In February of this year it was divulged that the King County Sheriff’s Office has plans to develop and implement a language access program. This announcement was made after a complaint was filed with the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office against the King County Sheriff’s Office and Burien Police Department, alleging discrimination… Continue Reading »
Sexual assault and rape are complex terms that can often be used interchangeably. However, there is often a legal distinction between the two. Generally, rape is sexual assault, but sexual assault is not always rape. Both are grave offenses with profound impacts on victims, yet they differ in legal definitions and the nature of the… Continue Reading »
Governor Inslee recently signed a new law that makes it more likely that anyone who runs a red light, speeds through a work zone or fails to stop at a crosswalk will be ticketed. The new law allows for cities and counties to deploy traffic cameras in more places so as to crack down on… Continue Reading »
Receiving mail from a previous tenant is annoying, especially if you don’t know the former tenant. If you know who the person is, you can write a forwarding address on the envelope and send it on. What should you do if you don’t know who the person is? Can you open another person’s mail? Can… Continue Reading »
Catalytic converter theft has led to new bill being passed to thwart the problem. House Bill 2153 makes trafficking catalytic converters a Class C felony and requires new licenses and increased record keeping for scrap metal dealers and vehicle wreckers. No one can sell a catalytic converter without a driver’s license or a state issued… Continue Reading »
Oregon’s bipartisan Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response met on the last Tuesday in February to vote on a bill simply known as House Bill 4002. The committee voted 10-2 in favor of the bill, with all of the committee members broadly aligned on the problem HB4002 sought to fix, if not the… Continue Reading »
Earlier this month it was reported that the Washington State Patrol agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a federal lawsuit accusing one of its troopers of targeting people of color and immigrants by unlawfully stopping them via pre-text stops. The plaintiffs were all arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of impaired driving. All… Continue Reading »
In criminal law, prosecutors hold a crucial power known as “prosecutorial discretion.” It allows them the authority to make important decisions at different stages of a case, such as: 1) Determining whether to press charges, 2) Negotiating plea bargains, 3) Accepting guilty pleas. Prosecutorial discretion refers to a prosecutor’s authority in a criminal case. This authority includes: 1)… Continue Reading »
Ever wonder if you can get charged with a crime for simply speeding? Well, the answer is under certain circumstances, yes. Case in point, a youngster was caught going a whopping 161 mph on Interstate 82 this past Monday. The man was spotted and tracked by a WSP aerial patrol unit near Locust Grove Road. … Continue Reading »
Every defendant charged with a crime has Constitutional rights. The government cannot infringe on these rights. Federal law requires the government to uphold a suspect’s Constitutional rights throughout a criminal case, including misdemeanor and felony cases. Some of the rights a defendant may have include: 1) Search and seizure rights, 2) Miranda rights (i.e right… Continue Reading »
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