Municipal Court Programs

Domestic Violence Court

Domestic Violence (DV) Court is the first of its kind in northwest Washington.
It focuses all community resources on domestic violence cases, the most difficult cases in Municipal Court.
Victims, defendants, attorneys, treatment providers, probation officers, and law enforcement officers all participate in a multi-disciplinary approach to help solve complicated issues in domestic violence cases.
Probation officers report better compliance by convicted offenders in DV Court.
Emphasis is placed on close judicial supervision of convicted domestic violence batterers to ensure accountability, enforce treatment requirements, and protect victims.
DV Court is now being studied by other interested courts as a model to set up similar programs.

Court scheduled infraction calendars to allow citizens to have traffic infractions and other minor offenses heard during their lunch hours.
Popular option for working drivers, who don’t have to sacrifice work time to have their day in court.

Coordinated efforts with law enforcement authorizing police officers to bring defendants with arrest warrants directly to court to have their cases heard, rather than release on promise to appear.
Reduces jail costs (approx. $45,000/year) by avoiding unnecessary booking in most cases.
Promotes public safety by booking the most potentially dangerous offenders regardless of jail overcrowding problems.

Volunteers call to remind citizens of their upcoming court hearings.
Increases timely appearance in court while reducing warrant and jail costs.
Saves citizens who would have failed to appear $100 warrant fee in criminal cases and $52 late fee on civil infractions.

Court allows most non-violent offenders to perform community service in lieu of jail.
Court, at its discretion, allows most offenders to use jail alternative programs such as work crew to reduce jail costs (by approximately $32/bed day) and jail overcrowding.

Court permits citizens to defer findings on their traffic infractions in exchange for payment of court costs and good driving behavior.
Reduces insurance costs for citizens, increases revenues for City, and promotes safer driving.

Focusing use of probation services and implementing frequent compliance/status court reviews to reduce probation bill and increase compliance with probation conditions.
Estimated annual savings of $30,000

Award-winning Law Day programs teach hundreds of local middle school students about the law, courts, and their community each year. Program received the Community Partnership Award from the Bellingham School District in 2005.
Teen driving video encourages safer, more responsible driving by area teens using BTV Channel 10.
Educational training programs concerning domestic violence and other topics for the public, attorneys, law enforcement, and staff are frequently hosted and co-sponsored by the Court to improve quality of response. Recent programs have been approved by the Washington State Bar Association for continuing legal education credits.
Whatcom County Judicial Response to Domestic Violence Committee includes Bellingham Municipal Court Judge and Commissioner as members, working to improve response to domestic violence by all area courts.