Yearly Archives: 2011

Prosecutor DUI'd

According to the Washington State Patrol, Jim Hagarty, a Yakima County prosecutor arrested for Driving Under the Influence this past week, had breath test results of .106 and .109. The legal per se limit in Washington State is .08. Washington State Patrol troopers arrested Hagarty after he was allegedly involved in a rear-end collision Tuesday… Continue Reading »

Former Federal Prosecutor Blasts Marijuana Laws

John McKay, the unlikely champion of marijuana legalization, joked that he was about to be fed to lions. Then he walked on stage and tried to convince about 130 sheriffs and police chiefs that he was not crazy. For 90 minutes Wednesday, the former federal prosecutor from Seattle blasted drug laws as failed, antiquated policies… Continue Reading »

Seattle PD Detective Arrested After DUI Crash

A Seattle undercover police detective accused of rear-ending a car last Thursday afternoon while intoxicated was previously convicted of DUI in 1994, court records show. Records show that the detective, John Fox, was sentenced to a year on jail for the previous DUI – but he was freed after serving only one day in a… Continue Reading »

An Increase in Tribal Court Authority?

A high-level Justice Department official recently pushed for tribal courts to have more power in prosecuting non-Indians in domestic violence cases that arise on tribal land, saying the lack of authority has meant many serious crimes have gone unprosecuted. Tribal leaders, police officers and prosecutors say something must be done to stop the cycle of… Continue Reading »

Yakima Police Spending Tax Money on Booze

Records obtained by the Yakima Herald-Republic show the Yakima police officers suspended for spending more than $400 in tax money on beer for themselves tried to hide their alcohol purchases. When Yakima City Manager Don Cooper suspended Chad Urwin and Ryan Urlacher in October rather than firing them, he said the officers’ actions were likely… Continue Reading »

Criminal Activity on the Rise?

Small towns across the U.S. that are currently enjoying a boom in oil and gas drilling are also dealing with a sharp increase in drunken driving, bar fights and other spikes in alleged criminal violations. Some blame this increase on the influx of young men who find themselves with lots of money in their pockets… Continue Reading »

Re-Licensing Court!

Nearly 300,000 Washington drivers have had their licenses suspended for not paying multiple traffic tickets, and if they want to get them back, they have to run a gauntlet that includes collection agents and a patchwork system of courts. Many have now turned to King County re-licensing court to begin to dig out of the… Continue Reading »

Gun Restrictions Signed into Law by California's Governor

Amid heavy opposition from gun enthusiasts, the State of California recently became the fifth state to prohibit openly carrying handguns in public. Is the State of Washington far behind? California’s bill makes it a misdemeanor to carry an exposed and unloaded handgun in public or in vehicles. Violators could face up to a year in… Continue Reading »

SPD Officer Arrested for Domestic Violence

A sergeant with the Seattle Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit was arrested over the weekend for investigation of domestic violence after an incident during Leavenworth’s annual Oktoberfest, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. If arrested for a crime contact your Seattle Criminal Lawyer at SQ Attorneys immediately. The officer, who was identified by the… Continue Reading »

California's New Prison Realignment Law

In early October, the State of California passed a revamped sentencing law. California’s revised sentencing law will send those convicted of nonviolent or non-serious crimes to county jails instead of state prison; it is a change designed to save the state money and is aimed at reducing inmate over-crowding. Interestingly, California lawmakers had to move… Continue Reading »