Thurston County Court System Crippled by Budget Cuts

Clerk forced to suspend critical public services, leaving hundreds of cases backlogged

Mar. 18, 2026 at 1:49am

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Thurston County's court system has been brought to its knees due to a budget battle between the county clerk and commissioners. Since January, County Clerk Linda Myhre Enlow has been forced to suspend critical public-facing services, citing a "devastating and disproportionate" budget cut. This has resulted in a backlog of hundreds of new cases, impacting everything from Attorney General cases to domestic violence victims seeking restraining orders.

Why it matters

Thurston County is home to the state capital of Olympia, so the court's issues don't just affect the local community - they have ripple effects across the entire state. The budget cuts have strained the legal community, with attorneys warning of potential constitutional violations due to delays. The dispute has also highlighted the broader challenges facing county governments in Washington as they grapple with unfunded mandates, flat tax revenue, and budget constraints.

The details

Clerk Linda Myhre Enlow says she was ordered to cut $778,000 from her $5.4 million budget, making her the most deeply cut elected official in the county. With a staff reduced from 48 to 31 full-time employees, Myhre Enlow was forced to eliminate the domestic violence liaison position and close the front counter entirely. Attorneys say what used to take 10 minutes now takes weeks, and by February, 315 new cases were left sitting, backlogged.

  • On January 20, County Clerk Linda Myhre Enlow suspended critical public-facing services.
  • By February, 315 new cases were left sitting, backlogged.

The players

Linda Myhre Enlow

The Thurston County Clerk who was ordered to cut $778,000 from her $5.4 million budget, making her the most deeply cut elected official in the county.

Teena Williams

An attorney and owner of Goldstein Law Offices who has practiced law for 27 years and says she has never seen anything like the current situation in Thurston County.

Emily Clouse

A Thurston County Commissioner who voted against the budget cuts and was the only commissioner to refuse to sign the letter sent to the clerk.

Susan Melnyk

The Chief Communications Manager for Thurston County.

Thurston County Commissioners

The five county commissioners who control the clerk's budget and are scheduled to meet with the clerk on March 18 to discuss the dispute.

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What they’re saying

“I'm like, 'This is bananas,'”

— Teena Williams, Attorney and owner of Goldstein Law Offices

“My heart breaks when I see someone that's crying and having a hard time maneuvering the court system. But I have had no choice. And I'll get emotional because this is hard. This is not an easy thing to do. It's not what I wanted to do.”

— Linda Myhre Enlow, Thurston County Clerk

“My first message would be a huge apology that this happened this way. I tried so hard to fight for the clerk and her budget. We failed the community by allowing this to happen.”

— Emily Clouse, Thurston County Commissioner

What’s next

The clerk and commissioners are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, March 18, to discuss the dispute and potential solutions to address the backlog of cases.

The takeaway

The budget battle in Thurston County has exposed the broader challenges facing county governments in Washington, as they grapple with unfunded mandates, flat tax revenue, and difficult budget decisions. The situation highlights the need for more collaborative and creative approaches to funding critical public services, especially in the court system, to ensure equal access to justice for all.