Edmonds Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

The inability to physically appear in Edmonds Municipal Court is no longer a barrier to access to justice for indigent defendants looking for relief from outstanding legal financial obligations (LFO). On Sept. 20, the court went live with its online process that allows people with outstanding LFOs to petition the court for relief from anywhere they can access the internet.

Last year, Washington state passed a bill that reformed much of the law around criminal LFOs, including mandating that courts consider a petitioner's current ability to pay when reviewing a request for relief from LFOs....