In a bid to make King County’s legal system more efficient and provide greater certainty to victims and suspects alike, Prosecutor Leesa Manion announced Wednesday a new policy requiring a charging decision be made on cases no more than 30 days after they’re referred by police.

The policy, which went into effect Oct. 1, has been in the works for months and applies to adult felony cases and all cases involving juvenile suspects.

“Cases only get harder to prove the longer they sit around,” said Douglas Wagoner, a spokesperson for the King County prosecuting attorney’s office. “Having fresher cases and getting a more prompt review is supportive of our mission to do justice.”

He said studies have shown that when people suspected of committing crimes know there will be a response from the le

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