Tag Archives: Search and Seizure; warrant requirement; exceptions to warrant requirement; Western Washington criminal attorney

Oh how the pendulum swings. It was only a few short years ago an officer’s ability to chase people in vehicles was curtailed. That right was slightly expanded last week when Governor Jay Inslee rolled back some prohibitive requirements for police chases. Under the new law, police officers no longer need ‘probable cause’ to initiate… Continue Reading »

Across the nation there are law enforcement agencies using special cell phone tracking tools without first getting search warrants. The device – called Fog Reveal – allows agencies to track someone’s movement back in time so they can do location analysis and follow a person’s ‘pattern-of-life’. Fog Reveal has been used in criminal investigations since… Continue Reading »

The Fourth Amendment of our State and Federal Constitutions protects us all from unreasonable search and seizures. But what are the consequences the government faces for violating these protections? That became a bit clearer on Wednesday – at least for federal entities … not much. Why? Because on Wednesday the United States Supreme Court shielded… Continue Reading »

Some interesting search and seizure case law came down last week.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that exigent circumstances does not always apply to a fleeing driver and an officer’s authority to invade the sanctity of one’s home.  The case arose from a police officer’s warrantless entry into a person’s garage after the officer heard… Continue Reading »

  During this past legislative session, the Washington State Legislature passed several bills focused on policing. The bills are as follows: (1) HB 1054; (2) HB 1310; (3) HB 1267; and (4) SB 5055. HB 1054 imposes restrictions on the use of tear gas, bans choke-holds and neck restraints, bans vehicular pursuits excepting specific scenarios,… Continue Reading »

It was a long time coming, but with some extended perseverance a Michigan man got himself another opportunity to prove his innocence. He has since sued the Hertz Rental Company because they failed to produce the very evidence that would have proved his innocence and kept him out of prison. Due to that lack of… Continue Reading »

Straight from the pages of the Wild and the Whacky – A woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma is now sitting in jail because she had Cheeto residue on her teeth that linked her to an attempted home burglary. What were the facts? Well, apparently on February 26th patrol officers were dispatched to reports of a person… Continue Reading »

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects individuals against unreasonable governmental searches and seizures; the overriding purpose of the warrant requirement is to protect people’s privacy interests. Every person who lives in the United States has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his/her private affairs and property; generally, people have a reasonable expectation… Continue Reading »