Adopted by the membership on April 10, 2024
Resolution Condemning Seattle City Attorney’s Filing of a Standing Affidavit of Prejudice against Municipal Court Judge Pooja Vaddadi
Whereas the Seattle voters duly and independently elected Judge Pooja Vaddadi, a municipal court judge, to a four-year term in November 2022; and
Whereas on Friday, March 1, 2024 the departing criminal division chief Natalie Walton-Anderson of the Seattle City Attorney’s Office issued a standing affidavit of prejudice against Judge Vaddadi, effectively preventing Judge Vaddadi from hearing any new criminal case against defendants within the City of Seattle and thereby preventing her from fulfilling her duties as an elected judge; and
Whereas this action is extreme and negates the election of Judge Vaddadi by denying her right to hear cases that would be within her jurisdiction and puts added pressure on other judges and a system already dealing with workload issues; and
Whereas, according to Judge Vaddadi, she was not presented with any evidence of the accusations of biased rulings, failure to find probable cause where there was clearly probable cause or any of the other stated reasons for the action disqualifying her and, in fact, none of her previous decisions have been reversed on appeal; and
Whereas the actions of Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison appear to be based on policy differences with the judge rather than a legitimate legal foundation, none of which have been acknowledged by the City Attorney,
Now therefore be it resolved the 34th District Democrats reaffirm their support for Judge Vaddadi demonstrated by endorsement of the judge in 2022; and
Be it further resolved we call on Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison to withdraw the Standing Affidavit of Prejudice that is preventing the judge from doing her duly elected job; and
Be it finally resolved we call upon Mayor Bruce Harrell, District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka and other councilmembers to condemn the actions taken by the Seattle City Attorney’s office and uphold the values of an independent judiciary.
Sponsored by Kelsey Vanhee,34th LD Democrats Member, March 2024