Monthly Archives: June 2020

Face of Change?

Lawmakers are drafting new legislation to modify, alter or otherwise curtail the use of facial recognition by police departments and other law enforcement agencies. The hope is to reign in the public outrage over police misconduct and racial inequalities. The big concern is that facial recognition tools promote bias by misidentifying people, especially people of… Continue Reading »

Council Strikes Loitering Law

On June 22, 2020 the Seattle City Council unanimously voted to strike its loitering laws for prostitution and drug use. The move was an intentional step away from a criminal justice approach to deal with the problem of drug use and prostitution in Seattle. The criminal defense bar wants an even greater move, however. It… Continue Reading »

How Long Will I Be Held in Custody?

So you have just been arrested and you have no clue as to what will happen next? Getting arrested is probably one of the most stressful experiences you can go through in life, not to mention the hardship it can put on your loved ones. There’s a lot to worry about during this time. You… Continue Reading »

Overhauling the System

As we all know, for weeks now protests have taken place to raise social awareness – equality for all. The protests have centered on the Black Lives Matter movement, and eradicating systematic racism and police brutality. As to be expected, law enforcement has been very active during this period, and unfortunately at times has felt… Continue Reading »

Right to Record the Police

Protests continue all though out the United States as more and more excessive force incidents by the police arise. Many of these incidents are captured on video. As much as police would like to fight it, there is no longer any way to contain people recording them in public. Smartphones are everywhere. It may be… Continue Reading »

Surrender that Weapon!?

Recently the Washington State legislature passed legislation (SHB 2622, effective June 11, 2020) enabling courts to take more aggressive measures when a person has been found to have committed domestic violence and yet outright disobeys a court’s order to surrender his firearm(s) and/or other dangerous weapon(s). Under the new legislation, civil contempt proceedings are authorized… Continue Reading »

Excessive Force and Police Brutality

All throughout the United States, people have been protesting in the wake of the murder of George Floyd from the hands of four police Minneapolis police officers. The officers have been charged with Murder in the second degree and aiding and abating due to the excessive force used during an arrest. Excessive force refers to… Continue Reading »

Bake it Away?

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, some folks may be concerned that police vehicles may not be safe to transport prisoners. Well, the Ford Motor Company has been working on a solution to resolve that very legitimate concern. Last week, Ford announced that it is investing in heated sanitation software for its fleet of 2013-2019 Police Interceptor… Continue Reading »