Hate is, unfortunately, alive and well in King County.
Since 2018, the King County prosecuting attorney’s office has brought hate crime charges in nearly 400 cases. In 2025 alone, there were 21 cases charged as hate crimes. Of those, 10 were determined to be hate crimes based on bias related to race/ethnicity, six on the victims’ sexual orientation, four based on gender or gender expression, two on national origin and two on religion. (Hate crime cases can involve more than one type of bias category.)
Historically, these crimes are underreported, and few if any specialized resources have been designated for the cases in which a police report is filed.
In King County, however, we’ve seen a marked shift in how these cases are handled. For the past decade, Seattle police have assigned a specialized hate crime detective to such cases. And the King County prosecuting attorney’s office has had a dedicated hate crimes prosecutor, paralegal and victim advocate since 2023.
As a result, King County has brought a substantial number of hate crime cases to trial. These cases range from murders to physical violence to property crimes. An unexpected consequence of holding more people accountable for hate crimes is that the county has developed a depth of courtroom experience that has, in turn, uncovered ways to strengthen how Washington responds to hate crimes.
A standout example is that many juries were confused by the wording of Washington’s Hate Crime statute (RCW 9A.36.080) which, before July 27, 2025, said a “person is guilty of a hate crime offense if the person maliciously and intentionally commits one of the following acts because of” their perception of someone’s identity.
Some jurors read the statute as meaning that the law said a hate crime was committed only because of the perception of someone’s identity — which was not the case. In fact, most hate crimes are mixed-motive. That was true in a 2022 hate crime case involving two defendants who targeted two trans people at their home in West Seattle. The defendants spray-painted anti-trans statements across the walls of every room, smeared dirt across the floor and defaced an LGBTQ+ flag with slurs.
The case played out through two separate trials that ended with different results: One defendant was convicted of a hate crime and the other was not. The difference was that in one instance, the jury interpreted the “because of” language as requiring bias to be the only motive, and the other jury did not. Even in a case with evidence of extreme bias, the statutory language provided a loophole that let hate crimes go unaddressed.
Last year, we worked to change the law to provide clarity for future juries. House Bill 1052, which follows the example of other states like California, now allows prosecutors statewide to bring hate crime charges when a crime was motivated “in whole or in part” because of the defendant’s perception of another person’s “race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental, physical, or sensory disability.” Jurors can now use a commonsense understanding that a defendant can have more than one motive, but as long there is evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that bias is part of their motive, it is a hate crime.
This month marks the first anniversary of HB 1052’s enactment. In practice, this means the legal system can more effectively hold defendants accountable for bias-driven crimes and attacks. And a strengthened Washington hate crime statute could not have arrived at a more critical time. In the past year, King County has seen a disturbing rash of bold hate crimes, particularly incidents in which groups of men have attacked trans women. King County prosecutors brought charges in at least four of these kinds of cases in 2025.
These improved legal tools only work if people continue to report these crimes, and that’s as important as it’s ever been. Many people don’t realize the hate they’re experiencing is actually a crime. If you’re targeted, report it to police and know there are dedicated detectives and prosecutors waiting to help.
As individuals and communities continue to be the victims of bias-motivated violence, they deserve persistent advocacy from prosecutors across the state. Increasing awareness about the recent changes in the hate crime law is one way to help ensure perpetrators are held accountable. And hopefully, communities accustomed to being silenced within these systems can start to feel they are being heard.
Editor’s note: The Seattle Times occasionally chooses to close comments on op-eds, particularly articles about crime victims. If you’d like to comment, send a letter of no more than 200 words to letters@seattletimes.com.
