State v. Marler

The State appeals the superior courts’ dismissal of welfare theft charges in the separate prosecu*767tions of Shannon Jean Francis, Marcia Rose Vaughn1 and John Dean Marler. We consolidated these linked cases for purposes of this opinion. In each case, charges were dismissed because defendants were not promptly arraigned and their CrR 3.3 speedy trial rights were violated. The State contends the dismissals were in error because the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) timely notified all defendants in writing that charges had been filed and defendants should contact the sheriff’s…