The Seattle Police Department has agreed to pay $32,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing the department of withholding information from defense attorneys about its handling of domestic-violence cases.
In the course of the case, the City Attorney’s Office accidentally revealed a disputed document that showed police had instructed citizen volunteers in a victim-assistance program to not put in writing some information that could be used by defense attorneys.
As a result, the Police Department is rewriting the manual to conform to its legal obligations, according to the city.
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Under the settlement, completed March 22, the department did not make an admission of liability and said it was making the payment solely for the “purpose of compromising a disputed claim.”
Kimberly Mills, spokeswoman for the City Attorney’s Office, said Tuesday the city wanted to “resolve the issue as quickly and economically as possible.”
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