Category: Uncategorized

State and federal criminal statutes that include mandatory sentences require judges to impose identical sentences on all persons convicted of the same offense. Mandatory sentences are state and federal legislators’ response to the public perception about judicial leniency or inconsistency in sentencing practices. However, it’s important to note that most crimes do not carry mandatory… Continue Reading »

Word is out that the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will not be extended by Congress, and will thus lapse for the first time in 25 years. The lapse is a direct result of not being included in a two week stopgap government spending bill.  The VAWA supported victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.… Continue Reading »

Imagine you were charged with a serious felony by your state prosecutor. You went to trial and, despite your attorney’s best efforts, twelve people didn’t believe your story and found you guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Can you appeal? Now imagine the same scenario, but instead of taking the case to trial, you pled guilty… Continue Reading »

Can a Washington State criminal court order participation in a crime related treatment program so as to lessen the risk of re-offense and/or to promote the basic fundamental concept of community safety? Recently, a Washington State criminal court found (pursuant to RCW 9.94A.703) that a court may require an offender to “[p]articipate in crime-related treatment… Continue Reading »

In many countries, authorities may take citizens and incarcerate them for months or years without charging them. Those imprisoned have no legal means by which they can protest or challenge the imprisonment. The framers of the U. S. Constitution wanted to prohibit this kind of occurrence in the new United States. Therefore, they included a… Continue Reading »

When representing non-citizens that are accused of criminal conduct, Seattle criminal defense attorneys are generally aware there are potential immigration consequences their client may be facing. That said, it is always best that the person confer with an attorney who focuses his/her practice on immigration law. This is so because immigration attorneys are more versed… Continue Reading »

Civil asset forfeiture laws allow the police to take and keep large sums of cash or property suspected of either being used to commit crimes or obtained through criminal means such as goods purchased with “dirty” money. Civil asset forfeiture laws differ by jurisdiction, but generally don’t require proof of the property owner’s guilt, although… Continue Reading »

Evidence comes in four basic forms:1) Demonstrative evidence; 2) Documentary evidence; 3) Real evidence and 4) Testimonial evidence. Some rules of evidence apply to all four types and some rules apply to one or two of them. All of these forms of evidence must be admissible, though, before they can be considered as probative of… Continue Reading »

Recently a Pierce County Superior Court Judge ruled that names of people in crime related police incident reports are public records, and this is true even if the report involves patients at psychiatric hospitals, i.e. Western State Hospital. Judge Nevin found that, “[p]olice reports are not health-care records, and suspects in criminal actions are not patients,… Continue Reading »

Last week the Kent Police Department notified 18 massage parlors within the city limits that they were being shut down. Although a lot, these are not all the massage parlors in Kent, Washington. The shut downs were the result of a month’s long investigation into these 18 massage establishments being fronts for prostitution. Some of… Continue Reading »