The pre-trial hearing for Sarah Clasen, a former Washington State Patrol trooper charged with DUI vehicular homicide, has been postponed once again and is now expected to take place early next year.

​Clasen is facing charges after authorities say she struck and killed a motorcyclist in Richland while off-duty in March 2025. According to court documents, a blood sample collected nearly six hours after the collision revealed her blood alcohol concentration was 0.17. At the scene of the crash, she refused to participate in field sobriety tests or provide a breathalyzer sample.

​Since the initial charges were filed in late 2025, the case has experienced a lengthy series of continuances. Her omnibus hearing was originally set for January 7, 2026, but was repeatedly pushed back to March, then August, and then late September, before being canceled the day before it was scheduled to occur. Most recently, a pre-trial hearing planned for October 21 was officially canceled on October 20. Court records indicate that several other trial-related meetings and conferences scheduled between March and August were also subject to cancellations or rescheduling.

​The Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office stated that Clasen’s pre-trial hearing is now slated for January 2027, though an exact date has not yet been established. The official start date for the trial itself has also been delayed indefinitely.

​Within the justice system, it is common for hearings to experience multiple continuances as prosecutors and defense attorneys navigate evidence review and required paperwork before finalizing a trial schedule.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗦𝗣 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗨𝗜 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀