Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and The Attorney General’s Office have agreed to a  Tobin Settlement in a case that involved neglect in an adult family home. This comes after an initial sanction issued by the court after it was determined DSHS and AGO withheld evidence in the lawsuit. 

The carelessness of Washington State agencies is now costing the taxpayers $3,125,000. This is in addition to penalties of over $300,000. On the grand scale of Washington State’s historically high budget, this may seem insignificant but to Washingtonians who are struggling under the increasing tax burdens in this state, that is a lot of their money. 

There is another concerning issue in this settlement. The agreement stipulates the suspension of the Discovery Master and ends the court-ordered investigation into the state’s handling of evidence. 

Transparency and accountability are imperative. Taxpayers have a right to know what happened, why it happened, and what changes will be made to ensure this won’t happen again. After all, this isn’t the first time the state has been fined.