It is April 20, 2018, and that means one thing – “4/20”, a cannabis culture holiday of sorts, is upon us. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by law enforcement either. The King County Sheriff’s Office is letting it be known – emphasis patrols will be on the lookout for impaired drivers; extra deputies in southeast King… Continue Reading »
Certainly no one ever wants to have an encounter with a police officer when his red and blue lights are flashing. These are pretty colors to be sure, just not when atop a police cruiser. But if ever in such a situation, you should be aware of your rights, and don’t be shy … exercise… Continue Reading »
In criminal trials although some evidence may be relevant it may also be unfairly prejudicial. If the evidence is deemed more prejudicial than probative, the court is required to exclude it. Procedurally the court balances the probative value of the evidence against the risk that it is too prejudicial; if the court finds that the… Continue Reading »
The Seattle Police, as opposed to some other law enforcement agencies, have taken an extra step in combating domestic violence. They have literally dedicated an entire unit to it stomping out domestic violence – the SPD Domestic Violence Unit. The Domestic Violence Unit investigates felony and/or misdemeanor crimes involving family household members and people in… Continue Reading »
Now that Marijuana DUI’s are a bit more prevalent in Washington these days, a thought for defense attorneys to ponder is the value of field sobriety tests on their non-alcohol related DUI’s. Although not binding, a recent Supreme Court case in Massachusetts has shed some light on how courts are viewing FST’s in marijuana cases.… Continue Reading »
It is virtually a guarantee that when someone is charged with a domestic violence related crime a no contact order will be put in place. The order prohibits the restricted party from having contact with the protected party. It is important to understand that any violation of a no contact order is a gross misdemeanor… Continue Reading »
Are DUI Check Points becoming closer to reality in Washington State? Well, last month an impromptu discussion on the topic arose during a presentation to the Washington State Transportation Commission on traffic fatalities. The issue was raised because one of the Commission’s members had just experienced a checkpoint while visiting Hawaii, and asked if Washington… Continue Reading »
A domestic violence conviction in the State of Washington can, and often does, result in a myriad of onerous penalties. Convictions for domestic violence often carry more sanctions than convictions for other types of crimes. Like other types of criminal convictions, domestic violence related convictions have the typical sanctions of jail, fines and probation, but… Continue Reading »
In Washington State folks cited for DUI often are not charged and don’t have to go to court for days, weeks or even months after the incident. Many people get confused about the ‘why’ of it all, and in turn get very stressed out. So to remove the mystery, SQ Attorneys will do our best to… Continue Reading »
In criminal trials, witnesses (including victims and defendants) often provide testimony to the court that the judge and jury consider. When witnesses testify, they do so under oath. They also do so under the risk of facing criminal charges if they lie to the court (known as ‘perjury’). What if a witness is a known… Continue Reading »
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