Our Mission

 If there is one place in Seattle that people should feel safe visiting it is our Courthouses.  Our downtown Courthouses are critical to the functioning of the judiciary and represent justice itself.  And, unlike an effective executive or legislative branch, an effective judicial branch requires the public to fully participate as jurors, witnesses, advocates, and observers. 

Unfortunately, the safety situation and perception of our downtown Courthouses has deteriorated to a level where the public at large does not feel safe.   

The impact and message are unacceptable.  

The Committee For Courthouse Safety was formed by a group of King County lawyers not only alarmed by situation—but also tired of the lack of prioritization, action and accountability of elected officials on this issue.  
The CFCS understands that the underlying causes of Seattle’s unsheltered and crime are difficult and complex. However, the importance of downtown Courthouses that the public feels safe attending is neither difficult or complex to understand or achieve if there are resources and political will to do so.

Thus, the CFCS’s core mission is to ensure that local government (i) prioritizes downtown Courthouses’ safety (ii) adequately funds the priority and (iii) achieves the goal of restoring the downtown Courthouses to a place where people feel safe travelling to. 

We invite all lawyers, and other stakeholders, to sign onto our core mission.  

We plan to be the legal community’s collective voice ensuring that safe downtown Courthouses are prioritized, funded and achieved.