Due to a projected $90 million shortfall for 2009 in the King County General Fund, criminal justice agencies in the county are experiencing a blanket 11.4 percent budget cut.

The budget cut has caused a change in filing and disposition standards and the way the King County prosecutor's office prosecutes crimes.

According to a letter from King County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Satterberg to county police chiefs and commanders, the cut is equivalent to 41 of the 190 deputy prosecutors paid for by the general fund.

"I had 27 more people working for me in April than I do now," Satterberg said.

The changes forced by the budget crunch went into effect Oct. 6 and affect the line between felonies and misdemeanors in property and drug crimes.

Property crimes with damages less than $1000 will no longer be considered felonies and will be sent to the municipal prosecutor, not the county prosecutor.

Satterberg said the old cutoff of $250 was created by a 1974 law and was never adjusted for inflation. If adjusted, it would be $300 greater than the new cutoff.

Property crimes involving damages between $1,001 and $5,000 will be reviewed by the King County Prosecutor and filed with the county district court, where defendants will have the option of pleading guilty to a gross misdemeanor. If they refuse, they will have a felony trial at the Superior Court.

Any property crimes involving domestic violence are exempt from the new standards.

Though Satterberg said these changes are not being made because they are good criminal justice policy but because they are fiscally necessary, he said there are some benefits.

For example municipal courts can order treatment to offenders, where the Superior Court cannot.

The downside is that municipal courts do not have the authority to send offenders to prison. Under the new changes, perpetrators of minor theft or drug crimes will not face prison time.

People in possession of drugs less than a specific threshold will now have the same opportunity to plead guilty to a gross misdemeanor as those accused of committing a property crime between $1,001 and $5,000. The threshold varies per drug.

Satterberg said that change alone will save the county nearly $4 million.

The budget cut is causing the prosecutor's office to focus more heavily on serious and violent crimes, such as sex offenders, homicide and domestic violence, Satterberg said.

He said the changes will not put the public at risk.

"There aren't any cases that aren't going to be prosecuted," he said.

Satterberg said the filing and disposition standards are flexible and could be changed back if King County has the funds to do so in the future, but he doesn't see the financial situation getting better in the next few years.

Michael Harthorne may be reached at 783.1244 or michaelh@robinsonnews.com