The office had 15 days from receiving the recall charges to forward the matter to a judge. It submitted the required court filing on Aug. 18.
A recall petition filed against Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is scheduled for a hearing Aug. 31 in King County Superior Court, after the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office completed its review of the petition.
The hearing is set for 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31, in Courtroom W905 of the King County Courthouse. Superior Court Judge Patrick Oishi was assigned to handle the civil case on Aug. 18.
The recall effort began Aug. 11, when Melinda E. Jacobson and Dale L. Osterud filed a civil recall charge with King County Elections seeking to remove Wilson from office. The petitioners allege the mayor “is derelict in her duties for the public safety of the City of Seattle.”
KOMO News broke the update to Melinda Jacobson that the paperwork she filed in an effort to recall Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson will be reviewed by a king county superior court judge.
"People just want something done. There’s just been one mistake after another," Jacobson told KOMO. "I just found out about it a little bit ago from you. I'm kind of stunned."
This is happening now that the prosecuting attorney’s office has finished a technical review to determine basic information about petitioners Jacobson and her partner.
The prosecuting attorney's office clarified that review confirmed the pair are registered voters; that they wrote a concise summary of the claims and that they signed the petition document.
"The fact that there’s going to be a hearing, that means there’s some hope," Jacobson added. "If somebody was going to apply for a job, they should know the job description. She clearly didn't. She's all over the place."
What the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reviewed
King County Elections forwarded the recall charge to the Civil Division of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Aug. 12. The office represents King County Elections in recall matters and is responsible for a technical review of recall charges.
The review is separate from criminal charges. The recall allegations were made by the petitioners and are not criminal charges filed by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
As part of the review, the Civil Division checked whether Jacobson and Osterud are registered voters in Seattle, whether they provided a concise summary of their claims, and whether they signed the petition. The office determined those requirements had been met and prepared an objective synopsis of the petition for a Superior Court judge.
The office had 15 days from receiving the recall charges to forward the matter to a judge. It submitted the required court filing on Aug. 18.
What happens at the Aug. 31 hearing?
The hearing will determine whether the acts alleged in the recall petition meet the legal criteria for a recall and whether the ballot synopsis is adequate, according to the prosecutor's office.
For this case, the question before the court includes whether Wilson committed acts of malfeasance, according to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. State law sets the criteria for recall petitions.
The hearing is open to the public.
Both Wilson and the petitioners may participate in the hearing to address the allegations, but neither is required to appear. Jacobson and Osterud filed the petition themselves. Wilson may be represented by an attorney.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is a neutral party in recall actions and will not participate in the hearing. King County Elections is also not a party to the hearing.
A judge could issue a decision after the hearing rather than the same day.
What happens after that?
If the recall effort advances, it would face additional steps before appearing on a ballot. The materials provided by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office do not outline those subsequent requirements, so the exact next steps would depend on the court’s ruling and the applicable recall process.
The most recent recall effort to reach a ballot in King County was the 2021 recall election involving then-Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant. Voters chose to retain Sawant.
The last successful recall in King County was in 2018, when Black Diamond Councilmember Patricia Pepper was recalled in a Feb. 13, 2018, special election.
The last Seattle mayoral recall to reach a ballot was in 1975, involving Mayor Wes Uhlman, who retained his office. Seattle Mayor Frank Edwards was successfully recalled in 1931, while Hiram Gill was recalled in 1911.
Mayor Wilson's office in response to this update referred KOMO News to a previous statement, reading, "We're aware of the petition that has been filed. While it does not appear to have merit, our focus remains where it belongs: on making life safer and more affordable for the people of Seattle. Since taking office, we're delivering meaningful progress: expanding community crisis responder hours, launching universal school meals this September, banning rental junk fees, accelerating shelter expansion, expanding transit, investing in our libraries, and taking on unfair pricing at grocery stores. That work continues. The courts will address any questions. We will address the needs of Seattle."
