Measures and Amendments … Our ever Changing Legal Landscape

On July 28, 2013 new Washington laws related to wrongful convictions and alcohol sales took effect. Wrongfully convicted persons can now be compensated for their tragic ordeal and certain businesses are now permitted easier access to liquor sales and service.

The new laws pertaining to wrongful convictions allow people wrongfully convicted of a crime to file a claim for damages against the state. The petitioner would have to show that a wrongful conviction was overturned based on significant evidence of his innocence. The compensation levels are to be similar to those amounts paid by the federal government for the same offense. A wrongfully convicted person who meets the criteria will receive $50,000 for each year of imprisonment, including time spent awaiting trial. An additional $50,000 will be awarded for each year on death row. In like kind, a wrongfully convicted person who meets the criteria will receive $25,000 for each year on parole, community custody or for any year period listed as a registered sex offender. Finally, in –state college tuition waivers will be provided for a person who was wrongfully convicted, as well as his or her children and/or stepchildren.

The new laws pertaining to alcohol sales and/or service allows: (1) theaters to sell alcohol to patrons 21 and older, (2) businesses that sell hard liquor to offer small samples of different drinks, (3) farmers markets to provide samples of wine and beer, (4) students who are at least 18 years of age to taste – and spit out – wine and beer in certain classroom settings, and (5) retailers to place stringent controls over alcohol sales at self-checkout machines; the machines must freeze transactions involving alcohol sales until a worker verifies the buyer is at least 21 years of age.

If you or a loved one is charged with a criminal offense in Washington State, it is imperative that you seek the assistance of a qualified and reputable Seattle criminal defense attorney. The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle criminal defense lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested for crime all across Western Washington and the Greater Puget Sound region. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances of the given case.

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