On Thursday, May 8, 2025, PubliCola reported that Seattle Municipal Court Judge Pooja Vaddadi filed a formal complaint with the Washington State Bar Association against City Attorney Ann Davison and her former criminal division chief, Natalie Walton-Anderson.

The complaint stems from their 2024 decision to file Affidavits of Prejudice in all criminal cases assigned to Vaddadi’s courtroom, effectively disqualifying her from hearing misdemeanor cases. The bar association has the authority to discipline licensed attorneys, including potential disbarment.

Davison’s decision followed Vaddadi’s election to the bench in 2023. In a memo and press release, Davison announced the blanket disqualification, citing alleged bias and incompetence in Vaddadi’s rulings. The move prompted a Seattle Times editorial criticizing Vaddadi and voters who elected her. For most of 2024, Vaddadi’s duties were largely limited to reviewing traffic tickets. In February 2025, the City Attorney’s Office adjusted its policy, allowing Vaddadi to hear cases not involving domestic violence or DUIs, though pro tem judges or magistrates often preside in her place, increasing city costs.

Vaddadi’s complaint describes the accusations of bias and incompetence as false and defamatory, arguing they were made to justify the unprecedented blanket disqualification policy. She alleges the policy strained court resources and led to a lawsuit by the Washington Community Alliance and three Seattle voters, who claimed the city disenfranchised voters by sidelining an elected judge. Vaddadi noted that no one from the City Attorney’s Office discussed concerns with her before the disqualification decision, despite other available channels like the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Municipal Court Judge Damon Shadid, speaking independently, called the blanket use of Affidavits of Prejudice unprecedented in Washington’s history. He noted that the City Attorney’s Office refused to provide case numbers to substantiate their claims when he requested them.

Vaddadi similarly stated that the lack of specific case references made it difficult to counter the allegations until public efforts identified the cases cited in Davison’s memo. She contends the memo misrepresented facts, including a domestic violence case where she allegedly dismissed charges improperly. Vaddadi clarified that the defendant, a woman in a wheelchair, was not transported for treatment due to the driver’s refusal, and the case was continued, not dismissed.

In response to a separate bar complaint, an attorney for Walton-Anderson acknowledged inaccuracies in the cited case but maintained the disqualification order did not rely on specific cases. The City Attorney’s Office has not corrected the memo. A spokesperson for Davison said they could not comment on Vaddadi’s complaint before reviewing it.

Vaddadi alleges the disqualification was retaliatory, triggered by her ruling to disqualify an assistant city attorney, Victoria Pugh, from a case where Pugh was a witness. The city appealed that decision, but a Superior Court judge upheld Vaddadi’s ruling. Vaddadi claims Davison and Walton-Anderson’s actions meet the “actual malice” standard for libel, causing reputational harm and exposing her to racist and threatening communications, necessitating personal safety measures.

Presiding Judge Anita Crawford-Willis described Vaddadi as a valued, duly elected member of the court but declined to comment on the complaint.

Shadid, who has taken on some of Vaddadi’s caseload, said the situation has impacted other women of color and court staff.

Vaddadi emphasized her desire to restore her reputation and perform her elected duties, noting this is her first bar complaint and expressing hope it will be her last. She seeks accountability for what she describes as harmful conduct by Davison and Walton-Anderson, who now serves as Mayor Bruce Harrell’s chief public safety advisor.

 

 

Source: PubliCola