SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle area prosecutors said the backlog in pending felony cases has doubled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There were 6,450 felony cases that were awaiting trial as of Wednesday, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. The office said it typically has an average backlog of 3,250 cases.
The number of backlogged cases involving serious offenses — including murder, rape and domestic violence — has increased from 1,700 before the pandemic to 2,800 now.
The extensive backlog coincided with a 61% increase in homicides in Seattle in 2020 compared to the year prior, KOMO-TV reported.
“We set a record for the number of murders in King County,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg told the County Council last week. “It was a very violent year, and our team has been focused on those violent cases.”