Yakima Municipal Court Back Online Post-Outage

Yakima Municipal Court is back to normal operations today after a significant two-week disruption due to a statewide database shutdown. According to Yakima Municipal Court county officials announced that they would resume full services, including in-person and online payment options, starting today, with the court's database system restored and functional.

A BACKLOG OF CASES WILL KEEP THE COURT BUSY

“We are working through the backlog of cases, and while some services may still be limited throughout today, we are pleased to return to normal operations,” says Yakima Municipal Court Judge Aryn Masters. Since November 4, the court had been functioning under restricted services, handling only essential court functions.

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A BIG HACK OF THE SYSTEM SHUT IT DOWN

The interruption was caused by the detection of unauthorized activity within the statewide Judicial Information System (JIS) database. In response, the network was taken offline to secure the system and ensure the safety of sensitive data. Judge Masters expressed gratitude for the community's understanding during this challenging period. “Yakima Municipal Courts appreciates the public’s patience with court staff as we work through the backlog from the two-week outage and restore normal service,” she stated.

THE WA STATE PATROL WAS IMPACTED AS WELL

The database outage also posed challenges for the Washington State Patrol, which attempted to maintain safety and operational continuity amid the crisis. The patrol focused on tasks that did not require coordination with the courts, aiming to prepare for a swift re-engagement with the database following its restoration.

THE PATROL QUICKLY CLEARED THOUSANDS OF CASES

Once the system was back online, the State Patrol acted quickly to clear the backlog, completing over 6,500 outstanding background checks that had accumulated during the outage. As of today, both Yakima Municipal Court and the Washington State Patrol have fully resumed their services, marking a return to routine operations for the community and law enforcement alike. Officials remain committed to swiftly addressing the backlog of cases and improving service delivery moving forward.