in person at the Thurston County HR Training Room, 3000 Pacific Avenue, Olympia, Washington, and via Zoom.
This event is for Washington State reporters and editors to hear from and ask questions of pretrial system leaders, researchers, victim advocates, and people impacted by pretrial systems. For more information, contact Holly Ziemer at hziemer@cepp.com.
Agenda
8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.: Check-in for participants attending in person (coffee and light refreshments)
8:30-8:45 am: Welcome and Introduction, Matt Alsdorf, APPR
8:45-9:30 a.m.: Session 1: Judges’ Perspective: Pretrial Legal Principles and Judicial Decisions
Panelists:
Judge Erik D. Price, Washington Court of Appeals
Judge J. Laura Riquelme, Skagit CountySuperior Court, and co-chair, Washington Superior Court Judges’ Association-Criminal Law and Rules Committee
Judge John Skinder, presiding, Thurston County Superior Court
9:30-10:15 am. Session 2: A View from Prosecutors, Public Defenders, and Pretrial Services: Pretrial practices, challenges, and areas for improvement.
Panelists:
Jon Tunheim, Thurston County Prosecutor
Michael Kawamura, Chief Public Defender, Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel
Patrick O’Connor, Chief Public Defender, Thurston County Public Defender’s Office
Nicole Carbone, Director, Pierce County Pretrial Services
Carrie Hennen, Director, Thurston County Pretrial Services Department
10:15-10:30 am: Break
10:30-11:15 am: Session 3: Data-informed Pretrial Justice: How do we know what is working?
Panelists:
Dr. Andrew Peterson, PhD, Senior Research Associate, Washington State Center for Court Research
Dave Olson, PhD, Co-Director, Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago
Don Stemens, PhD, Co-Director, Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago
Patrick O’Connor, Chief Public Defender, Thurston County Public Defender’s Office
Michael Kawamura, Chief Public Defender, Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel
Gaurav Sharma, Attorney, Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel
11:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m: Session 4: A View From Impacted People: Victims advocates and people formerly incarcerated
Panelists:
Judge André M. Peñalver, Pierce County Superior Court
Kelli Robinson, MBA, Executive Director, Our Sister’s House
Jill Jackson, Independent Forensic Social Worker
David Heppard, Director of Vision and Values, The Black Rose Collective
Kewee Roselle, Community Support Specialist, The Black Rose Collective
Eugene Youngblood, Critical Incident Responder, The Black Rose Collective, and a Justice Policy Consultant to the Center for Effective Public Policy
About APPR
Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) is a collaborative, multi-year project led by the nonprofit Center for Effective Public Policy. It promotes and facilitates pretrial advancements guided by research, data, and principles of dignity and equity. APPR provides technical assistance to Pierce County and Thurston County criminal justice system leaders. Learn more at advancingpretrial.org.
Additional Resource
Washington State Pretrial Reform Task Force Final Recommendations Report (February 2019).